Ok let me begin my saying this; I am 13 years old, and I am horrified by needles.
At A Glance Author Julia Contact SparkleNFade21@aol.com Artist Paul Studio Big Joe and Sons Tattooing Location White Plains, NY My mom asked me last year when I had lost a lot of weight if I would ever get my navel pierced. At the time, I was still very concious about my body, particularlly my stomach, so it wasn't right for me.
Until one of my friends got her cartalage pierced. Everyone at school complimented on it and said it was cute and I really wanted something as cool as hers. I didnt want my cartilage pierced cuz I've had my ears pierced three times and each time it got infected. So I thought it would look dumb if I just had my cartalage pierced and not my ear lobes. But, recently I have lost weight and tightened my stomach. I still would like improvment though!! :o) So, as I said before, I wanted something cool. And now, a year later I posed the question to my mom about getting my navel pierced. I was sure I wanted to do it. Then when I brought it up with my dad he was totally against it. My mom was for it and so was I, so my mom told me that she didnt care what he said, and if I wanted it done (which I did) then I could get it done. It was a Sunday when my mom promised she would take me. So of course Tuesday (we had monday off) at school I started to tell all of my friends. I was exctatic, and so were they!! There was this one girl in school (I really dont like her that much) and she claimed to me that she had gotten hers done. I knew it was a lie because I felt her stomach. I told her I was gonna do it and she doubted me and told me I was a liar... which made me wanna do it even more.
The next day, my mom told me we were going on thursday. Of course Wed. I came in tellin everyone I was gettin it done for sure.
Ok, Thursday rolls around, only 4 days after I asked to have it done, my mom's plan was for me to go to school for the first two periods and then we would go and get it done. So my mom wrote a note for the office. (Hands hurt lol) I couldnt concentrate all through french and math.. (well, i never concentrate in those classes anyways so.. plus i need a lot of words lol)SO FINALLY ITS 9:22 thats when sec. period ends. I take my little note from mommy and go downstairs to meet her. I get down there and she's sitting in the chair. As we leave I see a t.a there. so we stop and talk a little, blah blah you know, and then we finally are outside the building. my mom didn't take the car cuz we live real close so we started walking and i started saying how nervous and how excited i am. she then broke the news to me.
We had assumed that the parlor (Big Joe and Sons Tattooing)would be opened around 10. she then told me she called and they didnt open till 12!!! I was alittle bit releaved cuz i had time to calm down. We decided that we would walk to the parlor (my mom is a walking freak) so about 11:30 we leave the house.. omg im getting so nervous right now.
I pretty much thought of all the possible bad things that could happen. Then I thought of all the good things that could happen and how all my friends know im going to go and get it. I was like i cannot chicken out, i can do this. We were looking on the buildings for the numbers.. we needed 148. 2...4...6..8.. omg at first we were walking really fast, but then my mom told me to slow down or we would be early. ok, about 10 minutes pass...ladada...
Were there. OMG i cannot do this i was so scared i could have bet money i wasnt going to do it. but wait, if i didnt do it, i would ever be able to go back to school again. so they were closed when we got there aparently we were early. i didn't even get up to look in!! ok now its 12... closed..12.10...closed...12.15..closed... i was a little bit happy they were closed when we got there because it gave me more time to relax. I wanted to go in smiling and happy, and excited.. not parinoid and nervous. Soooo finally this guy comes out of this van and he has tattoos all over his arm.. i prayed he wasnt the piercer!!
Finally they open the door, but the sign still says closed. ok then this guy with a round face walks by, long hair pulled back... reminded me of jasmine from aladdin..?..? when he walked by my mom said to me "i think he's the piercer" i was like how do u know and she was like "he just looks like a piercer" i was thinking ok.. so the sign was switched to open..
When we walked in there was tattoo posters covering the walls like wallpaper.. it was hot. there were two wicker benches and 2 chairs.. a counter and a back room. i walked in and looked around. it was clean. there was a guy in there vaccuming as we waited!! I never got to actually sit down because we were the only ones in there :0) the place was very comfy though it felt right.
my mom was right. he was the piercer. his name was paul. omg this is it!!!
we walked into the back room after he "set-up". I got a look at the needle it was small! he gave me a choice of either a silver hoop with silver ball or a silver hoop with a black stone ball. i chose the black one because i didn't want it to be too plain. the chair was really really small and really really uncomfortable.. he told me i could lay however i wanted. ok, first he told me everything he was going to do.. it wasnt new to my ears because i had been reading other people stories here. he put on the clamp which in my opinion didnt hurt.. then i closed my eyes and.. i opened my eyes and it was done. now that i think about it i dont remember feeling anything, hearing anything or seeing anything.. i think i might have passed out lol but i wouldnt know!?! but the weird thing was if i did pass out i was revived as soon as he was done.. he just had to screw on the ball, which was all i heard him say after the clamp. i admired my new ring in the mirror, i was like i did it! the guy was like yeah you did it girl! i was so comfortable and happy!! he gave me cleaning instructions, a paper with the instructions and he also told me i could find them again online at their website if i lost them.
Even though i've only had it for 2 days, i love it and if you want it you wont regret it! and if you live in white plains, or around there go to the Big Joe and Sons and mammorneck ave.. every1 was totally cool especially paul!! www.bigjoeandsons.com!!
Ok now a quick little Q&A:
Q: DID IT HURT?
A: no it didn't hurt at all, but like i say i may have passed out..?..? oh and i could feel heat it felt like heat..
Q: WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE AFTERWARDS?
A: omg it hurt like a bitch afterwards.. sorry but it did. DONT WALK if your going to go.. trust me u get super dizzy and have some soda or water onhand after... i got a craving for smoothies when i was done..?..
Q: WHAT ABOUT AFTERCARE?
A: they tell you everything you need to know.. ok listen i've only had mine for two days (lol) but it seems in great condition.. dont be afraid to clean it you have to!
Q: WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE TO SAY?
A: its worth it.. if your afraid of needles or pain, dont let it stop you.. i didn't let it stop me and im so happy i didn't because every1 at school loves it too.. BUT DONT DO IT FOR OTHER PEOPLE you have to want it to get it or else it will be 10 times worse.. do it for yourself..
please if you have anyother questions IM NOT KIDDING e-mail them to me at SparkleNFade21@aol.com i want you to feel free to ask me anything.. even if u think it might be dumb..
p.s YOU CAN DO IT! (lol ne1 who saw The Waterboy)