HELLO! My name is Stephanie, and I'm currently 14 years old. I have, as many people (namely young girls around my age) wanted to get my navel pierced. I hated the fact that it was trendy, and actually, still is, but what can you do? I still liked it. It all began when I was about 10. I don't remember exactly when I found out, but for as far back as I could remember, I knew what a navel piercing was. I do however, recall when my mom wanted to get hers done. I found it to be the most intriguing thing I had heard of, and therefore, I wanted to get it done too. I asked her, and she said of course I could, knowing damn well I would never go through with it, and would never had expected her to say yes. So, of course, I had to call my dad as well. He said yes too, but said that it would hurt a lot and that it would take a long time to heal. This discouraged me, because at that age, my dad knew everything and if he said something hurt really bad, it would hurt...really bad. So I com pletely forgot the navel piercing and all its allure.
At A Glance Author Stephanie Contact RedPopRocks@hotmail.com When A month ago Artist Dave Studio Accurate Piercings by Dave Location Perrine, FL Until....
fast forward a few years, to 6th grade when I was 12. I was watching the Real World/Road Rules Challenge 2000, the episode where the teams had to skydive, and one brunette, Veronica, is crying on the plane to jump off so she lifts up her goggles and asks a fellow cast member to wipe her tears. She opens her mouth kinda weird so he can do this, and looks up, when suddenly...what's this? What's this I see? This strange silver object driven through her tongue? Could it be...yes, it really was a tongue piercing. Then 2 months later I saw it in a trend spotters article in Teen People where there was a picture of two best friends who had gotten it together. So of course, I became obsessed, and wanted to know all about this cool, new way to drive my parents insane.(I mean, this piercing.) So I searched online, and eventually, I stumbled across B.M.E. Finding it very informative, I printed a bunch of experiences, pictures, bla bla bla. I did also look up navel piercings, but I kept hearing about the painful POP you would feel and all that..so whatever, I wanted my tongue done.And come my 13th birthday, I asked. And pass my 13th birthday, and I didnt have it. Must I really explain? So, I thought, next year. Next year I'll ask again. But somewhere along the way, something changed.As I realized I would never be able to convince my parents to get a tongue piercing, I remembered my 10 year old self, and how my mom wanted to get it done, and how cute she thought it was. And I remembered that over those years, I had become a crazy, dare-me-and-I'll-do-it girl with (yes its true) a high tolerance for pain. So I figure just let her say yes, and I'll go through with it now...who cares for the pain? I had gone from a practically failing student to a one grade away from honor roll smartass, so I figured that would help. I asked after the first semester had just started in September, and got a no. So I said "Okay" acting as if I had forgotten, when I knew really that the day report cards came out, I would be all over that sh*t. So one day, actually about a week after report cards (okay, so I DID sort of forget) I was looking through an issue of Entertainment Weekly with Britney Spears on the cover and I noticed the photographic emphasis on her navel. So I flas hed the page at my mom and said really sarcastically, "Wow, Mom! Doesn't she look really pretty in this(I pointed at her navel in an exaggerated fashion)picture?" And my mom said "Alright, alright, you can get it done, but I know you'll chicken out." And I laughed. Because I knew I wouldn't.
I took the liberty over those weeks of telling one of my best friends, Isa, that we could go together now. (Her mother had long consented.) At the last minute, she couldn't go, so she would go on Sunday. So its a Friday night, December 14th,and I had found myself, my mom, and my friend Alessandra in Perrine, like 45 minutes from my house (I live in South Miami), at a small but extremely sterile, fantastic, highly recommended (*wink wink*) place called Accurate Piercings by Dave. So by this time I'm practically pissing in my pants but determined to go through with it. After much talk with him, (Dave) who would pierce me, I said, "Dammit, I cam all this way and all these years, I'm gunna f****ing do it!" So I signed the papers and paid $45 for the service and a plain silver horseshoe shaped-ring, and in I went. ( There was no waiting period at all, it was almost 8 'o clock and I was the last customer.)
He seated me in a chair, and left the room to get the ring from the autoclave, I'm assuming. He came in, told me to get up and hold up my shirt, and marked where the hole would be. He then said to cross the room (where there was a huge mirror) and see if I liked the placement. I was so nervous I hardly looked, to tell you the truth. I just said yes and sat back down. He put the top part of the chair back, so I would be looking at the ceiling, and I held my mom's arm while Alessandra held my feet so I wouldn't move. I laughed to myself. He then put the clamps on, which aren't as bad as everyone says (at least in my opinion) and told me to hold them while he fastened a rubberband around them. Incase you're wondering, clamps just have 2 little holes at the end where the needle will go through, kind of like a guide. So this was it.
I put my arm over my face and layed my head back down so I wouldn't be tempted to look, and then there it was, the pressure, the pinch then POP! 3 seconds of a sharp kind of pain and it was over! WOOHOO! He put the ring in, which stung a little, but oh well.I got up and looked at it, and all I was feeling was a little stinging sensation. I just said "I can't believe it!" and Dave said "I can!" Everyone laughed and relaxed a lot after that. He went through the cleaning procedure, and off we were. I headed to Wendys for some food. (All that nervousness for nothing makes you hungry) and then to Eckerds to get some Dial Soap, Bactine, and Sea Salt (which helps a lot).
When I got home, I turned on the radio, completely excited and happy and anxious to show all my friends. Suddenly that NSYNC song came on. I laughed so hard. I couldn't believe that the dirty pop wasn't anything that anyone had said. It wasn't bad at all. Anyone who wants to should do it! You'll be nervous for nothing and you'll love it as soon as its done! My screen name is "it was ME9365" IM(instant message) me anytime, I would love to answer your questions. And no matter what, don't listen to the crap people say about pain or it being trendy and you'll regret it. Just listen to Dirty Pop. "Sick and tired of hearin all these people talk about...what's the deal with this pop life and when's it gunna fade out? I think you gotta realize what we're doing is not a trend...we got the gift of *piercing* and we're gunna bring it till the end..."