I'm not too much into endless ramblings about the personal details of the lives of posters on BME, so this experience may be a little dry to you if you like to read about how I convinced my mom/cat/significant other/head of state I should get pierced. Countless experiences deal with that kind of stuff. This one is more a tribute to an amazing studio than an intimate experience. As the healing process goes or fails, it's extremely likely I'll share more personal details. But so far everything goes so smoothly that I really can't say much of that nature anyway. So on to the praise ;).
At A Glance Author denki Contact drillpickle@hotmail.com When A week ago Artist Pierre Studio Black Sun Location Montreal I'm female, a Montrealer, and 20 years old. Prior to getting those two nipple piercings, I had my tongue pierced about a year and a half ago, at Art en Mouvement (by Robert). That studio is now closed, and while my experience was not a negative one, I didn't feel the urge to look all over town for my last piercer. I should write about that piercing, and I probably will soon.
So it was back to the drawing board, and I needed to find a new studio. I asked some pierced friends, scoured the BME experiences archive and the local media, and everything seemed to point in the same direction : Black Sun Studio (www.blacksunstudio.com). I'm a very sceptical person, and this consensus intrigued me. So I called on Monday.
I hate to say something that shallow, but all you may read on BME about Black Sun being a great studio is true. The girl who answered the phone was not only extremely friendly, she knew her stuff. I told her I was considering having my navel and both nipples pierced in one sitting, and she answered my questions about the studio and the piercers, with honesty and a smile in her voice. I took an appointment for Friday, knowing that I'd have a full hour of the piercer's attention to decide if I wanted to get it done there. Besides, the Easter holidays would give me an extra day of rest if things were to take a heavy toll on my system.
5 seconds upon entering the studio, I was decided. The place is incredibly clean and calm. You have to remove your shoes/boots at the entrance, and there are some hospital slippers for you to put on (i didn't put them on, but it just goes to show how clean they strive to keep the place.). Azl (who seems to be a very nice guy) told me to wait for Pierre, my piercer-to-be, in the waiting room.
Then came the first surprise of the day : Pierre's apprentice, Robert (nothing to do with Art en Mouvement), was to prep me up, all the way to placement, while Pierre would perform the actual piercing. I'm all for sharing the knowledge, but I was not too keen as to be the guinea pig. So I asked Robert a couple of questions. It turns out my apprehension was unfounded : not only is Robert a knowledgeable fellow, he's as concerned with cleanliness and proper technique as Pierre. Both of them wore a mask throughout the whole procedure. Robert works in a hospital aside from learning how to pierce, and I found that reassuring. He was really meticulous about keeping all things sterile, sterile.
I didn't want a small gauge piercing. I'm not fat, but I'm not skinny either, and a small gauge CBR/BB, aside from looking a little weird, would probably have not endured gracefully the added mechanical stress from my not perfectly toned belly. Robert suggested we go for a 12 ga CBR, Pierre too. That was fine with me, given the ease the CBR would offer me through the next months of diligent cleaning.
Pierre took a good while to make sure the placement Robert suggested was right. He then asked me to sit on the chair, and reclined it. I wish I could say I was nervous, but really, it was hard to be with all the care those two guys did their part of the job. All I could do was relax. I think I would've relaxed right away if I were nervous, just because of one little special touch that's in the piercing booth. When the chair is reclined, and you stare at the ceiling, there is this little paper with 'relax' written on it stuck to the ceiling. Now, I know it's not an essential item of any good piercing booth, but I thought that was real sweet. I'm a sucker for things like that.
So while I was smiling because of that caring touch, on came the clamp. Pierre must know how to use it properly, because it was barely uncomfortable. Before I go any further, you need to be aware of one thing : I have a high tolerance to pain, and I can concentrate on something in a much deeper way than the average person. I learned to anticipate and control my pain responses through martial arts and meditation. So if I'm saying it didn't hurt, it doesn't mean I was passive in the process, and it doesn't mean I'm bragging about it either. I'm not afraid of my vulnerable side, I'm just saying you can prepare for the pain instead of submitting to it. As with anything, know your body and your limits.
Anyway, through came the needle, and it barely pinched. As a matter of fact, pinching my navel with my fingernails would've been more painful. I didn't even feel the jewellery come in, and it almost felt wrong when I realised Pierre was already closing the CBR. His technique was excellent – swift, stable moves. Sitting up straight brought a little pain, but nothing really overwhelming.
I really wish I could continue in a chronological manner, but since I got two other piercings in the following minutes, it wouldn't make much sense as far as a navel tale goes. I'll just give you the basic guidelines of what was discussed about my new piercing after the whole ordeal. Pierre put a bandage (looked like 3M's Tegaderm, a transparent membrane that keeps dirt/germs/water out but is permeable to air) on my navel, and suggested I buy a bottle of antibacterial soap (I chose Trisan) and some Baxedin/Hibidil + sea salt to clean it, soap in the shower, Baxedin/sea salt soaks 12 hours later, for the next 2 months.
Aftercare is explained on a sheet Pierre gave me, along with some healing information, and steps to take if infection happens. He really stressed the importance of proper aftercare, and made very clear he would be happy to help me out if I had questions or trouble with the piercings. He also pointed out things I could do to help speed the healing process and strengthen my immune system. That's invaluable information, whether you're getting 1 or multiple piercings – up your zinc and vitamin C intake. Pierre suggested I take SISU's EVC, a vitamin and mineral supplement (meant to keep you from getting a cold = added bonus :)), and I have to admit, it's been 4 days I've been taking them, and scratches I got while training before getting the piercings started healing really fast. I can only guess it's helping my system cope :).
So far, I've been having minimal crusties on my navel piercing, and while it's still sensitive, it doesn't hurt that much. I'm following the aftercare Pierre recommended me like my life depends on it, and I could hardly do otherwise, given how Pierre took the time to discuss it with me. I can't recommend Black Sun enough. Amazing staff, incredible cleanliness, none of that bright neon and t-shirt selling that makes me wonder if they're really in it to give clients a good and safe piercing experience, or to sell you stuff you don't really need. You won't even have to ask to see the autoclave equipment : it's in plain sight. Even the aquarium in the waiting room was clean ;). Overall, it's a very positive experience for me. I'll soon post some information about the double nipple piercing (they don't even hurt anymore, and it's been 4 days...) I got in the same sitting, but in the meantime, if you have any questions about that, or about anything for that matter, feel free to emai l me.