After my very first piercing, which was the top of my navel, when I was 17 I didn't get the bug right away. But then I got with my boyfriend who is a drummer in a death metal band, and he had a lot of piercings. So I started wanting another one. I wanted to think of one that we could do together. We decided to get the bottom part of our navels done together. I had just started college at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina and I had gone scouting around for cool shops and piercing joints. I found a place that looked promising. The piercing half was called Primalisms and the tattoo half was called Mark of Cain (Named after the tattoo artist/owner Charles Cain). Right when I walked in I could tell it was really sanitary. Cain went over the health regulations with me and showed how his store met all of them. Then I made an appointment with the piercer, Megan, for my boyfriend and I for the next day. Megan said make sure to eat before I come, and I took her seriously because I get lightheaded easily.
At A Glance Author Kris Contact Kris@bme.anon When A year ago Artist Megan Studio Primalisms/Mark of Cain Location Boone, NC We left my dorm on Sunday and headed for Primalisms. The shop is really funky and artsy, which I appreciate being an art student. One of my classmates even traded a sculpture for some tattoo work with Cane. There was a motorcycle inside the lobby and pictures of Cain's absolutely unbelievable tattoo artwork on the walls (One of which was of Megan the piercer). The inside was brick, rather than boring white walls, and there were funny things like Bizarre magazines and Mullet calendars to look at while you wait. I also had a look at their selection of body jewelry and their prices were incredibly low. Like I could by a navel barbell for $10 whereas in other stores they're usually $30.
We had a brief wait on the fluffy couch, and then Megan escorted us into the piercing booth. The place was like a doctors office, because it was spotless and sterile. Megan talked us through the process but she could tell that we'd been through it before. She started laying out all the tools and such. Everything came out of plastic and when it was used it was thrown away. My boyfriend went first because I wanted to watch first and see if it hurt (I'm a wuss like that). Megan cleaned his belly button and put on the antiseptic. She clamped it, and out came the familiar needle. She just whisked the needle right through his navel and left it sticking there. We had chosen barbells even though they were 10 dollars more. I have always had better experiences with barbells than rings. So then she pulled the barbell through as the needle came out. Easy enough, right?
So then it was my turn. I lay down on the chair while she swabbed and cleaned my navel. I told her that I may get lightheaded and she said it was ok, it's just adrenaline. She marked the spot I was to be pierced at and clamped the skin. The needle entered quickly at first but it seems like my lower navel had a bit of cartilage inside so the needle stopped from the thickness. She had to get a better grip and push it harder the rest of the way through. It hurt so much I went cross-eyed. I mean I winced so hard I think it hurt my boyfriend to watch. Now don't get me wrong, this wasn't because Megan was a bad piercer. On the contrary, she's awesome and she has since done many things for me, it's just that my skin was a lot thicker than expected. And my other navel ring never hurt once. So anyway, big big pain. But of course, the unusual gut wrenching pain was over in a few minutes and I could relax. Then the familiar warm throbbing sensation started. Now this was the kind of piercing I'm used to.
I had to sit there for a bit because it took me a little while to recover, and Megan brought me a popsicle while she read us the care instructions. Like many people have learned, bactine is not really good for piercings, so at Primalisms they give surgical soup. It's the kind they use in hospitals for wounds and surgical incisions. It's like super-powered antibacterial soap. It feels so much better than bactine. So we finally got up and paid her the $45 ($35 for a ring). This piercing took a little longer to heal, and was a little rougher on me because it got sore, but it was so worth it. Now I have a blue barbell in my top whole and a blue ring in the bottom. It's so sexy, and I like it some much better than having one now that all the models and Britney Spears types are getting them as often as ear piercings now. Hehe. My boyfriend's body rejected his (He's Asian and prone to keloids anyway) but mine still looks awesome and I'll never regret it!