So this is the story of my navel piercing.
At A Glance Author anonymous Contact anonymous@bme.anon When Six months ago Artist ? Studio ritualistics Location alberta I know that the navel defiantly isn't the most original piercing out there today, but I hope my story can help others.
It was near December of 2003 and I was exploring the world of peircing's. I had my heart set on a double labret. I was convincing my mother every day, and she got sick of hearing it. She told me, "I can't handle you talking about piercings all the time. Why don't you talk about something a normal kid would talk about?" So I held back from mentioning piercings a week or so even thought it was hard. After that week I said, "Mom, I am getting my double labret whether you like it or not." So I made my appointment at the piercing shop that I got my cartilage pierced at.
The next day came for her to drive me to the piercing shop and we argued the whole way there. My mother said, "I really hate those labrets. They are ugly and will make you ugly. What if they get infected? You have such a beautiful face, why mess around with it? Don't put holes in your face. Imagine what they will look like when you're old. I would much rather you get something pierced that is not on your face, like your belly button. All the girls are getting theirs done now." So I said, " Just because everyone is doing it doesn't make it right." My mother replied, "Well I'm turning this car around and you wont get anything pierced at all.
I had been looking forward to getting pierced so bad that I just caved in and agreed to get my navel done instead. We entered the shop and did the usual. Fill out forms and such. The weird thing that struck me was I was not at all nervous. I think I was holding it all in somehow. I had mentally prepared myself for weeks, that getting pierced was no big deal.
I now picked out my jewelry. I chose a 12 gauge silver captive ring with a silver ball. People often get confused by why I chose a 12 gauge and not the standard. I did it for two main reasons. 1) So I would not be tempted to buy low quality jewelry in stores and cause my piercing to reject and 2) To be different I guess.
So I went into the separate room to get pierced. My mom came along with me. She always did. I was told to lift up my shirt and tuck it into my bra. So I did this all standing. She started to mark me and this is where everything went wrong.
I quickly began to feel extremely faint. I told them how I was feeling then that's the last I remember until I slowly regained my hearing then my vision. The moment I woke up I was so disappointed in myself. "How could this have happened? Why! Why! Why!" I said to myself.
I was feeling pretty crappy and I drank some water and orange juice. I was pretty humiliated by the whole thing. The piercing lady asked me if I still wanted to get pierced.
I strongly said, "Yes, I'm going to do what I came here to do."
I wasn't about to give up now.
So she finished marking me lying down. Then the clamps were on and I could feel the 10 gauge needle slowly slicing its way through my flesh. I remember smiling at this moment and thinking it felt good. I've never really told anyone I enjoy the feeling of metal going through my skin, but I'm sure I'm not alone.
Then the jewelry was inserted and I was done.
I got up and was still feeling pretty woozy, but ignored it. My mom paid for me as I sat on the couch, trying to force myself to feel better and also quite embarrassed.
I went home, in a pretty bad mood for just getting pierced.
About 7 months later my navel was still taking its time healing. At about that same time I was ready to retire my cartilage piercing. It had rejected and keloided up and I was sick of taking care of it after over a year and a half. A week after its removal the keloid had significantly shrunk in size. I was feeling pretty down about piercings at this time. I now understood that my body rejects piercings and keloids up where they had rejected. I was pretty much devastated. A week later I noticed a bump similar on my navel. I cleaned it and it went away, but I was still extremely concerned about it after learning that a navel could easily reject from my body. I went in to where I had my cartilage piercing taken out and showed them my navel and they said it looked fine. I was doubtful and was close to taking it out.
After that I noticed my navel was starting to look really good. I stopped cleaning it for a few days and it somehow looks even better. So I am pretty sure my navel is close to healing after 8 months.
To conclude this experience I recommend being healthy when you get pierced and please EAT before you get pierced! Eat a lot! Especially if you are a fainter like me. It's also a good idea to bring along a juice high in sugar. Also, immediately ask to lie down in the piercing room is you faint easily. Ever since I fainted that one time, even just the smell of a piercing shop makes me want to faint. Also be sure to really want the piercing you're about to get. I admit, I don't love my navel piercing as much as I should but its still okay. They are also really easy to clean.
If you are one of those types of people who reject and keloid up, you are not alone. Don't loose faith in body mods. There is still plenty more for you to discover. Peircings are just part of it.