I'd been considering getting my navel pierced for a while. But, oh where in Albany can you really go? I'd never had a piercing with a needle before, all I'd had before were pierced ears from Claire's when I was twelve, I was pretty much clueless. I was walking around Lark Street one night window shopping when I noticed Viva Lark Vegas - a hipster-y vintage store located right next to Lark Street Tattoo (which is strictly tattoos). So I wandered into this eclectic little shop and noticed that behind some bamboo curtains at the back of the store was the piercing area. They had their prices listed clearly up front next to the register and I figured what the hell!
At A Glance Author Lai-Yee Contact Lai-Yee@bme.anon When Six months ago Artist Rebecca Studio Viva Lark Vegas Location Albany, NY Of course I was still incredibly nervous about any sort of body modification, regardless of how current it was. So I meandered around the store looking at the stuff on their walls (they really had a lot of cool vintage stuff). The whole place had a really soothing friendly vibe, so any fears I had were soothed by this and my decision to get pierced.
I talked to Rebecca about the best kind of piercing to get - she told me it was a barbell because hoops can take up to a year to heal. Yikes! The piercing cost $35 and then the adorable pink double jeweled barbell cost another $35, bringing my total up to $75 with the aftercare kit. So it was kind of pricey, but it's really what you'll end up paying in Albany. And then the fun began (after the usual paper work and all). I walked in the back (When I say the piercing area is in the back, it isn't a little hole in the wall either. The space for piercing is equal to the shop's size.) I with Rebecca and my boyfriend, and realized I wasn't wearing the easiest clothing to get a piercing with - a dress with pantyhose. But hell, we were girls so it didn't really matter. Rebecca was really professional. She marked me up and pierced me in a jiff.
And so I left, happy with my newly pierced belly button. In about a week or two my navel started itching like no tomorrow. I didn't think there was any reason why since I had followed the aftercare directions to a T. I called up and asked them what I should do and they told me to come in so they could properly see what I was complaining about. So I went back and talked to different piercer who told me I was swelling and had maybe been pierced a little too long so the tightness and dryness was causing the itching. She also said that I'd been cleaning the piercing too much. She gave me a different, longer barbell (free of charge, too!) and told me to use contact fluid to clean it instead.
I still had a lot of pus and crust around the barbell for 4 months. But since the minimum healing time was three months, I decided to try and change my barbell out for a different one. Bad idea!!! I cleaned it before I put it in, but my navel was still swollen. The barbell barely fit because it was normal gauge when I'd been wearing a longer one due to swelling. Just changing the barbells hurt – that should have been the signal to stop and let it heal. It made the pussing get worse, and finally one of my friends convinced me to go back to longer barbell Viva Lark Vegas told me to use.
I used orange liquid anti-bacterial Dial soap for aftercare to wash it off with in the morning in the shower and again later at night. I also had to swab the piercing with ear care solution five times a day. And then I switched to the contact liquid like the other piercer told me. One of my friends laughed at my aftercare and told me to just use clear anti-bacterial Dial Soap. The buildup started to clear up after about a month, and even after six months I still have a little, but I figure I just must be a slow healer, and taking the piercing out while still healing slowed the process down a good deal too. Dial soap really helped clear it up!
Even though my belly button hasn't been the easiest piercing to handle, it's still one I am very happy I decided to get. I'm certain I have tons of scar tissue from all the bumping I've done to it, but it doesn't matter - it's hands down awesome. And now I'm addicted to feeling that needle in my skin, I can't wait to see what I'll do next. I'm not certain if I'd go back to Viva Lark Vegas, the service was overall very nice, but the prices were just a little too much for my poor college wallet.