I've wanted a navel piercing for as long as I can remember. It probably started in 5th grade, when I saw people over the summer with theirs done. I loved the way they looked, and I wanted one. Every time I had asked, the answer was always "no". But then maybe 3 months ago I convinced my mother to let me get one done this summer, when we go on vacation. I said "okay", because it was better than a definite no.
At A Glance Author Melissa Contact Beaut1ful_mess_x3@yahoo.com When A month ago Artist Tom Studio Addiction NYC Location NYC Then we decided to go to NYC for the weekend, and I was a little ..iffy ..about asking my mother to let me get it done while we were there, because I don't like to put pressure on her. But then out of no where I mentioned it, and she asked her friend [who we were staying with], if she knew any places for me to get it done. I couldn't believe my ears. She said "we'll look in a little while", because at the time we were eating lunch. After lunch we went back to her apartment, and we stayed there for a little while to get changed. Then we got in a taxi and she took us to this one street [I don't remember the name], and there was a bunch of sales on the street. We were walking and I pointed out to my mom, her friend, and my friend Amanda that there was a piercing / tattoo parlor. My mom said "Okay then, let's go", and we went inside.
I was so nervous, so I had my back turned to the people and I was looking at different navel jewelry. They said that I needed to have an ID, or they couldn't do it. I'm 14, so obviously I didn't have a permit, and we didn't think we would get any piercing done while we were there, so no birth certificate, either. I said "Okay" and I walked out of there bummed. We took about four more steps and we saw another one. [Ahh the joys of being in NYC] We went inside, and we had to sit for a long time, the man upfront was making a sale. After he was done, my mother got up, and told him I wanted a bellybutton piercing. He looked at me, then back to my mother and asked her if she had any ID. She showed him her driver's license, and he looked at it, and then said "alright". We had to wait a while, because we weren't quite sure if they were going to it or not. After what seemed like forever [it was only about 5 minutes], he told me to go over to a big glass case, and then didn't say anything. In the case were a lot of navel rings, nose rings, and tongue rings, etc. I figured that he wanted me to pick one, so I looked at all of them. I chose a hot pink barbell, and the man picked it up and wrote down $45 on the sheet with all the information.
Tom led me into the back room, but before he did, I asked him if Amanda could go back with me. He had no problem with it. So, Amanda, Tom and I walked back, and I sat down. He told me to stand up again, and them my mother and her friend came back, also. He told me to stand in one of the tiles, even, so he could evenly mark my belly button. He used a purple marker, and told me to lie down. When he explained what was about to happen, I was so nervous I couldn't listen. All I got was that the needle was put in something that sterilized it, and the numbers were more visible. I didn't understand what that had to do with anything. Then he pulled the barbell I chose out of a cup of something it was soaking in, and set it on gauze. He dipped the end of the needle in petroleum jelly, and said "this hurts worse than braces do" and since I have braces, that made me feel a little bit better. He didn't use a clamp, and he put it threw bottom to top. It felt like a little pinch, and then I thought it was threw, but it wasn't all the way, so he put a cork on top and pushed it threw. Ahh that was the worst part. Then he put the barbell in and I couldn't feel anything anymore. I asked if I could get up, and he told me I could.
He then went over how I should clean it, and that I shouldn't touch it a lot until it's totally healed. I thanked him and left the room. My mother bought some cleaning stuff for it, and we left.
I'm so glad I got it done, because now it's healing and when summer comes I can show it off. I recommend doing it if you want to, there's always a way to get around it if you're too young. It took me 3 tries, and I got it done.
Good luck and happy piercing!
xoox