Since I was 14 years old, I had wanted to get my navel pierced. But coming from a very strict household, my mother's immediate response was "NO!" It was very depressing for me to go through high school and see all my friends with their cute little navel rings. I was so envious, but at the same time, I never gave up on my mom. I knew that eventually, she would have to cave in. Finally, after much begging and pleading, she finally took me on my 18th birthday. That was all most a year ago. But I'm not going to talk about that piercing. Yesterday, I got my lower navel pierced.
At A Glance Author Tee-Tee Contact tmf04@fsu.edu When It just happened Artist Sheryl Studio 5th Element Location Tampa, FL After I got my standard navel, I became obsessed with getting a second one. My mother of course said no, but by then I didn't care anymore. I'm 18 years old and out the house. I don't need her to take me anymore. For some reason, I kept putting it off. Always saying that I would eventually go back and get my other one done. But after all most a year, I had only gotten 2 tattoos and my tongue pierced (which my mom doesn't know about of course).
Over this past weekend, I drove out to Orlando to go visit my best friend at the University of Central Florida. As I'm walking up to her room, she lifts up her shirt and says "Look at my new piercing." And what do you think she had done?! Her lower navel. Oh my gosh! I was beyond jealous. I punched her in her arm and told her she was a copycat. A little childish, I must say, but I wanted it so bad. After that, I knew I was getting it done as soon as I got back home.
So fast forward to yesterday (Monday 3/07/05). I was sitting in my living room with my boyfriend and casually say "Let's go get my belly button pierced." He looked over at me, shrugged his shoulders and we went! We pulled up into the parking lot of a tattoo parlor called 5th Element. This was the place that I and all my friends had gotten my pierced at, so I trusted it. Besides, my friend's aunt was the piercer and she gives up all discounts with our high school ID. So anyways, we walk in and Sheryl (the piercer) is in the middle of a tattoo. She asks me what I wanted and I told her I wanted my belly button pierced. She told me ok and to give her a minute. I didn't mind waiting because I was starting to get a little nervous. Despite my tattoos and piercings, I'm terrified of needles. So I started to get butterflies in my stomach.
Finally, Sheryl is done with the guy's tattoo and she hands me the paperwork and asks me to pick out a barbell from a box. I pick a green one that glows in the dark. Very cute. Sheryl takes everything to be sterilized in autoclave. After I had completed all the paperwork, she asks me to come over to a little chair. Everything needed for my piercing is laid out on a silver tray. I catch a glimpse of the needle and quickly look away. It was then that I told her that this was not my first navel piercing, but my second. She asked me did I know anything about the "pain factor" of the lower navel. As soon as she mentioned "pain factor," I became a lot more nervous. I knew that it was going to hurt more, but did she really have to mention it to me?! She told me that the lower navel hurt a little more than the standard navel. Before I could chicken out, my boyfriend slightly nudged me from behind and leaned over and whispered in my ear, "You can do it, babe. I'll be holding your hand the entire time." So, I went for it!
I walked over to Sheryl and she examined my belly button. She asked me to take out the top ring because it dangled over the bottom. After scrubbing my belly button with some iodine type cleanser, she clamped my lower navel. She didn't mark it or anything. With the clamp on, she asked me to sit in a black chair with my butt on the edge and me leaning back. I started to get nervous. Sheryl explained to me that she wanted me to breathe in and out twice. On the second time I blew out, she would then pierce me. I grabbed my boyfriends hand and looked up at the ceiling. Okay... "Breathe in...Breathe out...Breathe in...(I closed my eyes)...Breathe out...OH S%#T!" Sheryl stuck the needle through and it hurt so bad! I opened my eyes, stared at the ceiling, squeezed the hell out of my boyfriend's hand, and stuck my tongue out. My way of dealing with the pain. Sheryl stuck the jewelry through and said "There, you're done!"
I couldn't move. I felt a little light-headed. I looked down at my piercing and smiled. I had finally gotten it done. My boyfriend asked me was I ready to go. I told him that I didn't want to move yet and he laughed. Sheryl laughed as well and told me that I could sit there as long as I liked. She came back with a sheet of paper that explained all the healing and cleaning instructions. She told me that since my other piercing had healed so well, she really wasn't all that worried about me. Finally, I was able to get up. I paid Sheryl and thanked her.
I'm so excited about my new piercing. It's a day old now and doing fine! Sleeping on it wasn't a problem and it's only a little sore now. If anyone is thinking about getting it done, I definitely recommend it. I'm not going to lie. An inverse piercing does hurt more than a standard, but if I had the chance to do it over again, then I would. If anyone has any questions, feel free and e-mail me at tmf04@fsu.edu or IM me at xxbabygrl2oo4xx. Now let's hope mom doesn't find out about this one!