About a month ago, my fiancé wanted to get another lip ring to complete his snakebites. Being supportive, I went along just like I had before, with no intentions of getting a piercing of my own. As soon as we walked in the building, however, that familiar urge to get something done hit, only this time, I was eighteen and could get it without parental consent. I had been thinking about getting a quad-navel for quite some time, but had not gotten around to doing it yet, so I decided it was now or never.
At A Glance Author Kaitlyn Contact Kaitlyn@bme.anon When A month ago Artist Lenny Studio Hotbox Location Brandon, Fl After my fiancé got his lip rings, which looked absolutely amazing, I asked Lenny if he would mind piercing my navel three more times to make it a quad. He checked out my stomach and told me I really didn't have enough room to get three more, but he would do a really nice tri if I wanted. I walked around the store and looked at jewelry for a bit, trying to decide if I wanted a tri as bad as a quad, or if I should just leave my standard navel ring alone. No, I wanted it. I wanted it bad.
After filling out all the necessary paperwork and having my ID scanned, he told me to go stand in the piercing room while he got everything ready. He got out a little ruler to mark the spots where my two new piercings would be. After about five minutes of marking, then wiping away, then marking, and wiping away, he looked up at me and asked me who pierced my standard navel. I told him I had gotten it done there, in the same shop, but with a different piercer a few years earlier. He then informed me that it was crooked on the inside and it made it really hard to get the other two even. I told him if it was too much of a hassle, to not worry about it and I'd come back later for another piercing, but this was purely out of the nervousness that was growing from looking at the needles on the table.
About five minutes later, the marking was done and everything looked good so far. Lenny cleaned everything up on my stomach and the table and got out all the needles and jewelry and tubes he'd need. He told me to lie down on the table and to try and relax. As nervous as I was (it had been almost four years since my last piercing), Lenny really made me feel at ease. He put a receiving tube on the inside of my navel and told me to breathe in, and then exhale. On my breath out, he pushed the needle through the bottom left of my navel. As soon as the needle went through, I jumped and my knees instinctively pulled up towards my stomach, but I stopped them before they hit anything. It didn't really hurt, it was more of a pinch, but it was worse than what I had expected since I hadn't even felt my standard navel. Then he put the jewelry through, and the threading made it hurt worse than the actual piercing had. Lenny then told me to turn around on the table, so my head was where my feet where previously so he could do the other side. The directions where the same as the last. Breathe in, exhale, and push through. This side didn't hurt nearly as bad, or maybe I was prepared this time. I got up and looked in the mirror, and instantly fell in love. They were better than the quad I had envisioned. I showed them off to my fiancé and his step mom, and they loved them just as much as I did. After all the aftercare instructions (sea salts soaks twice a day, and unscented soap), we paid Lenny for our piercings and left.
It's now a month later, and they have healed up almost completely. I love them! They don't hurt at all, and really only hurt if I slept on my stomach during the first few days. I am constantly being asked to lift up my shirt for people so they can inspect them. Most people are confused as to how I have three jewels on my stomach, instead of the usual one and they often feel the need to get up really close to figure it out. If you're looking for a way to change up your navel that's a little bit different, I definitely recommend a tri-navel! They're gorgeous, virtually painless, and way easy to take care of. Just be sure you're ready for all the attention you'll get! I didn't think it'd be that big of a deal, but everyone's quite curious!
If you live in Brandon, or anywhere close, I would definitely suggest Hotbox. It's wonderful. The prices are very reasonable, and everyone there is really, really nice. It's all clean and comforting. I've now had three piercings done there, and my fiancé has three from there, and all six have healed nicely. Definitely go to Lenny! He's awesome!