Well, there I was, a 13 year old wanting a navel piercing. Typical, right? So one day I looked it up, just out of boredom. And I soon found out more about them, standard gauges, jewlery website, all on piercing website. I suddenly became fascinated with piercing (not on myself...just in general) and learned alot. So, I decided that I was going to go for a navel piercing for a present to myself to starting high school/finishing middle school. My mother insisted that I get my nose pierced and I said no. I know, isnt it a little strange...it's usually the other way around. Anyway I didn't ask my dad because I knew that he'd say no because he doesnt even understand why people put holes in their bodies when he spent his entire life trying to keep them out. So I ask my mother and she says "Yeah okay whatever I dont care, its your body, do what you want."
At A Glance Author Gabrielle When A year ago Artist Scott Studio Milano body Piercing Location Milwaukie So school is about to start and she suddenly has to look into it and is indescisive. Finally she says yes and I decide to lose a little weight so that my stomach will be more attractive and then go for it. Yeah well that fell through anyway...but whatever. I postponed the piercing to my birthday (September 28th) and picked a few piercing places and called them up asking about the procedure. Some places you had to be 15 so I couldn't go there. I really wanted to go to a place called the Catalyst in downtown Vancouver, Washington but the piercer was out of town when I wanted to get it done. I settled on Milano Body Piercing and told my mother. She again was not sure and had to research it and all of that crap, which I had already done. So she finally agreed. She couldn't take me on the 28th because my stepdad had the car, so we did it the 29th afterschool. She picked me up from school and we drove to my dad's house and I dropped off some stuff. She pretended like she forgot about her and then rolled her eyes but drove me to Milano none the less. I wasnt really nervous and wanted the piercing, and was ready for any amount of pain at all.
We find the place with directions from MapQuest and walk in. The place is empty and there is a girl in her twenties behind a glass counter. I say that I'd like a navel piercing and we sign forms and I pick out a stanless steel banana bell with 2 crystal gems. Being half black half white I liked the look it had on my caramel skin and picked it way before hand. The guy came out and nodded and slapped the girl at the register's butt which was a little...strange but I ignored it. Anyway the guy took me into a room like a little dentist and had me sit down. He market it and layed me back and I objected and stood up to make sure it was straight. He then lifted it up right way, and put on the clamp. I was a little creeped out about how fast he did and asked if I was nervous. I said no and looked at the ceiling. The clamp did not hurt. He put on gloves sterilized the area an (well actually he did this before) and then pierced me. The pain felt like a pinch and didnt hurt! I thought "That's it...?" Then I felt a tug and another tug and then looked down and my jewlery was in place. He then sprayed it with a product called H20cean and I was good to go. It took about a min. and a half, very fast!
I went out and payed and was very pleased. I also bought the same sea salt spray and payed and was on my way.
I had always had trouble with my ears. I was extremely worried that the piercing would keloid or migrate out if I lost some weight (I was just curvy). I got home and cleaned the piercing with anti-bacterial hand soap and sprayed it. It stung a little but after a while it was fine. Months went by and it was still healing. Around december I noticed that the bottom was getting darker and looked like a keloid was forming. I flipped out. I had also run out of H2Ocean so was using regular sea salt soaks and the shot glass cut around my bellybutton so I had a half moon scar next to it. I bought more H20cean and cleaned it. The bump at the bottom went away but then came back. I got irritated again and then started to religiously clean it even though it looked 80% healed, twice a day, sea salt sprays 5 times a day as recommended on the spray can. Low and behold the keloid completely dissapeared and now my navel is pretty much healed. Around my birthday it will be healed, which means it took it around 1 year. Its strange because I usually heal really quickly except with piercings. Anyway, H20cean was a God sent and my navel is good to go!
What a great birthday present.