I'd had my belly button pierced before, when I was about thirteen. Eventually it became too shallow, and I had to take it out. I never knew why, until later.
At A Glance Author Chelsea Contact scre4msofsilence@yahoo.com When A week ago Artist Pete Studio INKredible Ink Location 1 S. Orange Ave, Orlando FL 32801 I knew I wanted to do something radical. I've always been an extremist, and I didn't just want to get my navel pierced. That's so boring; so mundane. Everyone and their grandmother has that. I was browsing piercing pictures for ideas, knowing that my parents had forbidden facial piercings until I was out of the house. I came across a picture of a three point piercing. One at the top, and one horizontally on each side. I fell in love, only I wanted to do more. I wanted all four sides pierced. I had my heart set on it, and begged my parents. They put it off, telling me I was too fat (I'm not fat, I've just got a little bit of a tummy) and that they would allow me to get the piercings if, and only if, I lost the weight. Well I am happy with my weight and personally don't want to be Paris Hilton skinny, so that didn't happen. Two years passed, and I still had my heart set on this piercing project. They finally caved and, as a birthday present for my 17th birthday, allowed me to get them pierced, finally. I was so excited. I asked some of my pierced/tattooed friends where I should go. They told me about this place I should go to, so on a Friday my parents took me there. We walked in the door and it was grungy, they had pet mice in one room, it wasn't a well organized place, or particularly clean. It didn't matter, anyway, because they said their piercer had recently left them. (hm, I wonder why ¬_¬)
I had done some internet research prior to this, and after we left that place, I remembered this one place I looked up online called INKredible Ink, in downtown Orlando. I called information, in the car, and got the address. As soon as we walked in the door of THAT place, I could tell it was a good place. The problem being that I had to have a form notarized because I was under the age of 18. Lucky me, it was Friday at 6pm. All the notaries were off duty. Monday was a hurricane. So on Tuesday, form notarized, my mother, father, and myself set off back to INKredible Ink. We filled out forms as the piercer, Pete, was doing a project on another person in the back room. Once he came out to the counter, he noted that I wanted four navel rings. He gave me this look, and launched into an explaination about how I'd have to be meticulous about cleaning it. I said I understood, and wanted them all done at the same time so the healing process would be over all at the same time.
I was led into the back room, my mother in tow, and he told me to stand with my feet apart shoulder length, arms at my side, straight up. He then took a purple marker and marked a crosshair on my bellybutton so he could get the piercings perfectly straight. It took him about fifteen minutes to do this, and he apologized for taking so long because he said he was completely anal retentive about making sure everything's straight. For obvious reasons, I didn't mind this.
Then he washed his hands, put on gloves, cleaned and sterilized my navel, and told me to sit on the table laying back resting on my elbows. I know I have a fear of needles, so I didn't watch as he pierced the first one. I had already told him that I'd had it previously pierced, and I had a scar from that. He had done a lot of positioning to try to cover up the scar I had. The clamps went on, and my eyes went to the ceiling. He told me what he was doing every step of the way, and I felt the slight pressure of a needle on one side of the clamps. Then he said, all in one breath, "ready okay you're done". Even though I wasn't done with the piercing when he said "you're done", it made me feel better. I can't really explain why, but it calmed me down. Then the barbell went in, and he stopped and asked me if I was ready for the next one. I said I was, and he did the same thing with the bottom one. It was about this time that I started to feel really ill, because of my fear of needles. My mind was freaking out and was making my stomach sick. I told him to wait, and so he let me lie down on the table and he put a wet napkin on my forehead. Then he left for a bit while I tried to steady my stomach. About ten or fifteen minutes later, he came back, washed his hands again, put on gloves, and asked me if I was ready. I said I was, and I asked him if I could lay down for them, so I wouldn't feel so sick. He said I could for the last two, because they were on the sides so he would be piercing straight. So he readied me, put the clamps on the left side of my navel, and repeated the process of "ready okay you're done". After that barbell went in, I was talking to my mother trying to pretend that there wasn't metal viciously attacking my poor stomach. During this, right after the left side, he said "okay let's get the other side over with before you know what's going on", and he did just that. Before I knew it, the needle was through and he was putting the barbell in.
I stood up and looked in the mirror. I was beaming with pride. I had the guts to get four piercings at once.
Pete told me that the reason the piercing surfaced the first time was because the piercer hadn't done it properly.
He explained the cleaning procedures to me, which I was familiar with already. Then my parents paid (120$), and I was out. My stomach was sore for about three hours, and I didn't want to stand or sit because my stomach would be crunched. I only wanted to lie down, and I did. In the car the whole way home, I made my dad drive. After that pain passed, though, I've had no pain except for a little minor stinging when I clean it. But what can you expect when you're cleaning an open wound?
It looks amazing, and even my mother, who is weary about piercings, admits that she likes it a lot.
The procedure was less than enjoyable, but the piercer helped me through it. If I had gotten an apathetic piercer, or someone who was rough, I don't think I would have gone through with all of it.
INKredible Ink on Orange Ave in Orlando is a wonderful place and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to get a piercing. I don't know anything about their tattoos. If you're getting a piercing, ask for Pete.