I had wanted my belly button pierced since my sister got her's done the year she graduated; I was 8 years old at the time. Rather young for piercings, I had just gotten my ears done. When I was 13 I started asking my mom if she would let me get it done, which earned me very few direct answers. I had a brief self done tongue web piercing, which I was in love with, my mom knew nothing of it however, but that is another story for another time. So, after about a year of begging my sister finally talked her into it. I live on Salt Spring Island, where there are no piercing places, so on one rare occasion that we were in Vancouver the decision was made.
At A Glance Author Daisy Contact down_with_desire@hotmail.com When N/A Artist Bear Studio First On Granville Location Vancouver January 14th 2006 was the day I got it done. I was extremely ecstatic as we wandered around down town Vancouver, mostly on Granville St. The first two parlors we went to we're rather disheartening, because neither would pierce anyone under 16 no matter what. We had heard of First on Granville, all good experiences of course. So we wandered on until we came across it and walked in. It looked nice and the guy having a smoke outside looked friendly, I later discovered that this was the guy who would be shoving a needle through my stomach. I went inside and we asked some questions, found out that they would pierce me. Bear came inside and gave me an aftercare sheet, which he told me to look over, my mom and me signed the forms, and then Bear gave me his ever-famous quiz. Easily passed. He took me into the room where I would be pierced, he told me to tuck my shirt into my bra; he marked the spot on my belly button and asked if I was happy with it. I was. He had me lie down and got everything ready, I had decided I wanted a CBR with a purple bead. He kept me relaxed and laughing, and commented on how my mom looked more scared that I did. I was ready. He did about 12 glove changes, he had blue gloves, they were quite nice. Then I lay down, he put some red disinfectant stuff on my stomach, and he got me breathing. He told me he was going to put the clamps on and that it was going to be the most painful part. It was. He made sure I kept breathing and told me when he put the needle against my stomach.... 1.... 2...3. I felt a little pinch; just enough to make me flinch, and it was through. I opened my eyes and looked down, the needle looked a little strange through my belly button. He changed his gloves again and got the ring; I barely felt that go through. There was a little feeling... kind of weird, when he put the ball in. He cleaned up most of the red disinfectant and got me to stand up and check it out. I was in love! He got me to touch my toes, and explained that it was because so often he gets groups of girls walking out of there waddling like they're pregnant. We went out, paid and left. We went and got after care stuff and then on to the bus back to where we were staying. I showed everyone who would see it, I was so in love. We went out for my cousin's birthday dinner, and it was all around a blast.
Sleeping that night was a little hard, because I couldn't sleep on my stomach. But it was fine after that. I couldn't stop looking at it! A few days later it was really bothering me, swollen and bleeding sometimes, but I just kept cleaning it and it calmed down after about a week. I got strep about a month after and it acted up with that, and I wasn't always cleaning it as well as I should have been. A while through the healing process I switched to sea salt and water, everything is awesome with it now.
I've had it done for almost four months now and I love it! I've changed it to a barbell because the bead on the CBR fell out and I couldn't find it...
I would most definitely recommend Bear and First on Granville for your piercing.... As soon as I convince my mom to let me my next venture is the left side of my lip! Which I will for sure be going back to Bear for!
Anyways, long story short. Piercing, good, Bear, great, belly button, AWESOME.
Anyone contemplating this piercing should go for it, think it through, do your research, fall in love with it. It hardly hurts, and it's absolutely worth it.