For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by piercings, but my parents are really against them. I have two lobe piercings, but I wanted something else. My mum said I could get my bellybutton pierced when I was sixteen, about two years ago and I held her to this.
At A Glance Author Bobbie Contact Bobbie@bme.anon When A month ago Artist I can't remember, but she has two labrets. Studio Eternal Tattoos Location Dorking, Surrey England. As you may well know, it seems like everyone has their bellybutton pierced, and I didn't want to look like all the chavs in my school. I wanted to look different, so I decided on an inverse. (the bottom) I spoke to my boyfriend about it, and he seemed really pleased, so I told my mum that I would get it done and she said OK.
I was going to go to another place, that was closer to me, and apparently cheaper but I had heard so many horror stories about it, so I decided against it. I then thought about getting it done in Cold Steel or Eclipse in Camden. This was soon out of the question, because when I went in there they didn't want to talk to me, and all they wanted was the money. This didn't impress me so I left it. Later, I went into Eternal, and had a chat with the woman in there about prices and stuff. She told me that it would be harder to care for, more likely to catch on clothes, and was actually a surface piercing, so there was a possibility that it could reject. This put me off a bit, but she sensed this and told me that although it was more likely, the risk was still pretty low, if I cared for it right. This was on the Monday. I was sure I wanted it after all she told me and so I told her I'd see her on Saturday. I ended up going back on Friday to see if I needed an appointment. She told me I didn't but said that morning was best because they were less busy, and she would have more time to chat. She also told me to eat something sugary before, which I already knew, but it was still nice to know that she told people this. Somehow it really relaxed me.
Saturday came and I had to take my mum along, because she needed to sign my consent form, as I couldn't get hold of my passport. The woman told her that she was very welcome to come in and watch but my mum couldn't stand it, and left soon after. That was a great relief! We told her to come back in half an hour and I would be all finished. I couldn't decide on what jewellery I wanted, and then she pulled out a new bar that she had ordered, and I chose that one. She told me that she had only ordered two, to see what they would sell like.
I went into the room with Sam (my boyfriend) and she pulled a roll of paper over the bed. She took all the equipment out, and explained to me how they were sterilized, and I could see that they were all sealed, so she marked it out and asked if it was OK. I said it was fine and she told me to lie down on the bed.
She took the clamps out and placed them on my navel, while telling me what she would do. She grabbed a bottle and sprayed some on, telling me that it was a freezer, and it would take the edge off the pain. She never told me that it wouldn't hurt, and I was grateful that she was honest. She positioned the needle and told me that she would count to three, and then pierce. She did it, and it was fine, I hardly felt a thing.
She then cut the end of the needle off, and put it in the sharps bin. As she turned round to grab the bar, she dropped it, swore, picked it up and threw it in the bin. She then took off her gloves got a new one, put new gloves back on and opened the packet. She threaded the jewellery in, in one go and I didn't even feel it. She had a bit of trouble screwing the ball on, and I started to bleed a bit. I had a look and fell in love! She took a few photos for her portfolio, and stuck gauze over it, to soak up the blood. I paid her the money and she gave me a sheet on aftercare. She told me not to use the saline soaks, which I would do, and instead use Savlon spray. I took her advice and a month later, it practically healed.
I'm going back to her for all my future piercings, and would recommend her to everyone I know!