When I was younger, my mother told me that I couldn't get my ears pierced until I was eighteen, as she had been when she first got hers. Now, I am not and will never be like my mom, and thus, I begged and pleaded for the better part of sixteen years to get them pierced earlier (here I might add that my mother is an extremely stubborn person) and finally, she caved. After grossly over-analyzing things, as I tend to do, I though that maybe it might have been in her best interest to allow me to get them pierced at an age where I might not remember how exhilarating it was to get pierced. As it was, I was completely fascinated and intrigued by the experience and wanted to explore the possibilities.
At A Glance Author LuckyCowboyBoots Contact LuckyCowboyBoots@bme.anon When A week ago Location St. Mark's Place, New York City One thing I really pride myself on is my versatility. I don't like to limit myself or my creativity by conforming to one style or niche, so I like to keep things kind of simple for that very reason. The next piercing I decided to get about a year later was my cartilage. It was done with a 14g needle and seemed even more painless than my initial ear piercings, especially once it had begun to heal. I hid it from my mother for about a month, and she wasn't very happy about it, but I told her, "If it didn't bother you for a month,why does it bother you now?"
I waited another few months before getting another piercing. This time I chose another cartilage piercing, this time on the other ear and in the relatively uncommon spot in the middle of the outer edge of my ear. I unwisely chose to have it done with a gun again, a mistake I will not make again. It hurt and healed very slowly, though I love the location and the piercing itself.
I was just about to turn eighteen and had been warning my mom that I was definitely going to pierce my navel once I was of age (although the fact that I wasn't hadn't stopped me before). As the date of my birthday approached, I became impatient and decided to do it spontaneously after a concert at the Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan. I wanted to take a train downtown to St. Mark's Place, a street notorious for its many tattoo and piercing places, to get it done there. Unfortunately, after calculating times and such, my group of friends and I decided we would miss the last train home if we stayed in the city any later than planned.
I intern in Manhattan and have ample opportunities to go to St. Mark's by myself whenever I please, but I decided I wanted my boyfriend there for moral support, as he had provided for my last piercing. We planned a New York City outing with some friends recently. My boyfriend and I ventured into the city earlier than our friends though, for the soul purpose of going to St. Mark's to visit places and gauge prices. My best friend had her navel pierced in Union Square for $40, so I was prepared to pay at least that much, perhaps a bit more. In my experience of piercings, it is often less expensive to buy the jewelry separately from the piercing, as the places I've gone to immensely overcharge for the jewelry. This in mind, I set out on the block to find an inexpensive 14g surgical stainless steel curved barbell before finding a place to perform the piercing.
The first place I went to had an array of colorful belly rings to choose from. I set my sights on one with two clear rhinestones on either ball and inquired about the price. The woman told me it would cost $8, or $25 with the piercing, all inclusive. Expecting to pay nearly double that, I very impulsively obliged but was told to wait outside until the piercer finished with the girl before me. I anxiously waited with my boyfriend for the piercer to finish. I noticed a belly ring with bigger rhinestones that would fit my flashy personality a little bit better. I asked my boyfriend to choose between the two. He told me to go with the smaller one. Reluctantly, I agreed. In the midst of this dilemma, we both heard bloodcurdling yelps of pain coming from inside the room. About two minutes later, a petite asian girl stumbled out of them room, clutching her stomach in tears. Clearly, she had just gotten the same piercing I intended to get. Was this the sort of pain I was in for? I took a deep breath and ventured into the room.
Admittedly, it was a shady place, but for some reason, I trusted the large foreign man who was about to plunge a needle through my stomach. I sat in the piercing chair and pulled my shirt up to expose my navel. My boyfriend sat in the chair next to me, looking more nervous than I. The man put the jewelry in disinfecting solution and wiped my navel area with an iodine prep wipe. He took a purple felt tip pen and marked off both the entrance and exit destinations for the needle. Thinking of the girl before me, I asked him if it was going to hurt a lot. "You won't feel a thing," he said. I also asked him if he could make the flesh between the barbells wide enough so it wouldn't migrate. He told me that everyone asks him to do that, but he is the piercer and he has more experience, so I told him to just do what he thought was best. He took the forceps and gripped the skin around the two purple dots.
I quickly and instinctively put my knuckle in my mouth. He opened a new needle package and removed the needle. I took a deep breath and bit down on my knuckle as he slowly pushed the needle through my skin. At worst, I felt pressure on the area and then slight pinch. He left the hollow needle in my stomach for a moment and said "Almost done." I looked at my boyfriend. He had turned away momentarily. He told me later that he couldn't watch. I felt another small pinch as he slipped the jewelry in and the needle out. There was a slight throbbing around my navel as he tightened the lower ball, but relatively no pain. It was a very quick thing, and a lot less painful than anticipated. I got up to look. It looked so cute, and as my boyfriend grabbed me to kiss my cheek he told me it looked hot. As we walked down the street, all I felt was a dull throbbing, but not in a painful way. It was an interesting feeling. I told my boyfriend it didn't hurt and how the girl before me must have been a wuss. He still was astonished that I had done it so expeditiously, but he seemed to like it nonetheless.
I bought some H2Ocean salt spray immediately after to care for my new piercing. I also playfully bitched to my boyfriend a bit about how I should have gone with a larger piece of jewelry and jokingly questioned why did I listen to him?! I might have to go back and buy the larger one for the future, as the one I have now almost seems to be swallowed up by my tummy. Mostly satisfied, we both made our way uptown to meet up with our friends, but not before my boyfriend started asking me if he should get something pierced. I was glad to have inspired him but since we were in a hurry, I told him that would have to be a different adventure for another time...
All in all, it was a good experience; quick, painless and the piercing seems to be healing well. It only feels slightly sore momentarily when snagged. If I were to recommend one thing to someone looking to get this piercing done, I would advise one to go to a not-so-shady place. Additionally, I would recommend not anticipating pain, as this usually increases it. Just relax and have fun with it!