I had wanted my navel pierced ever since I was about 12, and of course when you're a 12 year old asking your parents for a piercing, it's almost certain the answer will be something along the lines of "No" or "Not until you're 18".
At A Glance Author Damage Inc When Six months ago Artist Didn't get their name Studio TigerLily Location Oxford, UK So here I am 6 years later, a week away from being 18, and my cousin says
"Hey, I'm getting my belly button pierced, you should come and get yours done too!"
So I beg my mum for £30 to get it done, she says no. Luckily, I have a sister who likes piercings, although she only has her ears pierced, she offered to pay for me as an early birthday present. Sisters rule!
That same day me and my cousin head down to Bob Eagle Smith tattoo studio, and as we didn't have I.D, we were turned away. So in that case our next stop was Lionel's tattoo studio, they didn't do piercings. By this point we were getting desperate for a piercing so we went to the place that nobody recommended, Tiger Lily.
We walked to Tiger Lily only to find that their piercer was off sick. Great.
The Next Day
So I'm sitting in college now kicking myself for not finding another piercing place, I call my cousin and say "Meet me we're getting our navels done today!"
And all that excitement rushes back!
Again, we go to Tiger Lily and luckily for us (I think!) they had free slots, so they could pierce us. We had I.D this time so we were able to get them done hassle-free.
We signed our forms, paid £30 each and were taken into a cramped room at the end of the shop.
It was small, clean in a way, though not as clean as I'd hoped!
I made my cousin get pierced first so I could watch as I'd heard so many people tell me
"You won't even know it's happening" or "You won't feel it".
I am a HUGE wimp when it comes to thing like this. I even cried a little when I had my ears pierced aged 8!
So anyway, I was watching my cousin laying there, too calm for my liking!
Watching the piercer mark where the piercing would go, I started to get nervous for my cousin as she was so calm about it!
As she took the needle out of the packaging though, I could tell she was getting nervous.
I couldn't see the piercing being done as the piercer was slightly in the way, but oh well, soon enough I'd be in that position!
*About 10 minutes later*
After picking out which bar I wanted, which took me ages as I'm really picky, I picked a black standard bar. My cousin had picked a silver titanium bar with little blue jewels in each end, it was pretty :)
So I'm laid on this weird blue bed thing, shitting myself, having just been marked on my stomach where I'd be pierced.
I honestly thought I was gonna run away!
She took the needle out of it's packaging for the second time, put the clamp on my stomach, which didn't hurt at all, despite reading that it hurts people more than the piercing! She also put some cold liquid on my stomach, which was supposed to numb it, but I stupidly forgot to mention that I take slightly longer to go numb than most, which I found out at the dentist, entirely different story though.
And the piercer says:
"Deep breath, I'm going to pierce on 3"
"...1"
"...2"
Me:
"Ow ow ow!"
I actually BELIEVED her when she said she'd pierce on three, and I didn't take a deep breath, my bad.
It actually didn't hurt as much as I'd expected, I stood up and looked in the mirror and fell in love.
I had picked out a little black bar, which was kool as it matched my clothes hehe.
I was still a bit wobbly at the thought that I'd just gone through it!
Me and my cousin walked out of there proud owners of 2 new piercings, and we couldn't be happier.
Though I do wish I'd listened to people who advised me not to go there, as my cousins friend has recently had to take hers out as it went white, red, crusty, and disgusting.
Also, my cousin's was pierced slightly wonky.
I had a lucky escape as mine hasn't had many problems. I cleaned it every single day, twice a day, and even now 6 months on it still bleeds sometimes, which I'm going to get checked out!
I've changed it a few times aswell and had no problems, though it does hurt a little when changing it sometimes.
Moral: ALWAYS check out the place before you get pierced as you never know what to expect. Next time I get something done I plan to go somewhere I've researched!