My belly-button experience began over three years ago, in one of my more rebellious stages. I had pierced my own belly button, and my mother had forced me to take it out. Of course I was outraged because I had spent half an hour shoving a safety pin through my belly button, then stretching it to fit a standard ring. That, if I've ever felt it, was pain. So obviously I complained when my mom asked me to take it out. But of course, being my rebellious self, I repierced it, and this time, my mother let me keep it, knowing I was determined.
At A Glance Author sarah Contact sarah@bme.anon When Six months ago Artist rebecca Studio marvel Location indiana, USA Cut to about two years later when I was seriously looking into piercing the bottom of my navel, using BME as my main reference. I realized pretty quickly that I would not be able to do this on my own. I had grown up a little, and my pain threshold was not nearly as high as it used to be.
In this time, my sister had gotten her belly button ring ripped out at work, and then had her first child. As soon as she had lost the weight, she wanted to get her redone. So it was decided that my sister would get hers redone, and I would get my second, though it took me months to convince my mother of this. The next obstacle was finding a day when my sister and I didn't have to work and our mother could go with us. This was not easy being that all three of us had 40/hr/wk unpredictable jobs. Finally, on one Wednesday when my mom didn't have to work and I had a few hours to spare, we decided to go without my sister.
Our parlor of choice was to be Marvel, the shop where my friend was apprenticing under the amazing and talented Rebecca. This was to by my first piercing that was a little out of the norm, as my nose, quadruple ears, and to belly button were now mainstream. I was beginning to get nervous, wondering how many of these piercings Rebecca had actually done in her piercing career. But as soon as I walked in the door, I knew I was at home.
Rebecca assured me that she had done this piercing almost one hundred times and that she was perfectly comfortable doing the piercing on me. Next, we signed all the necessary forms, and it was time to pick out the jewelry. Although I had previously thought that you could only get a plain barbell for an initial piercing, apparently that was not the case. I ended up choosing one with a red jewel, to dually symbolize my birth stone and my hair color, (yes, natural). She then directed me to her piercing room where she happened to have pictures of my apprentice friend's corsetry lining the walls.
She had me stand as she marked and remarked the placement of the piercing until I was satisfied. As soon as my mom agreed that the dots was in the center and straight, I was ready for my new piercing. Rebecca then had me lay down on the hospital-like bed and told me to relax. She asked me if I wanted to watch, and I said yes. She then instructed my mom to hold a mirror up so that I could see the procedure without tensing up my stomach muscles. She instructed me to take a deep breath in, and that as I exhaled, she would pierce me. The initial piercing was virtually painless compared to the self piercing I had done in the past. Even when she put in the jewelry, which is supposed to be the painful part, didn't hurt at all.
After she instructed me to stand up, and I was able to look in the mirror, I couldn't stop smiling. Even my mom agreed that it was very pleasing to my body type. I thanked Rebecca and walked out of the shop a very happy girl. My double belly button piercing is now one of my favorite conversation starters, and makes me confident to show off my stomach, because most people focus on the jewels, not the actual stomach.
I am now planning to go back and get the sides of my belly button pierced to create a quadruple belly piercing. These next two will complete the project that was begun years ago. I haven't decided whether to get them both pierced at the same time or not.
I a very pleased with my piercing, and would like to especially thank the wonderful and talented Rebecca and of course, my mother.
To all of you who are considering the same or a similar piercing, go to a place you trust and go for it! You only live once.