I had never considered any kind of body modification until I was in my later teenage years. I had seen other people with piercings and been intrigued, fascinated and even envious but had never really considered it as an option I would look to myself. However, by the time I reached seventeen, I decided that I too would like to add something to my body.
At A Glance Author Angel In Disguise Contact Angel In Disguise@bme.anon Artist Matt Studio 21st Century Gold Location London, England I come from quite a strict Middle Eastern background and so my first priority was getting something that was easy to hide from my family. Thus, it was going to be either be a genital or navel or nipple piercing. I ruled out getting a genital piercing straight away as I thought that it was a little bit too intimate for my first piercing and I was also a little apprehensive about the pain (I hadn't discovered how beautiful this pain could be yet!). Getting my navel pierced was the second option but I wasn't too keen on this as at the time, in the area that I lived in, it was a bit of a 'trendy' piercing that almost every fifteen year old girl I knew had. This left me with the idea of getting my nipple pierced, and I was certain that this was the right piercing for me.
I decided to get it done after my very last exam at high school as this would be a celebration for the end of school and I would be eighteen by then so the procedure would be legal. A friend of mine had wanted to get her tongue pierced for a while so we decided to get our piercings done together. As neither of us had previously had any non-conventional piercings, we foolishly decided to go to the piercing studio that offered the cheapest deal. This was called '21st Century Gold'. We hadn't made appointments and so had no idea what the studio was going to be like. On entering, however, I was pleasantly surprised. The guy behind the counter was really friendly and helpful and I felt quite relieved when he asked me for ID because it made me feel like they took their job seriously.
Naturally, I was feeling quite anxious about the whole experience. I'd only ever had my ears pierced before (I did have two in each ear but I don't think this can really be compared to getting your nipple pierced!). My friend was also a little apprehensive. She had multiple ear piercings and also her nose pierced but I think getting your tongue done is in a different league altogether. I decided to get mine done first so the piercer came out to meet me and then show me into his studio. I immediately felt comfortable on meeting Matt. He seemed calm and very sure of himself (if a little bit stoned!). When we got into his studio, I was struck by the whiteness of it all – it looked so clean. He asked me to sit down and we had a little chat during which he explained the procedure and most important of all, asked about my feelings and fears about the experience. I had previously felt a little embarrassed about the prospect of sitting there topless in front of this stranger but because of his gentle and agreeable manner, I had no qualms about it.
Once it was done, I felt a rush of excitement that was beyond anything I'd ever felt before. I felt beautiful and different, changed but in the best possible way. I waited for my friend to get her tongue done, which only seemed to take a matter of seconds (I was obviously not really 'with it' at this point) and we both ran out onto the street and screamed. People stared but we didn't care!! It felt amazing.
Before getting my piercing, I had been quite a self-conscious person but for some reason, for a few weeks after getting it done, I became very confident in myself. I felt beautiful and desirable for the first time in my life. I enjoyed showing it off to people, although I did not do this in a tarty or offensive way. It sounds melodramatic but I felt like a mother showing off her new-born child.
The healing seemed to go quite well. I was taking very good care of it and cleaning it religiously. After a few months (which I believe is the standard healing time for a pierced nipple), it was perfect!
Although I had greatly enjoyed the experience of getting my nipple pierced, I did not really give any thought to getting any other type of body modification until about six months later. I had lost that fantastic feeling that getting my nipple pierced gave me, and I needed it back!
So, I decided to get my tongue pierced. I got this done at 'Tusk' in London's Covent Garden. This was when I realised that getting my nipple done at '21st Century Gold' was probably a bad idea. I cannot actually explain why I thought 'Tusk' was such a better studio but it was just one of those things! My tongue healed quickly and easily. Once again, I felt on top of the world.
Since then, I have got a tribal dragon tattoo on my stomach and have made plans for multiple tongue piercings and maybe a double labret (and if I don't chicken out, a clit piercing is certainly not out of the question either).
My family still has no idea about my piercings or tattoo and I don't believe that the time is right for me to reveal these to them. I can't wait, however, for the day that they can share in the beauty of body modification.