I have been intruiged by tattoos and piercings for a long time, but my ex-partner of 8 years did not want to have anything to do with it. Yes, I had a small ring in each of my lobes, and I even had one tattoo on my right arm, but that was about all I could get "permission" for. I didn't even bother to discuss it anymore, it just wasn't going to happen.
At A Glance Author Stanley Contact stanley@westlands.org When Three months ago Studio Amsterdam Tattooing Location Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Then the relationship ended, and I suddenly had the freedom to do whatever I wanted with my body. I wasn't up to real piercings yet, so the first thing I did was getting another hole in my lobe. That was done using a piercing gun. It did not feel like a real piercing, and I now know not to do it ever again. I was looking for something else, but did not really know what it was at that time.
My new girlfriend was much more open to tattoos and piercings. She has a brother she admires to death with stretched lobes, and several of his friends have all sorts of piercings and tattoos. She was used to seeing stuff like that, I got used to seeing them and discussing them, and slowly got used to the idea of someone sticking a needle through some body part. I discussed it with my girlfriend, and she didn't object to me getting pierced. I wasn't seriously planning anything at that time.
Then some day, I walked through Amsterdam after work, and decided to have a look at Amsterdam Tattooing. I got my first tattoo there, and liked the place. Friendly and professional people that take time to answer your questions and inform you. When I got my first tattoo there, I had a good view of a girl getting her navel pierced in a chair in the same room. The way that was done made me confident that these people knew what they were doing. They managed to relax the scared girl, they were taking good care of her through the whole procedure.
So, when I was asked if they could help me, I asked for information about a nipple piercing. I had been thinking about different piercings for a few weeks, and it had been the nipple piercing that kept popping up in my mind over and over again. I did not want facial piercings yet anyway, which did not leave a lot of other choices for me. Genital were and still are a bridge to far to me, and I find navel piercings too fashionable. That left (as far as my knowledge went at that point in time) a nipple piercing. Now don't get me wrong, I did not get the nipple piercing because that was all that was left. I like nipple piercings, and I liked the idea of a hidden piece of jewelry in my body.
The information I got was standard. Healing time, aftercare, the usual stuff. Nothing wrong with that. Then came the question: "So, do you want to have it done?". Mhhh, there was a decision to be made. I did not go into the shop with the idea that I would leave it being pierced, but I had a hard time believing that I would ever return if I would leave and think it over at that point. So, one last question: "Does it hurt?". The answer was honest and according to Amsterdam Tattooings motto: "You bet it hurts!".
Strange as it may sound, that was the moment I decided to go for it. Now or never! So upstairs we went, and the piercer (a nice girl who's name I forgot) started explaining the procedure, examining my nipple and looking for the right jewelry. I decided I wanted a barbell in my right nipple. I'm not sure about the size, but I think it was a 14g barbell. Then she told me to sit straight up, and started cleaning and marking my nipple. When she finished, she told me to have a look in the mirror to see if I was okay with the placement. The marking was done somewhat above the actual nipple, but she explained that piercing a male nipple right through the center would cause the piercing to look as if it sort of "hangs". After that explanation I was confident that the placement would be fine, and she told me to get on the chair.
A needle was unpacked, a clamp appeared. The clamping was not a nice experience. It took her some time to get the clamp and nipple in the right position, and that hurt! But, after a minute or two she was happy with the clamps position, and got the needle. I had been pretty relaxed up till then, but I must say that her grabbing that needle made me nervous. If only I had known that the worst part was over already. The piercer first told me to take a deep breath in, and then to slowly breath out. While I started breathing out, she stuck the needle through my nipple. It hurt indeed. But, it wasn't too bad, not at all. It was a short stinging pain, and it was over by the time I realised that it really hurt.
Then the famous rush came. While the barbell was placed through the piercing, I started feeling uneasy and ecstatic at the same time. A rush I never experienced before, and something I can now only describe as a kick. Moments later the barbell was in place, everything was clean, and I could put my clothes back on.
Back downstairs I had a glass of water and a smoke, paid (EU 55,-), bought myself a bottle of Sebamed and thanked the piercer. When I left I got a sheet with aftercare instructions. I was still ecstatic on my way back home, which involves a 75 minute trip by train. I couldn't believe I had it done, and felt great!
It is now 4 months later, and my nipple is doing great. I haven't had any serious problems with it. It was tender the first 3 or 4 days, but I hardly had any discomfort from it after that. For the first few weeks, I washed the piercing daily with Sebamed. After that, I started using Sebamed every other day. Every now and then, there, some fluids still come out, but all in all this was an easy piercing to heal for me. It takes long, but cleaning is relatively simple, and the barbell is a good piece of jewelry to avoid bumping the piercing. My nipple has grown significantly, and has become much more sensitive. I'm considering stretching it after it has completely healed. The only thing that slightly bothers me, is that the piercing is not "even" anymore, it's somewhat tilted. You can have a look here. That might be because I gained some weight. I am sure that it was okay when it was done, sitting as well as st anding straight.
After getting this piercing, I started looking for more information on the Internet, and ran into BMEzine, which was a great source of information for me, even though a cannot relate to all topics that are being shown and discussed. The experience of getting my nipple pierced, reading other peoples experiences on BME, it all gave me some sort of kick start. Since last june, I got a industrial in my left ear, started minor stretching and got another tattoo, and I'm considering a nape piercing. I have some ideas and feelings about why I have this craving for (new) mods, but I have not completely figured it out yet. I just know it feels good, and I'm carefully considering my options before having anything done. BME has been a great help for me, as have people from several shops here in Holland.