Well I tend to be someone who gets bored very easily and do things in haste, without thinking of the consequences first. Such is the case with getting both my nipples pierced. As a forewarning...read all the materials you can about a piercing that you want to get. That way, you know what you need to, and can be sure everything is done right..the first time around.
At A Glance Author Tabitha Contact Tabitha@bme.anon When A year ago Artist robyn Studio lucky 13 Location bloor st toronto I had some extra cash and some spare time, so on I went to my local piercing depot (at the time Lucky 13 was 5 minutes away from where I lived). I was kinda nervous when I was waiting, not sure what to expect, and even had to seriously think of my age when asked. Adrenaline was pouring in, it must have messed up my brain a bit. So in I go, I don't remeber what was explained, but I've been to the shop a few times and they're pretty good about explaining everything and trying to make you feel comfortable. She puts on a clamp and gets ready to put some holes in me. In goes one ring, and I'm thinking that I must have been half-retarded to get this done, she talks to me to make me feel better, and then the other goes in. I'm not going to lie, the has to be the most painful piercing I've ever gotten, and I've had quite a few done! When all was over, I got the care instructions, paid my bill, tipped my piercer..and walked with as little bouncing of my boobs as humanly possible. I remember walking home afterward and I kept asking myself what drugs I was on to go ahead and get the piercings done. When I got home, I looked at them in the mirror, and in my opinion the tiny little rings looked great...at the time.
The next few weeks seemed like a bad mini-series nightmare. I should have paid more attention to the care instructions, and I should have read about the piercing in more detail. I think the salt-soaks might have helped me out. My nipples felt super sore, and it didn't matter what I wore, everything seemed to rub it against them and irritate them. I would clean them everyday, and be sure I did so with super clean hands, but they didn't seem like they wanted to heal. I did not use salt soaks at the time, and in hindsight, I maybe should have to promote the healing. Not to mention having a boyfriend at the time that thinks they're the best thing ever did not help. Handling after piercing should not be done!! Especially rigorous handling!!
After a couple of months or so, I was still feeling super sore, and wondering when it would end. I had cleaned them when I was supposed to, I did not think that I was doing anything wrong, but one morning I noticed that both seemed to be growing out. One side more than the other (the right)...but definately moving when they shouldn't have been. I kept up my cleaning and hoped that they wouldn't move much more, but a few weeks later and one was held in place by only a half-centimetre of skin. This isn't a pretty sight for a girl's nipple, and it was worrying me a lot.
I looked on BME for some more info and found out that the reason why they were growing out was because of the size of the rings. I found out the diameter of the ring should be at least 1/4" wider than the piercing and no more than 1/4 of the ring should be through the piercing. So, a ring which is too small in diameter will constrict the piercing and cause the piercing to migrate and scar. (which voila! had happened to me) Somewhat devastated to see how far I let my piercings go without further reading (or reading before the actual percedure for that matter!) I had to take them both out.
Now, more than a year later, My girls are the way they should be sans the nipple rings. I'm sad that the piercing did not work out, but happy that they are feeling normal again. There was some scarring left behind on the one side that had grown out more than the other (the right) has left its mark. It now has a little indentation where the ring had fully grown out of the skin, and looks like it was split at an angle.
I now read vigorously about anything piercing or tattoo before I go through with it, and try not to have those spur of the moment urges to put holes in my body. If I had read fully about female nipple piercings, I would have known immediately in the piercing room that the rings that they had picked out for me were too small and would not work. I'm not sure why the piercer herself didn't recognize this. I recommend that anywhere you go, you ask all the questions you can about a new piercing and read everything you can find on the topic.