I was never the type of girl who would show off the chest area. In fact, I never really felt very comfortable in my own skin. For me adorning my body with piercings made me a bit more relaxed about my appearance. Still, when I went to get my nipples pierced it was difficult to even lift my shirt for the piercer, even though I had known her for quite some time. I had always wanted to get them pierced though, and I did plenty of research before I did it. (Always research the procedure you are about to have done.)
At A Glance Author anonymous When A year ago Artist Michelle Studio Tattoo Jungle Too Location Birmingham, Alabama I sat in the chair nervously while she set everything up. She laid the chair back and placed the first clamp on my left nipple. At this point I felt a lot of pressure. There was no turning back, I had already paid and I knew I couldn't hesitate for long. I asked her for a moment to relax, and she agreed. During this time my left nipple turned this whitish color and the pressure of the clamp started to fade. I relaxed and said, "OK, I'm ready." She pierced it smoothly and quickly as any good piercer would. I felt a little pain as she put the barbell through. "Huh, that didn't hurt at all", I said, "Go ahead and do the next one."
She put the clamp on the right nipple. Without hesitation this time, she pierced the right one. "Yowza!!", I screamed and writhed as she put the barbell through. I could feel every thread on the barbell ripping through the freshly pierced nipple flesh. "You are the one who wanted the barbells", Michelle said. My friend who had given me her hand in support was crippled on the floor. I released her and the blood returned to my own knuckles. "The first one didn't hurt as bad", I explained to Michelle, the piercer. Together we concluded that the clamps must have cut off the blood supply to the area while I waited. If I had known I would have waited just as long to do the second one.
After it was done I noticed that my right nipple throbbed a little bit more that my left one. I hadn't worn a bra which was a mistake. The seat belt snagged me in the car on the ride home. I should have worn a padded bra, or put bandages on them or something. At night sleeping on my stomach was out of the question. The sheets rub and irritate the fresh piercings. Even after a month or so, the sheets
still would bother me in the night. I bought a sports bra which became my new best friend during the healing process.
The worst part about the whole thing for me was the very next day. I woke up and went into the bathroom to take a shower. When I looked down at my nipples, they had bled in the night and there was a layer of crusty blood around the new nipple rings. Again, the right nipple was more crusty than the left. Now, I'm quite tough, but seeing my nipples with metal sticking through them and blood on them almost made me pass out. I felt a wave of nausea and had to sit down. It was quite disturbing. But really nothing was too sore to clean. It was all in my head, I had just freaked myself out. I went back a week later and let Michelle check them out and everything was fine. I cleaned them the way I was supposed to and I have never had a problem with them. I have had my nipple rings in for almost a year and a half now.
One of my favorite parts about the nipples being pierced is the reaction you get from other girls. Everyone for some reason seems to think that I am hardcore for getting my nipples pierced. The really girly girls squeal and there is no better reaction. I love it! People grab their nipples to protect them and they look like they are in pain when you say "I have my nipples pierced." Most guys love it too. Which, for me is great because I was always concerned with how guys and girls alike would grade my breasts. I feel good about them now. It's like wearing earrings, they make your ears look better. Why not adorn those nipples and everything else for that matter? Body jewelry is a beautiful thing, and it shouldn't be as taboo as it is. Hell, if it makes you feel good, do it.
So for anyone who is wanting to get their nipple pierced, It is a good thing. I'm even thinking of going back to get vertical barbells to go with my horizontal ones. Topical creams are an option, but for me the pain is the not a bad thing. I hope the clamp trick works for someone else out there. Good luck.