THE LEAD UP
At A Glance Author M Contact M@bme.anon When Three months ago Artist Candice Studio Wicked Ink Location Penrith My obsession with body mods began a few months before my 18th birthday. I was absolutely intrigued by the beauty and pain of it and decided that I wanted something that would make me that little bit more special.
A guy at my school had his nipple pierced and I was in awe when I saw it. A few weeks later I was flipping through a magazine and saw a picture of a lady with a barbell through her right nipple and fell in love with it straight away. When my boyfriend mentioned how sexy a pierced nipple would be, I knew it was a sign. So I did a bit of research on the piercing, how the procedure should be done and what I was to expect. Finally, I summoned the courage to go through with it.
I decided to go to Wicked Ink in Penrith. My friend and her sister had gone there to get a variety of piercings and tattoos and assured me that it was clean and reputable. So one afternoon after uni my boyfriend and I hopped in the car and made a trip out of it.
THE PROCEDURE
We got there and I was nervous but it was over-ridden by the extreme excitement. I told the lady behind the counter in a tiny voice that I wanted to get my nipple pierced and a few minutes later I was sitting on a dentist-like chair. She shut the door and put on a pair of rubber gloves and asked me left or right (to which I replied Left) and then got me to rub a blob of numbing cream onto it. Then she dotted it with a special purple marker, clamped it and I held on to tight to my boyfriends hand as I watched the needle go through in one swift, effortless motion. Now let me stress, for those of you who are worried about the pain... it was not painful AT ALL. The lack of pain was even a little disappointing. But I was too ecstatic to even think about that. Candice pushed the surgical steel CBR through the canula and popped on the bead and voila – my nipple had a new piece of beautiful bling! I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't get a barbell but was told that having the ring made it easier to clean. I was told to drink a can of Coke or have some snake lollies so I wouldn't pass out. I paid my $60 (plus another $10 for the Betadine) and left a very happy customer.
The car ride home was a little uncomfortable, so I had to pop a jumper over my left shoulder to make sure the seatbelt didn't rub against my boob. There were random surges of sharp pain and it bled quite a bit (the blood was collected by a little cotton pad that Candice gave me to put it my bra) but other than that it was all good.
THE AFTERMATH
My nipple was bloody and crusty for a few days. I cleaned it once each day in the shower, first by cleaning off the crusties with running water, rotating the ring, Betadine-ing it and rotating it a few more times, then making a little padding in my bra made out of tissue and cotton wool. I did a few salt soaks too, which made it less crusty.
I had to wear a bra to sleep for about a month. That was more of a psychological thing though.
PROS
It's very fun in the bedroom. My boyfriend absolutely loves it and let me tell you...every good feeling you ever had is amplified. Talk about pleasure and pain.
It is very empowering. I have discovered a new-found confidence ever since getting it done. You'll be walking somewhere, surrounded by strangers, and remember that you have a little secret under your clothes and it just makes you feel great.
WARNING
Putting cotton wool in my bra to protect the piercing actually made it worse. I developed little bumps at both entrances which oozed blood and puss for about 2 months. One day I squeezed the bump in the shower and was horrified to find a bit of cotton wool come out of it. So if you're going to pad your bra, make sure it's with something that isn't fluffy and doesn't come off in bits and pieces.
It has been randomly puss-ey up until recently. A few days ago I took out the ring to change it to a barbell (which turned out to be too small in the end, so I had to put the ring back in) and ever since then the bumps have gone away and there has been no puss.
JUST SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
I know everyone says it... but PLEASE remember to go to a reputable place. It is of utmost importance. Candice was very professional and the parlour was very clean, the jewellery and tools were all autoclaved. Don't compromise your safety just to save a little moola. This piercing, if you take care of it, is with you for life so make wise choices.
Do your research. Make sure that you know how the procedure beforehand. Be aware of the possible dangers and make an effort to take care of it. Make sure it fits your lifestyle i.e. If you play sport you might want to reconsider.
LAST WORDS
I love body mods and my next point of interest is the tragus. But I'll save that story for another time. This piercing is fun and makes you feel great! It's virtually painless (and very pleasureable!) and does wonders for your confidence. If you even have the slightest inkling of interest... go for it! I've had my piercing for 4 months now and I'm absolutely in love with it. Good luck!