Where do I start? The idea of getting my nipples pierced first came into my head about a month before getting them done. My friend Scott got his nipples pierced for his eighteenth birthday, and they looked so good on him that I figured I'd take a chance and get mine done. The problem? No money.
At A Glance Author Randi Contact Randi@bme.anon IAM mother love bone When A week ago Artist Brent Holmes Studio Avant-Garde Location West Allis, WI So fast-forward to March 10th. That week, my dad sent me a $170 check. I cashed it and thought, "Hey, I'm going to put more holes into my body." I had off of school on Friday, March 10th, so I told all my friends that I was getting them done Friday at 5 at Avant-Garde in West Allis. I knew the piercer there (he has done all five of my facial piercings), so I was comfortable going there to get them done. Everyone thought I was nuts and told me that I wasn't going to go through with it.
I was about to prove to everyone that I had balls.
About five days before getting them done, I went through a bad breakup with my boyfriend of one month, John. I fell for him very fast and very hard, and him breaking up with me was very hard on me. To prove to myself that I was strong enough to handle the emotional pain, I decided to endure some physical pain and get my nipples pierced as part of the healing process.
That day I went to my friend Amy Jo's house and met Danielle, Taylor, and Melissa there. Then we all walked two blocks up to Avant-Garde. We went in and my friends sat down as I went to the counter and told the cashier that I wanted nipple piercings. He took my ID and photocopied it, had me sign the usual paperwork, then I paid the $52 to get pierced and sat down. My friend Taylor mentioned wanting his tongue pierced, so I lent him $40 bucks and said, "If you don't do it now, you'll never do it." So I paid for him to get his tongue pierced.
Brent called me back, and my friend Danielle was about to go back with me. Brent asked her for ID (since it's an under-clothes piercing, you have to be 18 to watch), and she's only 17 and had no ID with her, so she ran to her car to get it (because she didn't know you had to be 18). Brent decided to pierce Taylor first because he didn't feel like waiting for Danielle, so he pierced Taylor's tongue.
Time passes, and I'm walking back when Danielle returns, pissed that I'm taking Missy (the only 18 year old there) back with me to watch. The procedure itself wasn't bad. He had me take off my shirt and pull down my bra, and he marked my nipples with a ballpoint pen. He had me check them to see if they were okay, and then I got on the table and he set to work by first cleaning my nipples with iodine. He got all his supplies together, showing everything was sterilized. Then he put on the clamps, which were cold but not uncomfortable. After that, he got the needle, and he had me take a deep breath in, then pierced my right nipple on the exhale. Then he put in the 14 gauge captive bead ring. It didn't hurt at all, just a little pressure. Missy was totally amazed that I didn't squeeze her hand. Then he cleaned the left nipple, clamped it, and got a new needle out. He had me breathe in, and pierced on the exhale, then inserted the jewelry. I felt the left one a little more, but still no real pain. I carefully pulled up my bra, put on my shirt, and thanked him profusely.
When we got back to Amy Jo's house, everyone wanted to see my new adornments. So I gently lifted my shirt, lowered my bra, and showed them all. Danielle shrieked and held her boob. Amy Jo said it looked weird. Taylor said it looked nice, and Karissa just shook her head.
For aftercare, I wash my hands, turn on warm water in the sink and hold my nipple under it to loosen up crusties, then use a q-tip to get them off. Then I put some Dial soap on them and move the ring around for two minutes to get the soap in there. Then I rinse and move the ring around to get all the soap out. Then I dry them gently with paper towel. Also, twice a day, I mix a sea salt solution in a shot glass and hold the shot glass over my nipple for five minutes, then rinse off with warm water to get all the salt off. It really helps!
I had one bad thing happen to me the night I got them done, however. My boyfriend was very drunk and we were goofing off, and I said "Fuck you" to him jokingly. In response, he gave me a titty twister and cranked my freshly pierced nipple really hard, causing it to bleed. He forgot that my nipples were pierced because he was so drunk! So don't goof off with drunk people when you get your nipples pierced.
And a word to the wise: the first few nights, it felt REALLY good to sleep with a sports bra on. The added pressure from the bra helped to alleviate any aching during sleep.