I love piercings of all kinds. They look fantastic and are so much fun to have! I have a few piercings but I wanted something a little more...personal. My best friend, Liz said that she was having the same thoughts so we decided to do our piercings together; I was going to get my nipples done and she was going to get her hood done.
At A Glance Author Melinda Contact Melinda@bme.anon When A week ago Artist Lysa/Todd Studio Industrial Strength Tattoo Location Berkeley, Ca We decided to go to Industrial Strength because of their reasonable prices and the incredible reviews they had received online. Friends of ours had good things to say about the studio too so we thought it was worth checking out.
The staff was really friendly and made both of us feel right at home. The place was well lit and clean. There was incredible art hanging on the walls and there was a few people milling around looking at jewelry in the glass cases. The whole front room had a very laid back vibe.
Lysa was our piercer and chatted with us the entire time we were there telling us stories and trying to describe what it's like being a piercer (in fact she told us a hilarious story about being kicked in the head while doing a hood piercing once). She also explained everything she was doing and why it was necessary. It made us feel considerably more comfortable hearing that she knew what she was doing.
Liz went first and said that while the piercing was quick, it was painful and when Lysa put the jewelry through, she asked Liz to wiggle her toes (she explained that it helps distract the customer from any pain since the jewelry can be a little tricky to put in). Liz's hood was perfect. It was centered and straight and the little blue gem on top really stood out. Although she said her jeans rubbed on it and made it uncomfortable, after a few days she said she didn't even notice it anymore.
I was next. I felt surprisingly calm and let Lysa mark me standing up and then lay down on the table. First she did my left nipple. The clamp was a little tight but didn't necessarily hurt. She asked me to take a few slow breaths until I had almost forgotten she was going to stick a needle through my nipple. She pushed the needle through slowly until I felt a pop, like when you crack a knuckle.
"Ew! I felt that!" I said.
Liz squeezed my hand. "I saw it."
Lysa grinned and said "I heard it."
After the needle was through she put the jewelry in using the same "wiggle your toes" technique she had used with Liz. After that she did the right nipple. That went just as smoothly and before I knew it I was done. I was so excited! They were so sexy and I knew my face turned red when Lysa exclaimed how cute they were. Ok so they were a little sore and have been a bit tender since then but it was worth it!
I have been doing salt soaks regularly and I have to say, a Dixie cup is the perfect size for my nipples and warm water feels really good. I've also been using a special soap in the shower to make sure the balls stay clean.
About 3 days after I had my nipples pierced I notice the right nipple was still swollen and the balls were sinking in to the piercing. I called Industrial Strength a couple days later when I didn't see any change and spoke with Todd, one of the other piercers. He was perfectly composed and asked if I would come out to the studio as soon as I could. I did and he said that I simply need a larger bar. The other one was too small and there was not enough room for my nipple to swell all the way. He put in a bigger bar for me and I have to say, Todd was just as friendly and professional as Lysa and I could not have felt more comfortable taking my shirt off in front of a guy. That was about 4 days ago, maybe 5, and now I can tell that the swelling is down and I'll be able to go back to a normal sized bar.
Industrial Strength was wonderful! If anyone has the option to go there then I would strongly recommend it. Everyone was friendly and honest, the studio is very clean and organized, and it is an easy place to find. On top of that, they are totally there to help any one who has questions or complications.
As for nipple piercings, I love mine, but you just need to be sure that it's what you want. If you want them as bad as I did, then go for it! I promise you won't regret it...