For the most part, my interest in getting my nipples pierced only ever arose when my I was feeling unhappy with my body and thought that making some kind of alteration would boost my confidence. I would then ponder over the idea, but ultimately remained undecided. I am happy to say that when I finally did decide that I really wanted my nipples pierced, it was not in one of these moments. No, the deciding moment was one of high self-esteem where I wanted to get modified not as a means of trying to improve something that was getting me down, but to compliment one of the wonderful things about me. I felt that it was a good reason and I was secure in my choice. After months and months of thinking it over, doing my research and changing my mind from one minute to the next, I finally knew what I wanted.
At A Glance Author A Contact A@bme.anon IAM PrettyHateMachine When Six months ago Artist Vicki Studio Dragon's Location Somerset West At the next available opportunity I took a trip to town to buy some jewelry. Vicki, my regular piercer did not have 12g barbells, and that was what I wanted, so I visited another studio to purchase them. After surveying the jewelry selection and getting advice from the wonderful Lliezel (anodyne), I bought two shiny, 12g 16mm barbells. I decided on 12g because all research suggested bigger is better and less likely to result in migration or tearing (and I was too nervous of 10g), and the barbells were long enough to allow for swelling. I was very happy with my choice and couldn't wait until the next day so I could go to Dragon's and get pierced.
Now, the difficult part: not the bit with the needle, but the bit with the mother. After having discovered my septum piercing that I was trying to hide, my mother was not impressed at all. She is not the hugest fan of piercings, but is even less fond of lying. At that time I promised her that I would always tell her about this kind of thing, and she promised to, well, deal with it. I was already playing it over in my mind: "Mom, I'm going to get my nipples pierced" and imagining the stern look of disapproval on her face. In the car on the way to the grocery store that morning, sitting next to her, I took what felt like a hundred deep breaths; hoping one of them would contain the words I was looking for. Each abandoned attempt turned into a pitiful sigh and I almost resigned myself to not getting pierced at all.
And then, a moment of clarity: this was not a big deal and I was getting scared for nothing. I'd made a promise, and difficult as it was, I intended to keep it. In a voice that I hardly recognised as my own, dislocated from the fear and far more calm than I felt, I told her. "Mom, in accordance with our promise, I must tell you that I'm going to get my nipples pierced today." There, it was said. My heart was racing, but I'd done it.
"Oh, okay darling. I have no say over those parts of your body, but will you at least show them to me afterwards?" What? This was it? She didn't seem upset at all; she was even smiling. I smiled back and agreed. It seemed fair. The most dreaded part of my piercing experience was over, and far less painful than I'd imagined it would be.
Still smiling, I went to Dragon's later that afternoon, jewelry in hand. Unfortunately, I discovered a tiny nick on one of the barbells and rather than using imperfect jewelry and risking irritation or infection (bacteria can get trapped in even the smallest scratch), I decided to only get one nipple pierced that day. It would be the left. Left is my 'lucky side', plus I thought that I'd be more likely to sleep on my dominant right side, thus minimising the risk of hurting my new piercing. Actually, the more I thought it about it, the more sensible it seemed to get them done one at a time, as whenever I'd been pierced in pairs one side had always suffered more than the other. I'd get the left pierced, let it settle down and then go for the right. I was in no rush, as I knew I'd have them both eventually.
When I walked in, the shop seemed pretty busy: just a normal Saturday afternoon. I admired the jewelry displays for a minute or two, until Vicki emerged from the piercing room. I gave her a big hug and proudly exclaimed that today was the day. She knew exactly what I was talking about and seemed almost as excited as me. I expected to wait a while, seeing as there were other customers there, but she ushered me straight into the piercing room. I almost wanted to argue and say that I needed time to fight the anxiety and she should see someone else first, but I knew that the longer I waited, the more anxious I would actually get.
Vicki instructed me to take my top and bra off, while she took the barbell I'd handed to her and set about getting her gloves on and sterilising the bar. I sat on the bed, with my back straight and against the wall, as Vicki had told me to. The wall was cold, but soothing against my hot flesh and I gazed around the room as she swabbed my nipple with disinfectant and set about drawing placement lines diagonally across it with a red sharpie marker. The lines took some time, as I don't have the straightest of nipples and it was important that the barbell sit straight in relation to my entire boob and not just the nipple. Finally, when we were both satisfied, she removed the jewelry from the liquid it had been soaking in and laid all the necessary instruments out and within easy reach.
The first thing she did was clamp my nipple. Hard! She apologised that the clamps were so tight, but assured me that it was in order to make the actual piercing a bit more bearable. I took her word for it and nodded nervously. The clamps weren't bothering me at all, but the sight of the still-sealed 12g needle lying on the tray was a little disconcerting. As she removed the needle from its packaging, Vicki warned me that I may want to look away for the piercing bit.
As Vicki lined the needle up with the placement lines, I fixated on a spot on the ceiling. I felt the tip of the needle pressed against my flesh, as she told me in a sure and comforting tone to take a deep breath in and then let it out slowly. I inhaled deeply, aware of the pounding of my heart behind my ribs. I held the breath for a split second, as I always do, and then concentrated on slowly letting the air out of my lungs. As I exhaled, Vicki pushed the needle through my nipple. It hurt, but certainly not unbearable so. I kept my breath steady and by the time I was ready to inhale again the needle was all the way through and Vicki was preparing for the jewelry transfer. The transfer was quick and painless and when I finally willed myself to look down, there it was: a shiny 12g barbell through the reddened flesh of my left nipple. It was beautiful and, despite feeling remarkably placid and a little zombified, I was delighted.
I sat for another minute or two, feeling a throbbing warmth spreading backward from my nipple into my breast. It was a dull pain at most and I was amazed by the relative ease of the entire experience. I tucked my bra into my bag, deciding that things would be more comfortable without it, and thanked Vicki profusely. She went through the usual aftercare advice (sea salt soaks with ¼ tsp salt in a cup of hot water, no touching with dirty hands, etc.), not because I needed to hear it, but probably simply out of habit. I smiled and nodded and smiled some more, and finally I was ready to head home to show my mom. At home, I shyly approached my mother and offered to show her. She said it looked good (wow) and that she thought nipple rings were rather sexy (at this point my jaw nearly hit the ground).
Healing was thankfully uneventful. For the first few days the new piercing was very sensitive. I was sure to wear clothing that would not rub against or crush it. I soaked it and removed the crusties with salt water and q-tips about twice a day for the first two weeks, but otherwise left it pretty much alone. No soaps or anything else with harsh chemicals that can anger fragile new piercings. Within a few weeks, although still subject to the occasional lymphing, my nipple seemed pretty much healed. After 4 months, I had Vicki change the jewelry to a 12mm 10g barbell. Disclaimer: each piercing is unique and while mine was healed and happy at 4 months, and thus ready to be stretched, this is not an indication of the behaviour of all piercings and you should not be too hasty to stretch. The stretch was slightly uncomfortable, but after a day or two of increased sensitivity, my nipple was back to its usual, good-natured self. Now, I clean the piercing everyday in the shower, but otherwise pay no special attentio n to it. When I get sick or particularly unhappy, it will – like all my other piercings – respond to this and get somewhat irritable, but nothing that a little sea salt and hot water can't fix.
My left nipple piercing is almost six months old now and I have never doubted my decision or my reasoning. I love my boobs and what better way to show your love than to skewer said body part with a piece of metal. Well, for a strange girl like me anyway, I had my right nipple pierced a week ago and under entirely different psychological circumstances: another experience for another time though.