So I woke up last Tuesday and my first thought was, "I'm 18." It was crazy. FINALLY! I can do things I've wanted to do forever... which included getting my nipples pierced.
At A Glance Author L e a h Contact xblenderkittyx@gmail.com When A week ago Artist Steve Studio Inkwell Location Jasper, AL After a day full of "Happy birthday!"'s at school, I went home to change into a tank top... after reading some experiences on this site and doing a little research, I saw that it was recommended. So as I'm changing I looked at myself in the mirror, took a deep breath, and then walked out the door to meet my best friends Andy and Dustin in town.
Andy had called around town checking out parlors and prices, and we decided on a newer place called Inkwell. We all walked in, I strolled around for a bit to get up my nerve, and then walked up to the counter and met my piercer-to-be, Steve. As I was filling out the necessary paperwork I came across the question, "Are you intoxicated in any way at this time?" I found that rather humorous.
After I got the papers filled out and paid him ($35 for both), he led me to the back room and told me to just sit down and chill while he prepared everything. I was nervous at first, and he said that Andy and Dustin could come back with me if I wanted, so I called them back there and it eased my nerves. The room was solid white and everything looked very pristine, so that also made me feel better.
Steve came back with two needles that looked rather scary in my opinion, so I didn't look at them again. He sat in a chair in front of me, and asked me if I still wanted to do it. I shook my head 'yes', and then he asked me to take my shirt off so he could prep me. Andy held out his hand and told me to squeeze if I needed to, and not two seconds after he offered it to me, I grabbed it. "Get ready, I've got a pretty firm grip for a chick."
So then my new friend Steve got out these lovely looking clamps and I stared at them. He wiped my nipples down and then clamped my left one first, slowly. The clamps actually hurt more than I expected, but it didn't phase me too much. He opened a few more wrappers of equipment and then marked enter and exit holes carefully. He looked them over a few more times then looked back up at me. "You ready?" I squeezed Andy's hand a little, and shook my head 'yes' again. Andy was grinning.
I absolutely did NOT look down (on either side), but Steve counted to three so I knew it was coming. The first sensation I had was a very powerful burning feeling searing deep in my chest. I was squeezing Andy's hand hard. My body tensed up and the first instinct I had was to kick (which was funny, thinking back). The jewelry was actually the worst part, and I didn't breathe until he had pulled it all the way through. I let out a big breath and Steve said I was a champ. "You still want to do the other one today?" Andy looked at me, waiting to hear my answer. I shook my head 'yes' again. I'm sure he was probably wondering if I knew how to SAY yes because I hadn't really said anything since we started. "It hurt?" Steve asked. "Not as much as I thought." I said softly. "It's always the second one." GREAT!
He repeated the prep procedure on my other side and I took a deep breath. He counted down from three again, and the same pain came rushing back to my chest, then sharpened as he pulled the jewelry through. I hadn't squeezed Andy's hand as hard this time. I was relieved - we were done.
Steve finished making sure I was all cleaned up, and then sat back in his chair to look me over. "We gotta do those again, they didn't even bleed; somethin' ain't right." He laughed... apparently I looked like I had stroked because I didn't know he was kidding. We walked back up to the front and he went over care instructions with me. He told me to put witchazel on them three times a day, and call if I had any questions.
Now, almost a week later, I haven't bled once, and I actually haven't had any crusties either. I put witchazel on them three times a day, sometimes just twice. I honestly thought it was going to hurt WAY more in the healing process, but so far I've only had to take Tylenol for pain once, and that was today because it's so damn cold outside! It was fun, and to anyone wanting to get pierced but is too scared to do so: I'd definitely recommend it. I can honestly say it was probably the most painful thing I've ever done in my entire life, BUT I'm extremely pleased with the end result. The pain only lasts for a fraction of the time that you actually get to enjoy your newly-adorned self. Not to mention it's fun when people ask to see. ;)