This is a long story and I'm not sure where to start. I spent a year in foster care and for awhile I was living with a friend's mother. I decided I wanted my belly button pierced and asked her and she said no. This was extremely frustrating for me. I wanted something pierced and if I had to do it myself then fine, but I obviously couldn't do my belly button now as that would be *so* obvious. On some fluke I decided that I'd pierce my nipple. I had thought about it vaguely before but never really WANTED it. I gather my "instruments" (A T-pin, some alcohol, and an earring.)for the relaxation factor I decide to do it while soaking in the bath. Sure, greeeeat idea. My piercing tool is a T- pin. After careful deliberation I determine that it'll be easier to pierce my left nipple, since I'm right handed, so I get started.
At A Glance Author JessieJames Contact keepmysecret@earthlink.net When A year ago Artist Me Studio My Bathroom Location Arizona Ow. Of course, the needle doesn't slide through, It's like trying to poke a ballpoint pen through a rubber band. I'm jabbing and jamming and tearing up and breathing deeply and concentrating like crazy. Eventually I'm using one hand, with my thumb on the pin and my finger behind my nipple and just squeezing as hard as I can and this gets it mostly through, before I decide to rest. I don't want my hole to close up when I pull out the pin so I try to leave it in there for as long as I can before I put in an earring to hold the hole open, but I'm impatient, so I believe the first night I might have slept with the pin keeping the hole open.
Eventually I manage to pop the earring through that last bit of skin and secure it once again with a piece of tape, when ends up irritating the rest of my nipple in the long run.
Within a couple of days a manage to get ahold of a set of 16ga curved barbells (like for your eyebrow) and since that was pretty much the best thing I could find, I go into the bathroom at work and slip one in. The relief is almost immediate. It works for the most part and all you can see is a ball on either side of my nipple which is kind of neat. Once I get better jewelry in, my fairly bad infection starts to clear up, and tenderness goes away.
My little barbell was very faithful up until last week when I replaced it with an 18 ga circular barbell. The CBB has more room to move and lets air circulate better, it seems to be making my nipple happier. I know that the small gauge can be a problem with rejection and migration and such, but I'm pretty petite and my nipples are small, and I think that the more delicate jewelry looks better.
Now, never, ever, ever do what I did. It hurt like hell, my hole is crooked and I have to put the jewelry in from one specific side, and right after I did it it got infected so bad that it hurt down to my armpit with a kind of achy, tingly feeling. I'm not sure but I suspect that major tissue damage and/or infection in that area can cause problems with breastfeeding later on and I definitely will have more children eventually.
It isn't too bad now with the proper jewelry in it, but for nipple piercings in general be careful, not much air circulation means they get infected very easily and the jewelry easily snags on fabrics. The healing wasn't too tender or painful, and I do like my piercing, but the next one will definitely be done professionally!! I do reccomend nipple piercing in general, it makes you feel cute and sexy and other people find it very intriguing. My husband likes it too.
One thing about nipple piercings is they heal very slowly if at all, and you have to treat them almost like a new piercing. I use Bah and Body Works' foaming antibacterial hand soap in the shower on my nipple and new belly button piercing to keep the germies off, periodically I use some alcohol on my nipple, and you have to be careful about going bra or topless because your bra keeps your ring from snagging things and gettinf sore.. there is a tiny bit more sensitivity but not a whole lot when it comes to have my nipple sucked or played with so I wouldn't reccommend this piercing just for stimulation, because you may be disappointed.
As with any piercing, even professional ones, make sure that you have jewelry that is the right size and type. If something feels wrong, go back to your piercer and tell them. Cheap metal can cause allergic reactions and rejections, jewelry too heavy can stretch your hole, too thin can cause migration and rejection. Too small or too tight doesn't let your jewelry heal. Especially with such a sensitive area, Do it professionally, piercers know way more than you do about sticking needles through people!!
Questions and Emails welcome.