I had been thinking of getting a genital piercing ever since I first saw them on BME over two years before my most recent experience. I have been going to Bradde for all of my piercing and trust him and his work. Several of my friends have also had work done by him. He is a very friendly guy and easy to talk to.
At A Glance Author Bryan Contact Bryan@bme.anon Artist Bradde Hamman Studio Ballz of Steel Location Greenville, NC I went in a few days ahead of time to talk to him about the things I had been thinking about. I wanted either an ampallang or a frenum and I had also been having an idea about a cool orbital on my right ear. Bradde told me that the ampallang would most likely be trans-urethral depending on how my penis was shaped and that it would most likely require him to order some jewelry. I knew that I definitely did not want my first genital piercing to be trans-urethral just for any complications from urination. Bradde said that it wouldn't be a problem, but I decided that I wanted the frenum more anyway.
I hadn't planned any particular time planned for my piercing but I got the urge one night and checked with the shop to see if there would be time. Luckily it was a pretty slow night so all I had to do was show up when I was ready. I ate a good meal and went down to Ballz of Steel with one of my friends, also a piercee.
When I got to the shop Bradde and I talked about the procedure and he made sure that I had no questions. The orbital I wanted would be slightly complicated and we talked about whether to do it with two rings or go ahead with one. After considering the options, we decided that going with one ring would be the best solution because of the placement of one of the holes, a super huge diameter would be needed to have a ring go to the outside and it would look very strange. Bradde told me that the frenum would be much less painful than the orbital and decided to do it first.
We discussed placement as he was cleaning me up and then he put a clamp on the skin to hold it in a stretched out position. I started my breathing and he pushed the needle through. I jerked a little, but my friend said that she squeezed my hand harder than I squeezed hers. The pain was over instantly. The jewelry hurt a little sliding through behind the needle. The bead was screwed onto the barbell. A little bit of skin was pinched in the last thread but that was painless and easily rectified.
Now it was time for pain. I knew what was coming. I already had a conch piercing. This time I was getting two cartilage piercings at once. Was I crazy? Not really. Bradde and I had already discussed placement and marked the places on my ear for the holes. Everything was ready. I lay back on the chair and prepared for the needle to go through. That feeling right before the needle goes through my ear is the greatest thing I have ever known. CRUNCH! The first hole was no problem. It was the lower one, basically an upper conch piercing. It hurt but not more than the previous conch. The jewelry went in fine. The second hole was the most painful thing I have ever had happen to me. I am sure that I almost screamed. It bled a lot as well. Apparently due to the angle of the needle, a vein had been nicked and was causing the extra red dripping. Once the bleeding had been staunched, the jewelry was waiting. Getting the ring bent back into alignment and through the hole caused a good bit of pain and also started the bleeding again.
Once the ring was in position, the bead safely captive, and the bleeding stopped again, I was ready to go, or so I thought. I got up and walked around a little to get a drink. At this point I decided to sit back down. I was feeling a little bit woozy. Bradde's apprentice Steve got me a drink of water. After a few moments of rest and conversation about aftercare specific to the frenum, I was ready to go.
It has been about two weeks since my multiple piercing experience, and all of the piercings are healing well. The frenum never hurts except a little if I end up rolling over on it at night. It is slightly crooked, about one wire's width lower on the right side of my penis, most likely caused by my jerking slightly at the needle going through. There are lymph deposits on the holes most mornings, but they wash away after being soaked. The orbital is doing fine, it is still a little bit swollen, but I clean it regularly and have had less problems with it than any of my other piercings. I think that the vitamin E that I am now taking also helps with the healing.
I am very happy with my piercings, and would recommend Ballz of Steel and Bradde in particular to anyone seeking to be pierced in the Greenville area.