My private piercer had left at the end of the previous month to travel round the world for a year. I'm gutted. I really miss her and she's honestly the best piercer I've ever used, she's done most of my work (I have 17 piercings) and she totally understands me and what I want from the experience.
At A Glance Author Wasp Contact Wasp@bme.anon Artist 'Jessy' Studio Cold Steel Location Camden Town, London, England She's a year older than me and is fully trained, she does her work from home and I've persuaded many of my friends to use her, all of whom were very pleased with her work. She's my band's 'mascot' and has pierced several of us.
However, despite leaving, she sadly refuses to do any genital work, no matter how trusted she feels. Fair enough, its her choice. I was really wanting to get some work done in that respect and specifically by her, but hey.
My training partner (weight lifting) has a Prince Albert and had an Ampallang bar, so after much discussion and considered thought on my behalf, I decided that I wanted something similar. I was originally set on getting the Prince Albert, but I eventually came to the conclusion that it would be too obtrusive for whatever sexual partner I would be with (although I'm sure many would dispute this), I could see the ring as being uncomfortable in the context of oral sex. Please note: this is NOT me trying to suggest that I'm obscenely well endowed and therefore too large. You'll have to refer to the forthcoming pictures to make your mind up there.
This is where my thanks for BME.com comes in - it was only really through this site that I discovered what the frenum was. As soon as I saw pictures of it, I was immediately drawn to it, in all its apparent subtlety and aesthetic aspect. It was exactly what I was looking for in a genital piercing: the way it looks, the 'hidden' manner of it and its possibility for amplifying sensation in the area.
So, one Saturday morning, I was struck with a moment of clarity. When you wake up and go "Today, you shall be pierced". It was my first thought, and continued throughout the morning, which can only signify that it was the right thing to do. On my way to my gym in Camden Town that morning, I dropped by Cold Steel and booked my appointment. I had had some work done there just previously (erl) since my piercer's departure and a good few months ago, they always treat regular customers very well and so were willing to make a short-notice reservation on a usually busy Saturday.
After my work-out, I popped down the road and waited my turn in the Cold Steel foyer. The staff there are more than amiable and very good at making you feel welcome. Jessy was to do this particular session.
After some preliminary conversation, Jessy asked me to take my trousers down and lie down on the bench. I felt some initial weirdness at lying there, with the 'old chap' flying in the breeze whilst he prepared his tools, but this was soon dispelled by Jessy's professional and distinctly clinical manner in his approach to handling not only the physical area itself but the subject. If there had been any noticeable reservations on his behalf, I'm sure the experience wouldn't have been as worth it.
Apparently the 'seam' of my penis runs off at an angle from the head, which made marking-up a little awkward (should we IGNORE the seam, or use it and have a 'wonky' bar?). As one of the main reasons I was getting this piercing was aesthetic I decided that we should ignore my little imperfection and level the bar to the symmetry of my head. All this while Jessy was succeeding in making me incredibly relaxed with music related conversation and general banter.
Now, its worth me pointing out at this stage that I (undoubtedly amongst MANY others) massively enjoy the sensation of getting pierced. I don't seem to register it as standard pain in the way I did with my tattoo, for instance. Perhaps its down to excessive endorphin rush, or adrenaline (I'm an endorphin junkie on other areas, like weight training and fencing) but I adore the actual act of it alongside everything that surrounds it, such as the marking up, the chill before the pressure, the application of the jewellery and the slight numbness afterwards. I positively fly for about 12 hours after getting something done. With the one exception of my first (right) nipple piercing - I got it done about 2 years ago and I wasn't quite prepared for the sensation of it, I think the initial shock of it was what threw me. I left the parlour, went and drank a Red Bull then realised that, having recalled the memory of the sensation, it was actually kinda nice, so I went back and got my left one done straight after. The left one was magical, my mind and body were prepared for this new feeling and so had adjusted enough to enjoy it.
Jessy poised the needle and gave the usual request of the intake of breath and to breathe out when he counted to three, which I did. Ouch. This was a TOTALLY new piercing sensation, and one that I was quite willing to register as pain, however, the time given between the needle and the jewellery provided my mind with enough to acknowledge it and convert it, so when he put the bar in, it was actually quite enjoyable. Needless to say, the rush (though delayed on this occasion) was immense. I went straight into one of my highs where I can't really concentrate too much on detailed conversation as I'm too busy riding off what my body has just given me.
I thanked Jessy and apologised for any undue earlier reaction on my account then made my way downstairs, on their way up was my best-friend and her boyfriend about to get his nipple pierced (most of us are local to Camden). The advice Jessy had given me about the aftercare was slightly different from what I had expected (I had heard horror stories of "No contact WHATSOEVER for FIFTY MILLION YEEAAAARRRRRS!!!!!") and was more toward the general note of "Mate, if it what you're doing to it hurts, stop it. You'll know where to draw the line as you heal".
I have since been cleaning it regularly twice a day with Provon medicated surgical handwash (as provided by Cold Steel for most bodily piercings) and its healed with surprising speed and efficiency. My frenum piercing looks fantastic, I'm very pleased with it indeed. It looks EXACTLY how I wanted it to, and those that have seen it, say that it certainly suits.
I bled minimally for the first day and the next, but now (about a month on) its fully 'functional' and I've had no complaints. Its prompted me to get on with doing some nude work for some artist friends. Something like a genital piercing can really promote a further sense of confidence and pride in your body.
On the downside, I do have people asking me about it and continually insisting that I show them. The majority of people who ask this are non-pierced and tend to be (in my experience) doing it so that they feel big enough to have dared the 'weird pierced guy' to get his piece out, in a kind of "I'm not scared of you" mentality. I always refuse. I didn't get it for them and I doubt they'd really want it for themselves. Moreover, I'm not an exhibit. If I choose to show my body, it'll be in a more artistic medium, not as a freak-show.
As advice to anyone thinking about getting their frenum pierced - if you're thinking about it; you want it. Do it. You'll find out how worthwhile it is.