So, there I was at the grand old age of 32 debating whether to get my first ever piercing.I must admit that I think genital piercings in women look a lot sexier but I had decided that if I was going to get one then it should be a sexy one so I started trawling the net looking for ideas (which is where I found bmezine). Now, I had thought about a piercing or tattoo some 5 years ago but I am such a coward I never went through with it. A tattoo is permanent so whatever I picked I would have to live with, and piercing seemed too painful for me to contemplate. However by the end of 2003 I had decided I should throw caution to the wind, do something different and go for it!
At A Glance Author Bryan Contact bryanmiller99@hotmail.com When It just happened Artist Spike Studio Primitive Origins Location Hammersmith, West London. England
I finally decided that a genital piercing looked the best bet. I could hide it, it looked sexy and wasn't permanent. The P.A looked a bit severe so I figured on a guiche. I found a place not to far from me called Primitive Origins (www.primitiveorigins.co.uk) that looked like a decent enough place and the piercer was a woman (called Spike). I don't know if its my pervy nature or what but I figured I would rather get a genital piercing done by a woman that a big hairy man. Anyway I was able to email Spike from their website and ask her questions and to be fair she gave me straightforward answers. In the end I finally went for it and agreed to go through with a guiche piercing. The studio doesn't open on Mondays (my day off) so I had to find a mutually convenient day when I had some time off. For those of you who know the Hammersmith area, Primitive Origins is about a 10 min walk away from the Hammersmith Apollo arena and is in Studland Street, just off King St (near to Ravens court Park tube station). It's also on several bus routes as well and is easy to get to.
Anyway, after several weeks I agreed a time when Spike would be there and went in on a Tuesday afternoon, 4pm. I waited about 15 mins whilst she was busy and spoke to Darren on the desk. He was a real nice guy and helped pacify me by talking me through his piercings and tattoos. To be honest it helped me a lot and probably stopped me running into the street and never going back. Spike finally appeared and told me to give her 5 mins whilst she got everything ready. I was finally called down and there was Spike and the trainee piercer (another female). Spike I would guess is in her mid thirties so I didn't feel too nervous. I was told to drop my trousers and pants and get on all fours on the piercing table (which I did). Spike then talked to me as she marked me with a felt tip pen and measure me with a gauge. This took about 10 mins and Spike talked me through what she was planning to do, advising me on breathing during the piercing and so on. Spike also explained that Guiches were not all that common for her to do (apparently Prince Albert's were more common) and that she had only done maybe 5 in 5 years. Still she is an experienced piercer and although she looks a bit fierce, is actually an approachable and pleasant person.
There were no real surprises when the piercing finally happened. Spike told me when the piercing would start and after sterilizing the area I felt a sensation as the needle went in. I followed her breathing advice and it wasn't that painful. Spike used no topical anesthetic (apparently they are of little help except in certain Labia piercings) yet the needle went through without any problems. The ring was attached to the needle and when she pulled it back through it did smart a bit but the whole thing took less than a minute. My biggest concern was passing out yet to my amazement I had no problems. Spike put the closure ball in and put a dressing on (with the trainee watching). She then talked me through some basic hygiene and cleaning care, and within 5 mins I had my trousers back on and was ready to go. She put an 18ga ring into me, told me to give it 2 months and then if I felt it was too big then she would give a free downgrade to a smaller size ring. There was surprisin gly very little bleeding too.
The cost of this was £30, which, considering poor old Spike had to look at my fat arse, was a bargain. It is now 6 days since I had the piercing done and I have had no discharge and no subsequent bleeding yet. I've been told that the first two weeks are the worst and admittedly it is tender in my scrotal area. I'm supposed to wash the area 4 times a day but realistically it has been twice a day. Walking has been a problem, I just tell everyone I have Sciatica and have to sit in my bedroom naked with my legs apart when not working. I can't see any obvious swelling but it is a tender area believe me. From what I have read though I have another week of this then it starts to settle down. Don't try and turn the ring for a few days, it stings! And don't touch the ring unless you have washed your hands. I would suggest you don't touch it at all actually. Let nature take its course and let the air get to it whenever possible. Have a couple of baths with a pinch of salt in the water if possible, it helps keep the wound sterile. Also, wash your butt after going to the toilet if possible; it helps keep matter away from the wound.
Anyway, don't let me put you off. A Guiche looks really great. The pain of the piercing isn't that bad, the problems lie in the next few days. Keep it clean and don't do anything stupid like riding a motorbike or a pushbike for a few days. It's been 6 days now and I can feel it getting slightly less tender already. It's quite a large piercing and technically it's a wound so treat it as such. I am hoping I can keep the same gauge ring in the piercing as I think it looks better but lets see. I certainly don't regret it and I want to keep this piercing now especially as its taken me a few years to get round to it. Okay, so I may be an old man in comparison with some of you youngsters out there who have had a lot more done but I finally succumbed didn't I? Anyway, I don't think I'll be getting anything else pierced just yet but my attitude to piercing may have changed a bit now. As for a tattoo, I just don't know but I'll entertain any ideas! And to those of you in the London ar ea who are thinking about any kind of piercing or a Tattoo, I seriously recommend 'Primitive Origins' in West London. I didn't feel intimidated or embarrassed, the staff are experienced, helpful and friendly, the premises are extremely clean and the service is excellent. If, like me, you were a bit concerned about where to go for your first piercing/tattoo, I cannot recommend this place highly enough.