At A Glance Author TitanicSearcher Contact TitanicSearcher@aol.com Artist Jesse Studio Wicked Location Berkeley, CA My first, and still the only, Hafada healed quicker than I thought: no more than three-and-a-half weeks. The secret? Warm salted water. Religiously, like brushing my teeth, I soaked my testicles in warm salted water every morning. I looked quite funny seated in the toilet or the bed, holding a mug under my penis, but it yielded fast results. After every soak, I would clean the area with antibacterial soap in the shower, then finish the process with an application of Bactine with a cotton ball. This is an antibacterial solution with a mild anesthetic formula. I learned from my own experience that irritation can happen if the piercing is not cleaned properly for more than two or three days and it enters in excessive contact with body sweat. Touching it also is a big No-No. This may not be true for everyone, but after the first successful piercing one feels like getting something else. I am still afraid of getting a piercing in other parts of my body, but this Hafada looked so sexy that I immediately wanted to upsize to see how it looked like. And so I did. . .
For those of you who have read my first BME posting ("A small secret between my legs"), you may remember that I got this piercing in Berkeley, CA, during a job interview in late Spring. Well, I got the job and that meant another trip back to the Bay Area to look for housing. It was during this second visit that I decided to upgage my 12ga CBR to a 10ga. to celebrate my return to California. I looked in two piercing parlors in San Francisco, but I could not get it done. You see, you develop a relationship with your piercer the same way you do with your dentist or your family doctor. Jesse, who did my first piercing, was very approachable and, despite his looks, not intimidating at all. The very first time I met him, he was very patient with me in responding to all my questions and very happy even to show me his own ladder! In San Francisco, the first guy I talked to did not want to do it because he could not believe that mine was already healed after just four weeks. He thought it was too early for upgaging and grudgingly advised me to wait. At the second establishment the piercer (to whom I then told I had four months with the piercing to avoid any second thoughts) seemed irritated by my questions and was quite rough and clumsy during the procedure. When he tried to introduce the tapered needle to stretch the piercing he did it so carelessly that I felt like I was been fleeced and my sack being torn apart. I had to call it quit. With lame excuses and sobs, ("Sorry man, but it seems is not the right time yet. . .") I asked him to PLEASE STOP. Then I rushed to cross the Bay bridge to the East Bay to meet with Jesse, whom I then anointed immediately "My personal piercer". No one else would touch my balls from now on but him.
This time, he came to me as soon as he saw me at the piercing parlor. "What do you want?"--he asked briskly arching his eyebrows, his signature expression. "I want to go up man, I am ready for it. . . a cero gage."--I said jokingly. Jesse looked at the ceiling and said "Ouch!" I was still too conservative to go for anything bigger, so I went for the 10ga. It was not painful at all, although you feel a little bit of a sting when the tapered needle is inserted all the way through. He did it gently and in less than five minutes it was done. I walked out with an adrenaline rush still in full swing and a smile on my face.
The jewelry and the piercing looked stiff for few days while the tissue around slowly stretched to adapt to the new size. After few days performing the same cleaning procedure described above, I was ready for a bigger size! Once you do something like this, you are no longer afraid of pain, at least with this particular piercing. After this first successful upgage, I knew what I wanted, so after my definite return to California I walked into Jesse's place again to get yet another upgage. And then, the same old familiar ceremony:
"What do you want?"
"This time I want an 8 ga. CBR, Jesse."
"Sure. . .come in."
It went as well as the previous upgage. This time, he asked how far I wanted to go. "I am not sure. . ."--I replied. "Eventually you will know, don't worry."--he uttered parsimoniously while cleaning my piercing. I do believe him. The man has like ten Hafadas scattered all over and a ladder in his own sack.
My next plan as soon as I get some extra money, is to get a 6ga. or 4ga. CBR on the existing piercing and then get another Hafada above the first one. This time it will be with a 12ga. barbell to get it started and then I will upgage again to match the size of both piercings. . . Next, I would like to get a pubic piercing with a barbell, right in the frontal base of my penis. I will start with a small gage to see how it looks and time will tell what to do next. I know for sure I want everything in gold once I get the right size and piercings combination but that will be in a distant future.
This has been my journey through genital piercings, so far. It has been a very conservative and slow one, but I have enjoyed every minute of it. That's the point of it. It has been a journey of discovery. You should enjoy it and learn about yourself, about your body and the piercing industry out there.
I hope everyone good luck and I will keep you posted with another "Upgage". Thanks.