I have really been toying with the idea of having a vertical clitoral hood piercing for some time now - probably two or three years on and off. I once worked with two girls, Grace and Claire, who'd had it done and they loved it and I'd always been really envious. In the past I've either chickened out or put it to the back of my mind and forgot all about it for another few months.
At A Glance Author Clair Contact Clair@bme.anon When It just happened Artist I didn't ask her name Studio Artistic Tatooing Location Crewe, Cheshire, UK However during a bored spell at work I've been doing some research online and read some of the piercing experiences on this site. I've also talked to pierced friends and those in the know, and decided that a) it wouldn't kill me and b) it's payday so I have no other excuse. I'd planned to visit a tattooist friend in South Wales and have a tattoo on my foot this weekend but had to cancel because he was already booked up. I must have been determined to inflict some kind of attention on myself, eh? So anyway I'll be having the tattoo in the summer now, with luck.
So there I am in bed on the morning of Saturday 28th February 2004 I had a list of two things to do. I had to buy my car tax and get my hood pierced. I rang the local tattoo shop (Artistic Tattooing) because I remembered they did piercing there too. The only other piercings I've had are straight forward lobe piercings when I was a kid (two each side), I've had my nose pierced three times and my navel done twice. Nothing drastic and nothing as different as this!
I was relieved to find that the piercer was female and I asked her on the phone what I needed to know. She explained that it was one of the simplest piercings to have and would heal very quickly. She said I wouldn't need an appointment and that it was £40.
I was determined that today was the day and I got bathed and did a bit of tidying up down there. I then got dressed, gathered my coat and bag and jumped into my car. I got my car tax first and then straight on to get myself pierced. By this time I was getting a bit of nervous excitement and flutters in my belly but not half as much as I imagined! I was surprisingly calm considering I was about to have my bits and bobs spiked!
As soon as I met my piercer I calmed right down. She was really nice, dead straight forward and I trusted her immediately. I went into the piercing room and was shown bars and rings and she talked me through the pros and cons of each but I'd already decided on a ring thanks to research and suggestions. With the help of diagrams, sketches and finger-mime, my piercer explained that I could wear the ball 'out' for less sensation, or in and next to my clit for added stimulation.
So it was time to whip me knickers off and lie myself down with my skirt up round my waist. The piercer assured me that I shouldn't be shy as she's seen it all before and said that wouldn't bat an eyelid. To be honest it hadn't occured to me to be shy at all until that moment! So there's me, with my legs akimbo while she talks me through the procedure. I had requested some freeze but really wish I hadn't. After I'd been medi-wiped she squirted freeze into my bits and bobs and oh my God, it really really burns. That was the worst bit to be fair and I don't even think it worked anyway!
So began the piercing. She placed the straw into postition first and then pushed the needle through the hood. She'd explained she did it like this as it's to fiddly to clamp the hood and works much easier this way. So for about two seconds I go, "Aaaargh!" and it's done. Pain gone, no tears, no nothing!
Then came the giggles, probably due to relief. As I'd opted for a ring, she then had to pop the two ends of it onto the ball, with rubber gloves on. Because of a mixture of fiddly rubber gloves and giggles from me and stuff, she dropped the ball three times and had to fish it out!! She asked if I had any dignity left, and I replied I had walked in with none anyway so it didn't matter! We laughed about it and she kept apologising and eventually I was done. Quick chat about after care (saline solution and salt baths etc) while I put my knickers on again, I paid my £40 in the reception and went on my merry way!
I went to see my fiend straight afterwards to tell her and we went shopping that afternoon. I wasn't walking like a show-jumper at all and forgot about it in a mascara buying frenzy in Boots!
Bumpy car journey's have so far proved more enjoyable as has sitting down at work suddenly but there's no pain and no problem whatsoever.
It turns out that the most painful thing I did on Saturday was hand over £68 for 6 months car tax!!