a vertical hood at last!

At A Glance Author rita Contact rita_swanson@yahoo.com Artist cath Studio chioko Location camden, london

Some time ago I had my heart set on a vertical hood piercing and naively hadn't realised that they can be so anatomically dependent -despite having a variety of piercings, in a varitey of places!

Feeling very let down and miserable after the piercers refusal to do my hood I eventually consoled myself with a pair of labia piercings(that tale is also recorded for posterity on this site!).

Sometime after this I visited the chioko piercing studio which is unfortunately tucked away and not an obvious find (on chalk farm road near the railway bridge if you're ever in Camden). In fact the only reason I found it was through well deserved reputation/word of mouth.

Cath had already preformed my second pair of deeper vertical nipple piercings and various other piercings for friends of mine, so I felt a good deal of trust and respect towards her. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE EVERY FAITH IN SOMEONE WHO IS ABOUT TO STICK A HOLLOW NEEDLE THROUGH SOMETHING SO CLOSE TO YOUR CLITORIS! I popped in to see what she thought and she said yes, my hood was very small and there could be problems with irritation and rejection but she was prepared to do the piercing so long as I was aware of all the possible outcomes.

Even with that sense of trust I ummed and erred about it. Although I realised that the hood piercing should not be as painful as my labia piercing (well the first one was o.k. but the second -OOHYAA!!) I still had an inexplicably greater sense of intrepidation.

Typically I feel no sense of nerves until the moment of piercing these days unlike the times when I would get wobbly knees and a spinning head just walking to the studio.

Bizzarely, once I had decided on a specific day to get my hood piercing done, I began to get what can only be described as sentimental about my unpierced hood, thinking things like "shit This is the last time I have sex before I get my hood done..." the kind of preciousness that I NEVER had for my virginity!

So I arrived at chioko one sunday lunch time having made sure that I had waxed thoroughly -not a requirement just another personal "prefrence" ha ha! Once in I chatted with Cath for a while and then got to pick my jewellry which although limited by the piercing, I got to choose a a gem to put in the ring as opposed to a plain old ball. -Blue, as I thought it would compliment the general colour scheme "down there".

Down to knickers off and up on the table. Cath chatted as she arranged the position, part of which involved her rollong the gem over my clit to work out where that 'spot' was exactly. Quite a surreal way to spend Sunday lunch, having somemone roll a gem over your clit as you both chat over the benefits of living in north london.

Cath thoroughly cleaned the area before hand and once she'd positioned it had to very gently clamp the skin once that was done I knew that the actual piercing wasn't far away -this was when it got quite nerve wracking and for the first time ever with a piercing I had the sesnsation of wanting to say "no, STOP!". Mind you I think thats probably a good healthy degree of self preservation coming into play there!

Soon enought the time had arrived and as i heard her say Caths trademark: "right breath in and out nice and slowly..." I felt the beginings of nervousnes, a brief pain and the moment was over. There was some blood but that stopped after a few seconds and really wasn't that much. This was one of only two piercings where the fitting of the jewellry has also been uncomfortble, not as sharp as the piercing but a definite twinge none the less! Genital piercings always suprise me with type of discomfort/pain, I always expect it to be a much brighter sharper pain than it is (slightly dissapointingly!).

I thanked Cath and left for what was a very slightly uncomfortable trip home. That was two weeks ago now and the piercing has given me no trouble what so ever, although it has given me quite a lot of pleasure and I'm also very taken with the aesthetics of it -never before would I have carried around a mirror in handbag!!

One really important thing for me is that I now have the piercing I really had my heart set on and was refused initially. If you want a particular piercing and a piercer says they do not want to do it -don't give up hope. Find another REPUTABLE piercer preferably by the recomendation of a freind (as there are cowboys who will pierce you whereever and whatever just so they can take your money). However piercers are people too and opinions will vary from one to another on occasions. So get a second opinion, read up on it yourself as much as possible (the internet is fantastic for this) and then way up the odds!