At A Glance
Author	iowa farm girl
When	A year ago
Artist	Kevin
Studio	American Tattoo
Location	Aurora, CO (just outside Denver)

My Vertical Hood Adventure

After months of deliberation and research through BME, I decided to get a more extreme piercing. I had done ear stretching, and the ever-popular labret, and even those were a little extreme for living in the Midwest at the time. I knew I was ready for something more, and most of all, something for just me...not a mod that would get me stopped on the street so strangers could ask me about it. After I got my lip done, I found that it attracted so much attention, I actually thought about making business cards saying:
1)Yes, it did hurt.
2)Yes, I can still eat/ drink/ kiss.
3)No, it does not get caught on things.
4)No, my mom does not care, nor does she have a say in things.

It was spring break 2001, and I was in Denver, Colorado visiting my boyfriend at the time (whom I did meet through his BME page). He knew of a piercer named Kevin who had experience with genital piercing, so I met with him and looked through his portfolio. I felt comfortable with Kevin because he understood the culture of body modification. He had done suspensions and scarification, and through that, I learned that he did not just do navels, ear stretching, nostrils, and cartilage piercing. I made an appointment for the next day.

We showed up at the shop in the early evening, just after stopping at a convenience store to get a bottle of juice. I have hypoglycemia, and after a surge of adrenaline such as one caused by getting a piercing, I tend to get lightheaded as my blood sugar drops. So, I came prepared. I was shaking. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down as I entered the doors of the shop. The place was immaculately clean, private, and comfortable. I heard the buzz of a tattoo gun in the next room.

Kevin invited me into the private room in the back, where I sat down on what seemed to be a dentist chair with a plastic cover over it. The nervousness came back. I squeezed my boyfriend's hand as I watched Kevin set up his equipment. He was very meticulous and changed his gloves at least 5 times during the whole procedure. I got a sense of dedication, concern, and passion from his actions. He wasn't one of those cold, "you're in, you're out" providers of modification. He made jokes to calm me down, and he walked me through the procedure and showed me what all of his equipment was for.

Then it was time. I laid back, naked from the waist down, sitting butterfly fashion in the dentist chair. I squeezed my boyfriend's hands tighter. I felt the cold of the receptor tube under my hood. It was uncomfortable, but definitely preparatory for the needle. "Ok, take a deep breath on two and exhale on three," Kevin said. 1...2...3...

I felt the penetration in every limb. It stung, like when someone bites you too hard "down there." My stomach squirmed as the needle slipped out and the jewelry slipped in. The singe of tension subsided and exhaustion swept over me. I had to sit there, still in butterfly position, and wait for my heartbeat to slow. I started to feel dizzy, so I took a few sips of my juice and closed my eyes. I thought to myself, "I can't believe I did it. I can't believe that was all there was to it." Then, I snuck a peek and saw how amazingly cute it was. I immediately fell in love with it.

I put my pants back on and slowly stood up. It was like a stubbed toe, a slight sting but more of a dull pain with a throbbing feeling. It also felt heavy. The jewelry is small and does not weigh that much, but because I was not used to having an addition on that area of my body, I felt the pulling sensation of gravity more than usual. I walked slow and bow-legged out to the front desk. I paid and tipped and thanked Kevin for his fine work and patience with a nervous customer.

All that night, it remained sore, and I did not want to move from my initial position on the sofa, parked in front of the television. However, when I woke up the next morning, the pain had significantly decreased. For the next five days or so, it just felt like a bruise, which is exactly how my labret felt in the days following. Eventually, I didn't even notice that I had jewelry down there anymore. It healed faster than any other piercing I have ever received. All in all, I can say I am completely satisfied with my piercing and the whole experience.