Let me preface this by saying that I had my first piercing (earlobes) done at the age of sixteen. Further, let me say that I was so scared I passed out afterwards. Not only did it take me until I was sixteen and did I pass out, but I had them "gunned" and the girl who did it (at, get this, The Piercing Pagoda in the middle of Coronado Mall) bent the earring in my ear and had to gun both sides twice before the piercing actually worked.
At A Glance Author true_deception Contact true_deception@bme.anon When It just happened Artist Noah Babcock Studio Evolution Location Albuquerque, New Mexico Now, a year and a half after the piercing-gone-wrong-in-my-ears, I have just turned eighteen and am a junior at the University of New Mexico, studying psychology and philosophy. This year, I have become reasonably good friends with an amazing young woman named Kristin, who is the girlfriend of the roommate of my ex-boyfriend: what a tangled web we weave. Kristin is potentially one of the most unique and inspiring people I have ever met, and one of the few people in my social circle openly fascinated by body modification in all forms.
Since I met her, I have discussed – sometimes sincerely and other times in jest – getting a hood piercing on or near my eighteenth birthday. While this would be horribly out of character for one such as me, I definitely needed encouragement – and to be frank, borrowed strength – in order to follow through with my pontifications. On the 26th of October 2005, Kristin, another friend from school, Andrew, and I went up to the Evolution studio on Central to be pierced.
Being shy, I had Kristin speak for me. We met the piercing artist, Noah, who was amazingly professional and made me feel very comfortable with what I was about to do to my body. We walked back to the room and he had me remove my lower articles of clothing and put my feet in the stirrups – just like the gynecologist. In all honestly, this was one of the most uncomfortable parts of the procedure for me: exposing myself to a complete stranger. But as I would discover, Noah put me at ease with his professionalism and kept me comfortable the entire time. While making marks on me, he explained what he was going to do and how to care for it afterwards. Admittedly, I started to freak out and my heart started racing. I am not sure if ever before I had been that nervous! However, bear in mind that I am terrified of needles.
The next step was definitely the most painful – he put the receiving tube under my hood. Perhaps painful is not the proper term, pain was not really a factor through this entire thing, more discomfort. I completely freaked out here and had to take a few moments to breathe and relax. Noah waited patiently and reminded me to take a few deep breaths. Not feeling pressured to go any further put me at ease just enough to let him pierce me. Noah coached me through a few breaths before piercing me and through a few more just after. As far as actual pain went... The situation almost felt like it mandated a scream, but the sensation incurred did not warrant one. I most certainly felt a pinch and there was definitely some pain, but the pain was over as soon as the needle was through – no continued throbbing or aching. Threading the jewelry through the new hole also caused a bit of an "ouch" but nothing more.
Personally, I took a moment to just lay there and wrap my head around what had just happened. Noah handed me a hand mirror to check out what it actually looked like and I am so thrilled! Very cute piercing done very cleanly.
Walking around was not painful at all, even immediately, though it was a little different and I had to curb my usual strut. The only really uncomfortable part after being pierced was moving too quickly – particularly when sitting down and standing up. Urinating also brought about a new experience – again, not painful, just have to be a bit more careful!
So far, the piercing has only been in for about twenty eight hours and I haven't tried it out in any sexual connotation yet – not quite that brave and still a little too tender for it to be enjoyable, I would imagine. However, my shower this morning was definitely quality and a pleasant change from the quotidian morning. I cannot wait to try it out with my boyfriend next week!
Overall, this was an amazing experience and I am so glad that I finally did it! With absolutely no hesitation, I would not only do it again, but recommend it to every woman, every where. Even without having used it sexually, the sheer change of sensation makes it absolutely worth it.