Well, it was a day like any other, aside from the fact that the itch had returned. I had not yet (and still have not) heard back from my tattoo artist regarding my in-the-works tattoo, and had been more or less rejected by yet another pierced-and-tattooed boy who, no doubt, thought I was too normal for him. I was running out of things to pierce that my parents, who I live with, would not notice. Then I decided on something drastic: let's go get my genitals pierced.
At A Glance Author coiffed/jackie Contact coiffed/jackie@bme.anon IAM coiffed When A month ago Artist Rick Gilmour Studio Adorned Precision Bodypiercing Location Calgary, AB, Canada I spent hours on BME, viewing different galleries, trying to decide what piercing would best suit me, and, what the difference was between each. Problem? Most vaginas on BME are VERY heavily pierced if they are posted, and that sort of aesthetic just does not appeal to me for my own body. I started to fear genital piercings, wondering which of the many piercings in these pictures of heavily modded women was the one I was trying to look at, and wondered what it would look like on its own, on me. I moved past this, and decided to go to a piercer, and ask more questions about the piercing I had thought looked neatest, symmetrical, simple, and for some reason, not done often: a triangle.
I wondered why it was called a triangle. I also read a few experiences, realizing that apparently you had to be "built right". This worried me, as there was no real description as to why this piercing was so different from others. So, I fixed my courage to the sticking place, and (after being warned by my ex to go to no other than Rick Gilmour) called my friend Britt one day after class, to take me down to the studio.
I was nervous. I don't like big intimidating guys poking around my tender bits with sharp things. Or I didn't like the idea in my head. I was more nervous that he would be some big scary evil man and I'd have to take my pants off in front of him, than I was the pain. I was excited about not having sex for a month for A REASON. I hadn't had sex in over five months, and there were two guys I was interested in. Me being the type to get caught up in passion and rush into things far too quickly, I was happy I would have to say no. I was also nervous about my ex, Jacob. He would want to see it, play with it, play with me... I wanted to share my experience with him as a friend, but an almost two-year intermittent sexual relationship with someone who always wanted me to get more mods is a tough cycle to break, despite me doing so well. I hadn't slept with him since I got my nipples pierced (noticing the irony that we only fuck after I get pierced...) But I went. First, Britt and I went by my tattoo salon, and Steve had not yet finished a complete design. So, off to Adorned.
Jacob had warned me that Rick was kind of a scary looking guy. Jacob underestimates what scares me. Rick is a happy, sweet, intelligent and calming guy, with a somewhat gender-bending voice. I immediately told him "Jacob sent me" and he knew who I was talking about. Good sign: developing personal relationships with your clientele. One point to Rick. He asked me what I was interested in. I told him I had been looking at triangle piercings, and he immediately looked me over (picture: big shaven head, huge lobes, facial tattoos glancing at a visibly unmodded blonde girl) and said "now, what would possess you to want a triangle? Have you any other intimate piercings?" I told him no, and that I had been looking at different piercings, and the triangle appealed most to me, aesthetically. He explained that in 15 years of piercing, he had only ever performed about seven triangles, and had only been asked about them maybe twice that. I asked why, and he simply said "there are certain anatomical qualities women must possess to be able for that piercing to heal and function properly. It is the most anatomically involved female genital piercing out there."
He told me we could go have a look, and that was the only way to know for sure. I followed him into the back, and he talked the whole while, putting his gloves on, asking me to remove my pants and sit at the edge of the table. He slid onto a wheeled chair, placing himself at my knees, and asked me to rest my feet on his thighs as he had a look. SO soothing. I have never been so comfortable with a guy poking around down there, and that includes my doctor. It took him no time at all to identify that I was, in fact, not in any way shape or form designed for a triangle. He then proceeded to explain to me that in order to have a triangle, you needed to be, though he said it a bit nicer, worse for wear. You need to have a hill, not a valley, and this usually only comes after having a couple kids. He explained that my skin was too tight (heehee) and that there would be too much pressure on the piercing for it to heal. He then explained to me a few other options given my 'structure', and I decided on a vertical hood.
I put my pants back on, we walked back out to the lobby, and he gave me some paperwork to read thoroughly, and a waiver to sign. Britt teased me the whole while I was reading, she couldn't believe I was getting it done (well, she could believe *I* was, she just couldn't believe she knew someone who was...) But I finished reading. I had a couple questions about the healing, which, after being teased about asking the questions after reading the sheet, I discovered were answered in the first few sentences. I paid with the cash I had taken out for that express purpose at the Tim Horton's outside my tattoo studio, and once again followed Rick to one of his piercing rooms.
Now, that may be a whole lot of 'not the real experience' for you to have read, but that was the worst of it. The anxiety. I was now fully confident in Rick, and we joked about him being the only man to get my pants off in public twice in the same day. He showed me the jewelry, standard curved barbell, etc etc. Prepared all his piercing garb, I was completely impressed with how often he changed his gloves; quite literally after everything he touched, he removed his gloves, and put on a new pair. He used a dye and a toothpick-thing to mark where he would be piercing, and since I would know nothing of what the holes meant, naturally he did not hand me a mirror to see. He talked the entire time, explaining every little thing, and asking me to breathe slowly in and out. He teasingly begged me not to kick him in the head, as he positioned the needle and other stuff (I don't remember or know the technical steps or jargon) then explained to me that I would feel a prick, but this was simply him placing the needle at the first mark in order to position the skin and second mark over where the needle and tube thingy were. Once that was done, he asked me to relax, take three breaths. He took them with me, talking all the while sounding like a hypnotist (one, you are relaxing blah blah blah, two, almost there, it rocked) after the third breath had been expelled, he pushed the needle through.
SHARP intake of breath.
Little bit of pain, little moan of "holy shit a needle just went through my tenderbits", maybe a little twitch.
"Okay, the needle is through, and if you'll kindly breathe again, I'll place the jewelry, and we'll be done"
Jewelry through. Done. DONE?!
That was nothing.
I thought my nipples had been painless, but my hood, well, that did not hurt one iota. Odd feeling, no doubt, having a needle pushed through your clit hood, but it was more euphoric than painful. Like waking up from a comatose state, and feeling instantly awake. Or waking from a falling dream, milliseconds before hitting the ground.
Rick handed me a mirror, asked if I was alright, I said yes, and told him that it was not as bad as I had expected at all. It looks so cute!
He went over cleaning with me again, while I put on my pants. He handed me a pad, just incase, and told me I could do what I'd like with it, it was funny to see him handle it, a foreign object in the hands of a man.
Once I was dressed, and had no further questions, I thanked him profusely, and he gave me a huge hug, a bear hug. He rocks. I was so happy, and waddling like a penguin. Not for pain, I was just not used to a metal thing being in my vadge, and worried that walking may tear the piercing, or something. Being overcautious, I suppose.
I then spent an hour driving around with Britt looking for organic soap, and lens plus (sterile saline solution in an aerosol can=easy spritzing action!). On our search, I came across a pharmacist with her hood pierced, and she showed me the soap she had used. Oddball thing to happen, but I was happy to have found her. The VCH gods were smiling on me.
The month of cleaning was a breeze compared to my nipples. Shower, rinse with pears soap, spray with lens plus saline solution as needed. No baths for a month. Ugh. I broke that one after two weeks, but left my bathing to small quick baths. It has now been almost two months, and it is beautifully healed, and SO MUCH FUN!
Now, I'm running out of hidden areas to pierce...