I am a person who has many piercings and they all mean something to me, but I never thought that getting my hood pierced could mean more to me than all the ones I have received before.
At A Glance Author Pam Contact Pam@bme.anon When It just happened Artist Jesika Studio Saint Sabrina's Location Minneapolis, MN
I had wanted to get my hood pierced for about six years, but I never told anyone and I had never seriously considered going through with it. I grew up in a small town where I know everyone so a) I wasn't about to get it done with someone I knew really well because that sort of thing was kind of embarrassing for me and b) there weren't many (if any) piercers in the area that would actually do it.
About two years ago, I had decided that I was going to do it during a trip to Milwaukee because I had gotten pierced at a parlor there and felt reasonably comfortable getting it done at that particular place because I knew most of the staff and also, if I didn't want to go back there ever again, I wouldn't have to. Obviously, my embarrassment about the whole thing was a major hindering factor. Upon thinking about it further, I decided I wouldn't do it because I was still scared. I didn't feel that it was important to me at that time, but it still kept bothering me that I never did anything about it. I decided to just stop thinking about it because it was becoming more of a hassle--the constant "should I/shouldn't I" struggle was overbearing.
This past Friday, I was with a friend and he started talking about one of his friends that had her hood pierced and I said, "I've always wanted to do that." The more he talked about it, the more all those feelings that I had been holding back came out and finally I said, "All right. I'm going to do it tomorrow." He said, "Really?" I said, "I promise...I'm going to." He was very happy for me because he understood the wanting that I had for such a long time. I was scared beyond belief, but I said I promised; therefore, I was obligated...of my own volition, of course.
So, Saturday, I woke up feeling absolutely nauseous because I knew it was finally going to happen. I tried to stop thinking about it, but I just couldn't. The more I tried to stop thinking about it, the more nervous I got. Eventually, around 4:00 PM, after a lot of Christmas shopping, I was on 94 headed west to Saint Sabrina's. I chose that studio because I had been there before and the staff is incredibly professional and friendly.
The minute I stepped in the door, a sense of calming washed over me and I took that as a good sign. Now, because I'm very shy, I didn't want to come right out and say, "I want to get my hood pierced" because that's just not who I am but, to my surprise, when one of the people at the desk asked what I was there for, I just came right out and said, "I'm here to get a piercing. I want a vertical hood." ...it just came out! I took that as another sign that I was truly ready. I felt fantastic about it. The girl at the desk asked me if I'd like a female piercer, and I was so happy she did! I said, "Oh yes." Not a problem. I had brought my friend with me in case I had to have a male piercer, but since I didn't have to worry about that anymore (and not like it would have been a problem at all...it's just something I wasn't comfortable with), I just told my friend to sit tight and wait for me.
After all the paperwork and the excruciating wait (it wasn't long, but it felt like it because I was still scared out of my mind!), Jesika finally called me back to her room.
Now, I had done my research earlier that day and I had talked to a few people who had their hood pierced and they said that wearing a skirt was the best idea. Well...this is Minnesota in the winter time. It's cold!! I decided it would still be best, so I wore the longest skirt I had and sucked it up. Boy, am I glad I did! With wearing a skirt, I felt that there was a little more privacy and thusly, I felt a lot more comfortable.
Jesika was the absolute best. She was sweet and warm and she picked up on the fact that I was kind of embarrassed about the whole thing, but she made me feel SO comfortable. It was more than I ever could have asked out of a person I've never met before. So we were making small talk a little bit and then she told me to remove my underwear and sit on the table. No big deal--nothing to be afraid of. So I sat on the table and she said she was going to take some measurements to see if everything would be okay. I said, "Well, I did the Q-Tip test." (For those of you who don't know, 'cos I didn't either, if you want to make sure you're anatomically suited for a vertical hood piercing, just put some lotion on the end of a Q-Tip and stick it under your hood. If all the cotton disappears underneath the skin, you're well suited for the piercing) Jesika said, "Oh, that's good. Were you satisfied?" I said, "Yep!" So she didn't have to measure or anything.
She told me to get a little more situated and I felt very comfortable and way less nervous because she was so kind and, plus, she told me she had her hood pierced, too. That made all my bad feelings go away. It was nice to know that she understood my fears and that she was also quick to relieve them.
When it was finally time to do the piercing, she told me to do some practice breaths, which was nice because that settled me even more. When it came time to actually do it, I took a deep breath in...and a deep breath out...and I would be lying if I didn't say it was the most painful piercing I've had yet, but the pain lasted for a nanosecond. It was no big deal. I didn't scream. I didn't jump. It was just fine. Jesika immediately told me that it looked gorgeous and showed me where the hand mirror was so I could take a look myself. Sure enough, it was the prettiest thing I have ever seen. You'd think that a genital piercing wouldn't necessarily be "pretty," but since this piercing was both an obstacle and a need at the same time, knowing that I finally had it done was an overwhelming experience and it is very beautiful.
So now that it's Sunday, I am experiencing no pain or discomfort at all. I didn't feel any yesterday, either, but normally you don't even feel your piercings the day you get them. Anyway, I'm nursing it by washing it out with warm salt water and being very careful. It still remains the most beautiful and most meaningful piercing I have out of fourteen others. I overcame all my fears and all my inhibitions and I have never been so happy.
In the end, I guess all I would have to say to those of you who are wanting to get this piercing is just do it. If you want it and you've thought about it long and hard and you've done the research, don't wait six years like I have. Granted, the wait made it all the more meaningful to me, but there's nothing to regret or to be afraid of. It's a lovely piercing and, as a woman, I believe it's a very strong statement about your femininity. So don't waste another minute thinking about it. Do it. You'll be so very happy you did.