Seven months ago, I finally screwed up the courage to get my lip pierced. I am absolutely in love with it now. Last week my friend and I were walking to deposit a check she didn't know she had (one of many "signs" that told us we should get our piercings!) when we stopped into Gotham Piercing, in the Castro, to buy a new lip ring for me.
At A Glance Author Lauren Contact Lauren@bme.anon When A week ago Artist Tommy Studio Gotham Piercing & Tattoo Location San Francisco, CA The man who sold me my lip ring, Tommy, was super nice and asked "So what are we piercing today?" My friend and I looked at each other and told him that there would be no piercings going on that day--we were both pretty broke and didn't feel like having new piercings! He kept talking about various genital piercings and how, if you want to enhance your sex life, there really is no better or easier way to do it. He even showed us the jewelry that he had down there! His main selling points were that it enhances your sex life and also heals super fast--a week, was what he quoted us. My curiosity was definitely piqued, although I had some doubts.
We left the piercing shop, thoroughly shocked by what he had said--neither of us had had any type of piercing below the face, so this was completely new territory. But our conversation kept coming back to what he had said, and we finally admitted we both thought it would be fun to get it done. That night I did my BMezine research and thought "Am I really going to do this? I guess so." I was both nervous and excited at the same time.
We went back to Gotham on Saturday, and I was super nervous. I had no interest in spreading my legs for a perfect stranger and having him stab me with a needle in one of my most sensitive areas! But we had agreed to both get it done, and I wasn't going to back out. Plus, Tommy was super nice and open so I really felt I could trust him. He even had a book of some of the genital piercings he had done, so we knew he was experienced.
My friend went first, giving me time to become completely frozen in fear. I sat in the lobby listening to somebody ask about getting their nipples pierced or possibly just their ears, and I couldn't help but chuckle at what *I* was about to do.
Finally, it was my turn. "C'mon in!" Tommy said, and then I stripped down (pants and panties off) and leaned back on the table (pretty much like the gyno--stirrups and everything). He told my that with my anatomy I could pretty much get anything I wanted--but did I want horizontal, for looks, or vertical, for pleasure? Well, I'd rather have pleasure than a museum down there, so I chose horizontal. My friend had gotten her hood pierced, but I went for the triangle piercing instead. Tommy said that 12 gauge was the smallest I could get, which at first I thought was HUGE but then realized it wasn't once I actually saw the jewelry. He kept telling me it was "no big deal"...although it sure seemed like it was!
Before piercing me, he had to get me "excited" to make sure that my clit didn't swell up to some massive size and make the jewelry not fit, so he did that. Luckily, it remained a decent size! As soon as he was about to pierce me, however, I got super nervous and said "Can my friend come back in!?"...so she was there to hold my hand and encourage me, which was nice. The pain, which I was fearing most at this point, was basically a non-issue. It hurt a lot when the needle first went in, and I whimpered a little bit, but then the pain just went away. He showed me what it looked like (12g circular barbell), and I was surprised at how beautiful it was!
Even more surprising to me, though, was how easy it was to stand, walk around, get dressed, etc. afterward. I sort of had an image in my head of being bedridden for a couple days, but I wasn't--we went to lunch, did some homework, and even took in a movie. Before leaving the store, Tommy told us about aftercare--clean once a day with anti-bacterial soap, and do a salt water soak for 10 minutes each day for two weeks (use a shot glass--perfect size!) I did the salt water soak that night, and aside from feeling a bit silly, it is no big deal.
It has been only 5 days, and I have felt pretty much no pain--I can walk, I've worked out several times, and the only bad part is just how itchy it is right now because it's healing. But no pain. And I can tell that once it heals completely it will be a LOT of fun.
I am absolutely happy with my beautiful triangle piercing and delighted with my choice of piercer--Tommy was very experienced and made everything very comfortable while remaining professional. I would recommend this piercing to everyone, and if you can go to Gotham in the Castro (in SF), do it! You won't regret it.