This is my first attempt at a submission for BME. I have been a long time reader of the zine, and lover of piercings and tattoos. Tattoos were my first experience, although you will not hear about them here. I'd like to tell you about my madison/horizontal surface bar piercing in hopes that yours will last longer than mine.
At A Glance Author andrea Contact andrea@bme.anon IAM shelldestroyusall When Three months ago Artist John Joyce Studio Scarab Body Arts Location Syracuse, NY My madison was my second piercing, my first being my nipples. I remember originally wanting surface piercings on my wrists before I had decided that I would like my nipples done first. My piercer had given me his opinion on the wrist piercings, and it basically boiled down to rejecting very easily and them being a big pain in the butt. So, I started with my nipples but I still longed for a surface piercing.
>From the very first moment I saw a vertical madison in John's book, I knew that it was the surface piercing for me. I would think about it constantly, and how it would improve my image to myself. Unfortunately I have always had low self-image and for some reason the more I get pierced the more beautiful I feel. However, I didn't exactly want it placed vertically so I went to my piercer, John at Scarab Body Arts, and asked him about possibly doing it horizontally instead or vertically. John is the most knowledgeable and most professional piercer I have ever met. I always trust his judgment because he is not afraid to say "No, that shouldn't be done". He always makes me feel so comfortable asking, what I feel are the most foolish questions.
He had okayed the spot where I wanted it and we spoke about size of the bar. We decided on a 14ga sss surface bar. He went over rejection and aftercare. It was mostly a refresher course from my nipples. I would be using the same sea salt solution [1/4teasp. sea salt to 8oz of hot water] twice a day. No moving, touching, fiddling, playing, pushing, or sliding of any sort for quite some time. Also, he had suggested a hot pack every night. That was the after care I found most useful.
He had also suggested to me that instead of using balls on the ends of the bar, that we replace them with flat disks. He showed me a picture of a friend of his who had just had her nape done with disks instead of balls. I instantly adored the look of them and decided on the disks instead. Doing it with the disk would be a bit more expensive, but to me, it was worth it. I love when piercings can be subtle and still have so much meaning behind them.
We had set a date for the following Monday. At that time he would not only be piercing my madison, but my 17 year old sister's Helix. Slowly Monday came and I arrived with my sister, and my loving boyfriend for moral support. In the car on the way to the studio, my sister had decided that I was going first, seeing as she had never had a piercing before.
We walked upstairs to the studio and we're greeted with John's warm smile, as always. He led us into his piercing room; clean, white, and VERY sterile. We struck up random conversation and John asked if I had anymore questions. To that I replied "No", feeling quite content and confident about what I was about to do.
John started to mark the area where the barbell would sit and, of course, we had encounter a problem. One of my breasts was larger than the other in turn, one collar bone stuck out a bit farther. Now we all know that no-one is symmetric but this posed a bit of a problem. Even though the dots were straight, they appeared to be a bit off. After standing in 100 different ways and replacing the dots 100 different times [not only am I a perfectionist, but thankfully, John is as well] together we finally settled on a position that suited us both.
John then had me lay on my back for the piercing. If I tell you that my heart didn't start to beat harder that would be a lie but that's what really excellent, breathing techniques are for. John was all set to go and my boyfriend had my hand tight. John asked if I was ready, to which I replied "Ready as I'll ever be". I closed my eyes as John started talking to me, telling me just to listen to his voice and breathe in and out. After 4 or 5 deep breaths he said "On the next one, you'll be pierced" and with that breath, I was!
It stung a bit exiting and it felt as if the needle crawled through my skin. John corked the needle and said "Almost done". The tricky part was still at hand. He told me that this would be the most uncomfortable part; angling in the surface bar. Fortunately for me, I barely felt it. It was only a slight tug. Yet, the disgusted looks on my boyfriend's and sister's faces, I am quite sure it looked so much worse than it was. John screwed on the disks and had me sit up.
All I could do was smile.
I couldn't have been happier. It was perfect!
I stayed in the studio while John cleaned up and re-preped to pierce my sister's helix. To my surprise she didn't even flinch. I was so proud. After cleaning up completely, John took photographs of both the helix and my madison. We then chatted a bit longer, paid, and then went home.
Here's where my story turns sour...
The first night was odd. I had just finished my hot pack and had put on a snug cotton tee. Kissed my boyfriend goodnight and went to lay on my side. In doing so I felt the bar slide out as the skin around the bar compressed. Oh No! I normally can't sleep on my back but I tried as hard as I could and eventually fell asleep. It's to be assumed though, that I rolled in my sleep, because that morning I woke up on my side with a large indentation of where that bar had been pressed between my breasts.
I e-mailed John and he had suggested a sports bra so we could restrict movement. This was the first of many attempts that I am going to tell you about to keep my little madison from moving. That night I tried the sports bra, and again, the barbell was moved. I woke up with an imprint of where the bar had 'slept'. Then each night was a new method of keeping my breasts away from the barbell.
-ace bandages
-sleeping on my stomach
-taping cotton balls over the ends of the barbell (this one worked the best, but still not well enough)
-two sizes to small strapless bras
Everything just short of removing them, or duct taping them down. Also while I was healing, I contracted pneumonia, and slacked on some of my salt treatments. All in all, it was a bad combination of pain, movement, and lack of after care.
Eventually it would not settle at all and had begun hurting me when I would try to sleep. Saddened, I went to John with almost tears in my eyes knowing he would be removing my month old madison. Removal hurt a bit but after it was gone, I felt so much better. After care was two nights of hot packing and vitamin E or cocoa butter rubs to reduce scaring.
So here I am almost 3 months later. The scars are becoming lighter everyday and I still miss it dearly. Fortunately after losing it, I've become a bit wiser on placement. I found this EXTREMELY useful. Also I had heard through the grape-vine that if you draw a small line where your surface piercing will go, you can get a better idea of how your skin will expand and contract around the piercing.
I have not yet gone back to get my madison re-pierced simply because I still not sure on where I would like it. I am tossing up the idea of 2 surface piercings farther down on my breasts or higher up under my clavicles. That's neither here nor there, I just hope that in reading this, some-one won't make the same placement mistake that I did.
Best of luck to your new piercings!
