At A Glance
Author	your fake frowns
Contact	aqueoustransmission@hotmail.com
When	A week ago
Artist	Emily
Studio	Gothic Body
Location	milwaukee, wi

About a week ago, my friend and I decided to get pierced together. We had a five hour break in between classes that day, so we made plans the night prior to get pierced. I had been drifting in between an industrial and a nape, but I firmly decided I wanted my nape done. After class, we got together, and she had eaten something that made her feel a little woozy, so we decided to hold off until Wednesday for the piercing party. After spending about an hour walking around and getting lunch for myself, we were waiting at the bus stop, when she mentioned that she felt better. So, we decided to go. She had to return a book so she had money to get pierced, so we did that and came back to the bus stop. We had to wait an hour until the bus came. Horrible. So we got to our cars and we drove to Gothic Body.

We got there, chatted a bit with Emily, the one that eventually did both our piercings. My friend wanted to get her navel pierced for the third time, since it had rejected two times before. Emily suggested doing two, on either side of the rejection spot. So, she went along with that. Then, came my turn. After checking my neck out to see what size to use, we filled out the forms and she got set up for me. While she was setting up, I checked out the pictures of her work. It made me more comfortable to know that she had done many napes in the past. When we had first come in, one of her friends was there, and Emily had just done a surface piercing on her forearm. It looked really good... and I was hoping that my piercing, although in a different spot, would be happy also.

So finally, she called me back. I was excited as well as a little apprehensive. But in a good way, of course. She marked up my neck and measured more. While she was doing this, she was talking about the cleaning procedures and how long it would heal. She also asked me why I had wanted to get a nape piercing. I told her I had always wanted to get a labret, but I couldn't because of my job. Then, I mentioned that it was a decision between the industrial and nape. The markings were remarkably fast... she was surprised too! She just said "your neck is begging to be pierced!" I thought this as a "sign" of how it was meant to be. So then she asked another person that worked there to check out her markings, and they were a go. So I laid face down on the chair, waiting for the pierce. She put the clamps on. They were a bit uncomfortable, but not so much to an extent of bothersome "get them off me" thing. I had read experiences, and a lot of people were not too thrilled about the c lamps. I expected them to be a thousand times worse. Once they were lined up, she told me to take a deep breath in, and then blow it out. When I blew out, she went through. It did take a little more time than a regular piercing since there was more tissue to go through, but it was relatively painless. Less painful than my ears being pierced - even being stretched. Then, she inserted the barbell. That, I would have to say was an odd sensation. It did not hurt, but it was just odd. I got up and looked in the mirror, very happy with the results. Then, my friend got her navel done.

I'm really happy with my nape pierced. It's actually my first non-ear piercing. If this one heals nicely, I'm planning to get another nape done. So far it's doing alright, although it's only six days old. It's still a bit red, but, that's expected. Emily told me her rejection rate for her piercings on napes was very low, but then again, it was also based on how well I would take care of it. It's pierced with a bent barbell, and not a surface bar. I've seen napes heal without being pierced with a surface bar, even though I know that's the best. I've even seen them with straight barbells, healed. If you want a relatively painless piercing to go with, get your nape done. She also mentioned that it's good for shock value. I live in a fairly small town, so I've gotten plenty of "does that hurt?" as well as "why did you do that?" But, it does take a lot of commitment [as does any other piercing, but 1-2 years to heal is major commitment, methinks]. As someone told me, baby the hel l out of it, and just hope that it heals well.