I had already had several piercings done, my navel, my septum, two off centre lower lip piercings, and both my nostrils, and was contemplating more. However, I didn't really know what to go for next, as the ones I already had done were perfect for me on their own. I didn't want to add any more to my face as I had completed my desired symmetrical effect, and I felt a hunger for something more than an addition to my naval, but wasn't quite ready for a genital piercing (I have since had my clitoral hood pierced). I was really stuck, I desperately wanted something a bit different to the ones I had or seen on other people in my area, so I decided to go back to where I had most of my piercings and talk to the artist about piercings he had done on other people.
At A Glance Author Vased Contact Vased@bme.anon When A year ago Artist Michael Studio Art Zone Location England, UK So I went back to Art Zone, and spoke to Michael about what he had done, and what could fix my situation. He told me that he mainly pierced eyebrows and navels, because there were rarely any other people in that area having other stuff done. Then he told me how a girl had came into his shop a few weeks before and requested a surface piercing in her nape, and I was really intrigued, so I asked him how he went about doing it and what size jewellery he had used, was it more difficult to pierce than through the actual flesh? He told me he quite enjoyed piercing her nape as it was something different from his usual business. I agreed, and then went home, with something to think about.
I hadn't seen anyone with a pierced nape before, and the idea stuck with me as I thought about how great jewellery would look in that part of the body, and how it would relieve my desperation to find something new on myself.
Before the piercing
I went to the library to try and find some more information on surface piercings. I couldn't find any books on it, and the modification magazines I'd bought (mainly tattoo related ones, as those were the only I could find) only showed the visible piercings the models had. So I decided to look on the internet, where I came across BME for the first time. It seemed I'd stumbled on an Aladdin's cave of information, stories and galleries of photographs, and found exactly what I was looking for. I looked at photograph after photograph of people's surface piercings, and was surprised (although that may sound a little naïve of me now) at how different it looked to the modifications I'd already seen in life, and the locations of the body people were having them done. I read through a few experiences of surface piercings, most had good things to say about the results of their mods. Obviously, with the good came the bad, such as the rejection of the piercing. But my mind was already made up; I loved the look of the nape surface piercing and felt it would be a mod to have next.
A few weeks after thinking about it over and over I finally called Michael and asked him to book me an appointment for the middle of the week (I knew the studio wasn't going to be too busy then, as it is on a weekend).
The Piercing
The day of the piercing came, and that morning I prepared by just simply washing my neck (well, I didn't want the piercer to think I was grubby did I?). As my hair at this point was quite short I knew it wouldn't interfere with it.
I went to the studio, where I had to wait for a while, because he was piercing some guy's eyebrow, and then when he was done he come out and had a talk. I chose a simple titanium bar at 1.6mm, the average size for piercings, filled out a few obligatory forms, and sat down. He lined the bar up and dotted with a pen where the two balls would show and gave me two mirrors so I could see behind my head where it was going, I looked at every angle possible and then finally agreed. I sat back down where he then clamped the skin, told me to breathe in and relax. At this point during piercings I normally get quite tense and start thinking about what is to come. I felt a tugging on the back of my neck, which I thought was just Michael adjusting the clamps, and so was getting myself even more worked up, when he just turned round and said "Okay then, have a look see what you think". It was completed? I was just in a bit of shock and yelped "Is that it?". It was honestly the least painful piercing I'd ever experienced! I turned and tried to look in the big mirror behind me, which was impossible as I couldn't turn to see it, so he handed me the two little mirrors, and I checked....It was the most gorgeous thing I'd seen in a long while! I thanked Michael a lot (maybe too many times), paid £15 and skipped out of the shop (not before he collared me to talk about aftercare, which he knew I knew about, having pierced me before).
Aftercare
To ensure my piercing stayed at its best and grub free, I just used a simple saline solution and cotton buds to clean it. It wasn't that hard to clean, just reaching round the back of my head was a bit difficult. Also, the only other problem I had with it was sometimes the label on my jacket would hook itself on the jewellery, so I just cut the label off.
After the Piercing
Needless to say I was really pleased with this addition to my body, and it encouraged me to have some more surface piercings done, although sadly most of them have had to be taken out due to rejection. However, my nape, to this day is still intact.
The reactions I get off some people are that of awe, they've never seen one, and others are of disgust (somebody shouted Frankenstein – wasn't that bolts in his actual neck?- and others just mumble to each other about how it's "sick"). I don't mind though, because I've got what I wanted, and am still proud of it today!