Well, I had wished to get piercings and tattoos since I was old enough to know what they were, but wasn't sure what I wanted to get. My mother had a small tattoo of a solid circle on her thumb and my dad had pierced his ear lobe infront of me when I was about 5, and in both instances I remember staring in amazement, asking questions and loved how it sort of 'set them apart'. So, I got my lobes pierced on my 6th birthday always wanting more. However I never did but decided that when I get a proper modification I'd probably like something a bit different. For years I completely forgot about it, at 16 everyone was thinking of getting their bellies pierced (I was never interested) but at 19 I had a strange and sudden urge and started researching.
At A Glance Author imlocal Contact imlocal@bme.anon When Three months ago Artist Rob Studio Industrial Strength Location Newtown Not many of my friends have any modifications and had rather insisted that I never get any, which only fuelled my desire. I never hadn't looked far but thought I'd like to get a nipple piercing, but still wasn't really satisfied with the thought of getting one. However, one day I was on some random 'piercing forum' and came across a picture of a girl with her wrists pierced (punch and taper method).I'd NEVER seen one before (as I live a sheltered life) and was immediately filled with disgust, as she had 2 large streams of thick dark (fake) blood flowing from their insertion points which had been greatly exaggerated, and quite frankly looked stupid and cheap. She was trying to be 'hardcore' it didn't work! My disgust quickly changed to curiosity and 'wrist piercing' searches on the internet which brought me here!
After looking at the free images of surface piercing on this website I fell in love!!!!
I read the many stories, and saw many pictures of different placement/methods and took note of the emphasis placed on 'getting the correct materials inserted' which I must reiterate is BLOODY IMPORTANT!!! After going through much information on scaring, rejection and healing times, I shortly found myself in Newtown walking to the Industrial Strength piercing studio.
I had gone with a mate who goes to tafe there, not really intending to get pierced. We went to lunch and then decided to have a look at the polymorph piercing studio and maybe ask a couple of questions. We went in, it was a nice! Wooden floors, glass cases of jewellery, pictures of piercing/people all over one of the walls -a really nice feel (clean and not too 'clinical')
We nervously asked questions and he was lovely, informative and friendly but he had run out of surface bars which was really disappointing! (a month later I went there to get an off centre tongue piercing) So we left! But my mate mentioned that she knew of another place to get pierced, so we went in search of it rather determined to get it done!
Industrial strength is a clothes/jewellery store/piercing studio, it's pretty damn funky! We went in and was immediately greeted by the piercer, I asked about the piercing and he got out his portfolio and asked us to check out his work. I looked at a couple of pictures, they seemed good. I asked some questions I already knew the answer to (relating to materials), just to check he wasn't going to pierce me with any old thing and he was full of information. You would ask anything and he'd rattle off an answer he'd probably said to hundreds of people before me. I then showed him where I wanted the piercing done and he told me he could do it but it would reject due to the movement in the arm (as I wanted in the inner side of the arm)so from that point I completely trusted him. He then marked out my arm to show me what it would look like, told me that it would be better to be pierced freehand in my selected area and I asked to get it done.
Luckily I didn't have to make an appointment because he was free! And my mate decided to get her tragus pierced. He got us to fill in forms and gave us an antiseptic gel wash and charged us, which for me came to $120 Au. We then followed him upstairs to the waiting room where he asked us to wait while he got prepared. He was about 10min and in this time my nerves got the better of me. Quite basically I was FREAKING OUT, laughing and actually realised the amount of skin he was piercing through and thought about the pain. It seemed to go on forever!!! It was funny.
Finally he came over and led us to a Japanese style room, white and clean with pseudo rice walls/door and what looked like a dentists chair situated centrally. I volunteered to go first; he cleaned my arm and made me move it around to see where there was the least amount of movement, measured and marked it. He then talked through the procedure. I asked about the pain and he basically said that stubbing your toe would be a lot more painful and he was right. We all did the jokes and the nervous laughing and the 'Ha-Ha...how much expertise do you have' 'Ha-Ha I've never done this before' jokes and then I was prepared!
He told me something about breath in and out; I can't remember exactly what because I was staring at the needle. He told me to relax and he clamped me tight, which WASN'T painful and pierced me. I didn't watch it go in and really concentrated on feeling the pain, which felt like a really hot pinch or hot pressure NOT a SHARP needle pain that I had expected. I watched it come out the other side which was surreal because it looked like it should have hurt a lot more than I could feel. While watching it I didn't really feel as much, probably because I was concentrating on watching it. I then turned away for a bit, so im not sure what he did, but when I turned back he released the clamp and I watched my skin stretch out and slide over the bar. I WAS EXTATIC!!! I had the signature 'I just got pierced' stupid grin and I couldn't stop staring at it!!! He cut the plastic down and fastened the silver balls on each end which was a little uncomfortable, and told me that I should come back in 4 weeks to get the bars cut down further. He then put gauze on it and told me to take it off when I got home and explained how to look after it -salt soaks and antibacterial gel e.t.c.
That afternoon my arm started to ache, you can take Neurofen blue but I didn't bother.
Sleeping on it was awkward the 1st week and the second week it inflamed furiously as I had slept on it, but within 4 days it completely subsided. Salt soaks are good DON'T OVER DO THE SALT!
I personally didn't clean it often because I realised the more I tried to clean it the more irritated it would get, so I didn't wash it much (once every 2 weeks) However I don't recommend it, everybody is different. When I drink alcohol the next morning I usually get a white/yellowish discharge, the next day it's usually fine. I believe that when its completely healed that will stop.
About 5 weeks later I went back. He shortened the bars and seemed happy. I asked if there were signs of rejection and he said it was good and no rejection. He then asked if he could take a photo, he took it and I was on my way home.
A lot of people don't usually notice the piercing; they usually think it's a bracelet. People, who do notice it, do a double take and might whisper to their friends (sitting on buses and trains can be funny). I've never had an incredibly horrible, negative response, infact people are quite open minded. I met an old lady who was happy I'd got an arm piercing 'because belly piercings are awful' and little kids are always funny. What I can't stand are people who SQUEEL! Screw up their noses and say the 'did THAT hurt' question. Also I had one IRRITATING WOMAN who decided that it would be alright to lean over the counter and poke at one of the balls while I was working saying 'oh! How is that connected'...I was angry, that's all im going to say.
A lot of people generally don't notice because 'I don't look like the type of person to have one' (I've been told) but when they do notice it, it's always a good conversation starter. 3 months later and its still great and I LOVE IT
And Rob at Industrial Strength is GREAT!
So just some things to remember ....
1. Know what materials it needs to be pierced with, I've met many people with HORRIBLE SCARS!!!!!
2. It doesn't hurt as much as it may look like it would!
3. Clamps aren't painful
4. The piercing wasn't of a sharp piercing pain.
5. Respect and protect your piercing and it will be good to you
6. Find a piercer you can trust, because I found that a lot of people say different things on care, method e.t.c
7. Have a good reply for people who ask why you got it done, or a least a different reply to 'ummm I guess I though it looked really cool', this question determines as to whether people think you are a juvenile delinquent or are a respectable person with different interests to them. This will largely impact on people's response to your piercing, as the general public will be more likely to respect and admire you and you're piercing, if they find you are not a mindless prat that thinks that the piercing makes you 'hardcore'.
Hopefully this helps you, because I should have been studying!
And GOOD LUCK!!!! If you intend to get one!!!
I LOVE MINE!!!!!