After a long semester at university, I felt I deserved something just for me. It just so happens that a few girlfriends and I have our birthdays around the same time. This, of course, leads to the absolutely brilliant idea of Birthday Piercings!
At A Glance Author Artful Dodger Contact Artful Dodger@bme.anon When Three months ago Artist Ryan Studio Strange City Location Edmonton, AB Keep in mind a Birthday Piercing can be no ordinary-Thursday-piercing. It has got to be special. You know what's special? A type of piercing you haven't had done! I've got some muscle pierced (tongue), some cartilage (tragus, rook) and some skin with a ridge (lobes) - but a surface piercing is just too intriguing to pass up! And, lets face it, a pierced neck is damn hot.
So each of us decides on a piercing and go to our absolutely favorite piercer and piercing parlor. After some great conversation with our piercer, other customers and other staff, we start business. We tell them what we want - a vertical labret, a subclavical and for me, a nape piercing. We pay, fill out our info and chat some more as each of us gets our piercing jewelry chosen specifically for us. We check out some tattoo and piercing magazines they have lying around while our two surface bars are in the autoclave.
An apprentice takes us into the piercing room for a run-down on aftercare. She looks at our info and feels a little foolish telling our metal-ridden bodies how to take care of ourselves. We know what we're doing - saline solution cleaning, running hot water daily, tighten bead with clean hands and otherwise LITHA.
The subclavical goes first - and comes out amazing. Beautiful.
Then the vertical labret - gorgeous on my friend's lip.
Finally, my first surface! The usual policy is to only let one other person in to hold your hand while the piercing happens, but we came with some other people and they had gone to get us some tea for afterwards - leaving only my newly vertical labreted friend in the lobby - so our totally awesome piercer or of course let's her come in. So, we spend a lot of time marking me up. Tilt head up, then down. Look left, right. Placing is key and important to my piercer. Since I can't see the back of my neck dead-on, I have my art school friend determine for me whether its in the perfect position, level and good to pierce. After a while, of minor marking adjustments, its ready. I'm so excited!
Since I get to have two people in with me, they each get to hold a hand in the two part punch and taper process. Sitting for the punch, I later discover that a tiny cylinder of skin was removed for the exit holes. Part one... doesn't really hurt. It is definitely easier than cartilage. I then lie down for the taper.
Again, doesn't hurt more than any other piercing. In fact, less than other piercings I've had. However, two disconcerting things occurred. Because of the proximity of the nape to the ear, I could actually hear the subcutaneous tissue being pulled apart as the taper moved across. It pops. This is surprising, but not painful. As well, after putting the jewelry through, my piercer gets the beads, but leaves the scissors holding the jewelry in place. I know this because I can see the shadow of the scissors on the piercing bench. Kind of strange.
Beads on. I take a look in the mirror and can't help but squeal a little with glee. Its do pretty. A beautiful adornment to my neck. I love it. And its uniqueness.
Almost everyone who sees it says "I've never seen that... that's pretty cool." But, of course, I didn't get it for them, but for me and I love it. I don't have any really noticeable piercings (no facial ones at least), and so most people find it really shocking to find a little unconventional piercing on me.
This has been my most problem-free piercing. It never hurt after the needle went through, it didn't bleed, barely crusted. For a while, I thought it might be saving its strength for a full-force rejection or something. But no, it was just really happy with my neck.
If you're considering this piercing, make sure you have a great piercer. They should let you know the high rejection rate of such piercings, take the time for optimal placement and definitely use surface bars - walk out if they even try to suggest a curved barbell!
If you're in Edmonton, I can't say enough amazing things about Ryan and Hailey at Strange. They specialize in healed surface piercings.
Aftercare, like all others:
1. saline solution (yeah, like contact solution) twice a day
2. run hot water over it in the shower to move the lymph
3. tighten the beads with clean hands only
4. LITHA
5. if you happen to get a scar tissue build-up on any piercing, I would recommend tea tree oil once every other day.
6. if you have inflammation, take ibuprofen (not tylenol), as it has anti-inflammatories. Or apply a chamomile compress (like a hot chamomile tea bag).
I absolutely adore this piercing and can not wait for another surface. Happy piercing! Cheers.