Play piercing.
At A Glance Author agent_orange Contact agent_orange@bme.anon IAM agent_orange When A month ago Artist iam:prodigy Play? Piercing?
Prior to discovering bmezine.com and subsequently joining IAM, these weren't two words that I would have readily put in the same sentence.
The concept of piercing for the sake of it, piercing for fun, was something that was totally alien to me. I'll admit that I was somewhat intrigued, but I wasn't about to jump headfirst into something about which I knew very little. While I admired the many forearm ladders in the play piercing galleries, nothing really grabbed me and said 'you have to do this'. And so I continued my journey, acquiring mods and making friends, gradually feeling more and more part of a collective.
In June I attended my second bme meet, this time in London. As well as catching up with people I had met previously, I also had the privilege to meet several new faces, some of whom I am pleased to say, have gone on to become a very important part of my life. But perhaps more importantly it was the first time I spoke about my interest in play piercing with someone who had experience. That person was Prodigy and he was to play a significant role in my first play piercing experience.
In the days after the meet we chatted on and offline and I found myself talking more and more about the possibility of having him play pierce me at the SCUK meet, which we were both attending in just 3 weeks time. He was open to the idea, but suggested that I look through the various galleries and have a think about what sort of thing I wanted before committing.
I knew it had to be something creative and beautiful. I had seen amazing pictures of corset piercings, and being into corsetry I was naturally drawn to the idea, however I didn't feel that it was a sensible choice for my first foray into needle play. I remember Prodigy saying that forearms were a good place to begin and my mind began to wander. Would it be possible to do an arm corseting?
I consulted bme's many galleries, as I couldn't recall ever having seen anything like the idea I had in mind. I envisaged the piercings running along the side of my forearms with the lacing going up from my elbows to my wrists, my palms facing each other. I found a couple of pictures of an arm corseting with the participant's palms facing away from each other. Comfort was a prime concern given that this was my first attempt and I doubted I'd be able to hold such a pose for long. I mailed the pictures to Prodigy explaining the changes I proposed to make. He responded saying it shouldn't be a problem and for the first time I began to get excited about the prospect.
Once both happy with the choice of piercing we began discussing the procedure in depth. Prodigy decided on using 27ga needles, as they were small and light and particularly well suited to this type of piercing. I was grateful to him for taking charge of the supplies as it meant I could concentrate on getting myself mentally prepared. Part of this preparation included purchasing the ribbon with which I was to be laced up - 7mm velvet, in orange of course. :)
Finally the day of the meet arrived and I travelled up to Blackpool to meet with Prodigy beforehand. He was very keen to ensure everything went well, and this reassured me that I was going to have the best experience possible. We went on to the meet and spent a fantastic day in the company of some remarkable individuals. The party went on way into the small hours, yet I did not feel fatigued. Instead I was anxious and excited; eagerly awaiting the event which would, for me at least, be the high point of the whole weekend.
We were booked into the same hotel so I could be guaranteed privacy. Although I would have no qualms now about play piercing in a group scenario, bear in mind this was my first time and I was unsure how I would react. We both agreed that it was essential that I should be as relaxed as possible, so I took a long shower. (A necessity anyway due to the stickiness of Hoylake mud – but that's another story!)
When I was done I changed into something sleeveless and Prodigy gloved up and got down to business. I lay down and held my arms in the position which I wanted them corseted, while he decided how many needles to use and where they should be positioned; 6 either arm spaced roughly about an inch apart.
Despite being in comfortable surroundings I was feeling a tad nervous so we used a little Lidocaine gel to get the ball rolling. It must have had a placebo effect on me for no sooner was it applied than I thought 'what the hell' and told him to go ahead with the first needle. He did so and I felt nothing more than a pinprick. He continued down the length of my left arm placing the remaining 5, until I had a ladder of sorts. He wiped away the excess gel and I looked at the needles for the first time. It was beautiful. I told him to proceed with the other arm straightaway. The right arm was slightly trickier as it was important to get the piercings lined up so the corset would work. Again I felt no significant pain, just a pinprick here and there. The most difficult part was keeping my arms held steady in front of me. For future reference I think it would have been easier if I had been sat with my elbows resting on a table.
With both arms pierced it was time to lace them up. I sat up and held my arms together while the ribbon was woven around the needles until it reached my wrists where it was bound and tied. I felt the odd twinge as the needles were moved slightly but nothing unbearable. Prodigy then had me pull my arms apart slightly to show the full effect of the corseting. I could see in the mirror opposite how pretty it looked and I almost cried with joy. A couple of photographs were taken mainly for my benefit, although I later decided to submit them having not seen a corseting quite like mine on bme before.
When it was time for the needles to be removed I was almost disappointed. In the short time I had been laced up – about 20 minutes – I had grown very fond of them. As each needle was taken out I was already planning where they would be going in next time. I tend to bruise really easily, and was left with some superficial marks from where I had pulled the needles too hard, but they gradually faded over a week or so. The emotional effect of the whole experience however is still very much with me.
I am now an ardent play piercing fan and have numerous projects lined up. My immediate plans include re-doing the original piercings using more needles and thinner ribbon to create a much tighter corset effect, and in time I would like a full back corset. I am very lucky to have met someone who is willing to plan and share these future experiences with me. Someone without whom it's doubtful I would have even got this far. Thankyou, Prodigy.
And thankyou for taking time to read my corseting experience. Feel free to direct comments or questions to my IAM page.