My first body piercing was a tongue ring in March of 2000. I had that done prior to the tattoo of my angel. I used to be a standard pierced ear type of girl. Then I worked with a girl named Melissa for awhile and saw all the fantastic piercings she had and it got me to thinking..
I have to say, I find body piercings to be very visually erotic. A total turn on to either sex. For some people, piercing is a visual thing. To others its a sexual thing. Most importantly, its a personal thing.
I thought about it for a couple of years and fear kept me from making the big move. I had alot of questions. "Does it hurt? Will I bleed? How long can I have it out before it will close? Can I still get a decent job wearing one?"
It took me 3 years and many questions asked of professional piercers, employers, friends and body art fanatics. I also spent alot of time researching on the internet and perusing various body modification magazines before I took the big leap.
My next step was finding someone I could trust. I still had the card for Marks of Art which is the shop where I got my tattoo work done.There I ran into my former co-worker,Melissa.
Melissa was very knowledgeable and friendly. She took the time to answer my questions and helped me relax by explaining each step of the process. She cleaned my tongue and placed special clamps on it with the holes of the clamps ligned up with my markings for desired placement. She explained the proper placement of the piercing to avoid biting the bar while eating and therefore, damage to my teeth and gums. She walked me through the process and had me do some deep breathing before pushing the needle through. No pain, it was amazing, but what a rush!
Now let me answer some of your questions. There is some pain involved. It varies from person to person. All I felt was the prick as the needle went in and then I was done! My friend on the other hand was in so much pain she could barely talk. There is some swelling involved after the procedure and it varies from person to person. Cleanliness is key for good healing. Most piercers will provide you with written instructions. If not, visit a piercing site for tips on cleaning. The basics for external piercings like ears, brows, nose, nipples and navels are this: anti-bacterial soap, saline soaks(some piercers say sea salt, but saline solution also work really great and it's very inexpensive) and a hands off approach. Hands collect large amounts of bacteria and constant messing with the piercing will most assuredly cause an infection.
The most important thing to look for when piercing is a knowledgeable piercer who is not afraid to answer your questions and will even do a little show and tell for you. If you have a friend thats about to take the plunge, ask to tag along so you can get an idea of what the procedure looks like. Always follow your piercers directions. Melissa supplied written instructions. To me this is a sign of true concern for the client. Watch for cleanliness of the business. If there is no bathroom facility or hot running water...RUN!!! This establishment cannot offer the cleanliness that a fully equipped studio can. The biggest and most important thing is research, research, research. The internet has a dearth of information on body piercing. I recommend visiting BME. They have great pictures and information on aftercare and procedures.
While piercing is widely practiced, there are some jobs that will accept it and others which do not find it appropriate. It depends on the environment. If you are working in an established law firm and you are pushing for junior partner and the rest of the partners are 100 years old, I do not recommend it. Gauge your work environment and take any future career plans into consideration. Its always removable, the piercing site closes pretty rapidly and there are pieces that can somewhat disguise your piercing if necessary.
Since my tongue piercing, I have pierced both nipples, my nostril and the cartilage in the top of my left ear,as well as the conch of that same ear.I have also added a tragus piercing. All with excellent and well-healed results.
I hope I have been of some help with the information provided. Please feel free to email me your personal stories or pictures for posting on the site. If you have any questions, I will try to answer them for you or direct to someplace which can. Sometimes you need to hear the stories from someone who has experienced it rather than someone performing the service for a fee.
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