But I'll never get my lobes done.....

At A Glance Author Liz Contact Liz@bme.anon Artist David Nolte Studio Pierce de Resistance Location Carlton, Victoria, Australia

Like so many others, I'd claimed that my first piercing - a labret stud (which I LOVE) - would be my last, but obviously that didn't last long. Having become a regular BME visitor, I was itching to get another piercing about two months after the first, and after having toyed with the idea of nipple (which I think looks great, but too much hassle), and septum (my mother would die AND I'd get fired), I got interested in different ear piercings. This distressed me a bit because I'd always sworn never to get my ears (lobes) pierced. I guess I wanted to go against the way it's almost obligatory for young girls to get it done, it kind of bored me - no offence. But some of the pictures I saw of other ear piercings looked so cute, especially the conches - like little pearls in a shell - and I was still determined not to go the lobes. Finally I decided to get a double conch in one ear, and a double pinna (cartilage rim) in the other, because I could only get four at once (oh, the frustration). My mum wasn't too keen on the idea of further piercings; not because she personally hates them (well, she doesn't LOVE them, but I'm working on that), but she worries about how I will be treated by people who do. It really annoys me the way that women (or anyone, I suppose) with their earlobes done can consider other piercings to be disgusting. Just because it's more accepted, doesn't mean it's any different. I just get them done because I love the way they look, and they make me feel more like myself - like they were always meant to be there!

So I rang up the guy who did my labret - a pharmacist in Melbourne with a piercing business on the side - because I'd been pretty happy with his work. I'd found him through an ad in my friend's university diary, and had liked the name of the studio: "Pierce de Resistance", tee hee hee. The fact that he's a pharmacist helped me feel it'd all be good & clean, and a look at his website confirmed this.

After getting advice from him on how many I could get at once, cost etc, I made an appointment for the next day.

So I arrived early, and wandered around looking at fungal creams and other exciting pharmacy stuff, until he was ready. After all the formalities, he got out this rubber model of an ear and I showed him what I wanted, and on which ears (conches on left, pinnas on right). I then told him I wanted mini barbells instead of captive bead rings, and he got out four 6mm ones.

We then decided on placement, he disinfected the areas to be pierced, then got me to lie on my back, as he was going to do the double pinna first.

He started talking about something irrelevant, and before I knew it a sharp pain hit my ear. "First one's over", he said, as he pushed the second one through. The pain wasn't bad, but still worse than with the labret. Putting the jewellery in was kind of painful, because he'd used an 18ga needle for 16ga jewellery, to avoid bleeding.

Once that ear was done, we started on the double conch. I braced myself for this because I'd read all these stories where people described it as "excruciating" and "the worst pain of my life". It hurt more than the pinna, but it was far from unbearable.

He talked me through aftercare, then I payed. He only charged me $80 (Australian)including jewellery, even though he normally charges $35 for a single piercing, plus the cost of the jewellery. What a nice guy!!

I then left for work, where I got lots of compliments! I nearly had a heart attack when I saw both my bosses come in, though; they're not in love with the labret, so I think any more would be pushing it, but My ears are small and pretty flat to my head, so even from a metre away the jewellery's invisible - I haven't been caught, so far....But then I don't want to work in a cafe all my life anyway.

Well, it's only 9.30pm the same day, and although they didn't come out exactly as I'd planned, I really like them - especially the double conch (really cute!). The piercer wants a photo of it; he said it's one of the more unusual ones he's done - that was kind of nice to hear. They're still tender, and kind of kill when I bump them, but it'll all pass........and it's all worth it!!!!!!!!!!

To anyone thinking of getting a conch piercing: it's not as bad as it sounds AND THE PAIN IS TEMPORARY. I'm already thinking very seriously about a third conch and vertical tragus - but which ears.........?