I'm 35 years old and have been into body modification since 1985. My parents were the old fashioned strict type and back then I wasn't even allowed to have my ears pierced. Eventually thru the years I broke the barrier and got all the basic mods done. Story for another time.
At A Glance Author Dent Contact dent277@yahoo.com When A month ago Artist Leo Ziebol Studio 5 Point Studios Location Johnston, Iowa
About 10 years ago is when I first started noticing septum piercings on people. Some looked like they belonged. Others didn't. It wasn't until I saw my cousin from Seattle in the Summer of 2001 that I saw the first septum piercing up close. After seeing how awesome his looked, I knew then that it was just going to be a matter of time until I got mine done.
Fast forward to late June 2007. A good friend of mine had gotten his septum done on a whim straight to 10 gauge sometime in 2006 and after talking to him many times over many beers, I finally decided to do it. As I said it was late June. I went to a local tattoo/piercing place I used to work counter at and talked with the piercer who's a good friend as well.
I told him I wanted my septum pierced straight to 10 gauge just like my other friend did. At first, he (piercer) was hesitant about doing it at 10 gauge and tried talking me into 12 gauge or smaller. I said no way. If I'm going to do this, I want to go balls out like a man! So after another 10 minutes of talking the piercer agreed.
Oh...by the way folks.... I forgot to mention earlier that I have a deviated septum just like the millions of other people with constant sinus problems, so I knew going into this that it's hard enough to get a septum piercing 100% straight, let alone on someone that it's deviated! Anyway, the piercer got the 10 gauge ½" diameter captive bead ring out of the autoclave pouch along with all else from the autoclave and he went to work.
The reason I'm not mentioning the piercer's name is because he's a great guy and all, but at the time my septum was only the second one he'd done and it came out VERY crooked! He never even marked either side of the piercing-to-be. Just clamped and put needle through. I was very disappointed! He could tell I was and being the nice guy he is, felt very bad and offered to do it again for free like any piercing place worth their salt. I said no. I gave it a day but it was still very crooked, so I took it out.
I also wrote in to one of the piercers that write for the "QOD" here on BME right after I took it out and told them about it and the aftercare I was doing just to make sure all was right. They said it was and told me I could probably have it repierced in 3-4 weeks. I was so happy! I waited like little over a month to be safe. Then money problems for a few months stopped me.
I think it was sometime the following September (2007) I could finally afford to have it redone. This time I went to another piercer, an awesome guy I'd met in the Summer of 2005 while working counter for that local tattoo place I mentioned. The second piercer I refer to is good friends with the owner of the place I worked at. The first time I met Leo Ziebol (second piercer), I felt right at home and at complete ease. We got along great. He and my cousin from Seattle have almost the same personalities.
So I went to Leo's shop called 5 Point Studios in Johnston, Iowa (about a 3-hr round trip from Cedar Falls) and talked to him. There are other shops in the Des Moines, Iowa area but Leo's shop I think is the best place. It's the cleanest, neatest, healthiest and most up to date facility I know of. Definitely worth every penny of the tank of gas it takes to get there!
After Leo and I talked, it was decided I'd get my septum redone at 8 gauge instead of 10 simply because that's what I wanted. I decided on a Glasswear Studios U shaped black retainer. He put it in his statim autoclave for 20 minutes and we shot the shit. When it was ready, my girlfriend and I went into his room (Leo and his shop are APP endorsed) which is just like any room you'd see in a hospital: table, sink, needle bio-box (disposal), statim...everything neat, clean, organized and 100% sterile conditions!
I laid on the table and after Leo got everything out in front of me, he took my glasses off and began looking around inside my nose. After using his index finger and thumb to feel for the "sweet spot", he cleaned the area least twice and then marked both sides and proceeded to do it. All through the entire procedure he changed gloves probably at least 15 to 20 times. Then, during the breathing exercise he put the needle to 1 side and the glass receiving tube to the other. Final 3rd breath in, exhale slowly and the needle went through. Hardly any pain. Then the taper. Leo prefers tapering to larger gauge piercing than just piercing through. His explanation: a lot less bleeding by piercing and tapering than just piercing only.
I was high on endorphins and eyes watering, but it was done. It wasn't until 1 week later I noticed by the way the retainer was positioned it was again crooked :(Not as bad as the first time, but it was crooked. I called Leo back and told him. He said no sweat. Come back in another month and he'd redo it for free.
Fast-forward one more time to about mid December 2007. Girlfriend and I went down and he and I talked and I told him take as long as you need. As the old saying goes "Measure twice, cut once." He said he'd do the best he could. This time I went with an Anatometal 8 gauge ½" diameter circular barbell. Beautiful piece of jewelry. He put it in the statim, we shot the shit. It was done. I laid on the table; he changed gloves many times as he cleaned my nose, felt for the spot and marked sides. Time for breathing. Third breath out, needle through. Then taper. Then the horseshoe. Horseshoe. Horseshoe?? Damn thing would NOT go in! After about 4 tries, Leo said ONE more breath! Then came some of the worst pain I'd felt since one of Leo's friends scalpelled my lobes from ½" to ¾" in December of 2005. Holy shit!! Then I heard a "pop". The horseshoe was finally through.
My nose was very red/sore and I felt very lightheaded, but it was done!! I looked in the mirror and it seemed perfect! One side was about a 16th of an inch/little more out than the other was but I didn't care. It's as good as it's gonna get!! Only way you can tell is if you stare at it close enough. I sat down for a while, talked with the rest of the staff at the shop and Leo even got me a glucose tablet. I felt better in less than 5 minutes. I thanked Leo, paid for the jewelry (as I said before, repiercing was free.. just cost of jewelry and tip) and we left.
It's now about mid February 2008 and my septum is just fine. I used a combination of H2Ocean spray and regular sea salt soaks 2-3 times daily (Leo told me a while back that I'm an anomoly...my body is very different from most other people when it comes to piercings/healing/holes going shut rather quick when taking jewelry out) for first 3-4 weeks and had no problems at all. My body didn't seem to like the H2Ocean spray as the septum area got very dry from spray use, so I did regular soaks and was fine. I now plan stretching my septum to 6 gauge and probably 4. I'm very proud of my septum and very happy with Leo's work. If you're in Iowa and want a good piercing, save the money and go see Leo Ziebol at 5 Point Studios in Johnston, Iowa (suburb of Des Moines). You'll be glad you did! If you just can't make Johnston, go see Josh Coburn at Slingin' Ink in Grinnell, Iowa. He's just as professional and has the same calming bedside manner as Leo does! Either way your covered!!