About two years ago, the day after my 8th grade graduation, my mom and I went down to the Piercing Emporium in Worcester, Mass. I had decided some time before that I wanted to get my navel pierced. As a graduate present, my mom took me to get it done. The pain was not all that bad. I had anticipated it to be much worse from the look on my mother's face when she went first. I absolutely loved it. However, over the past summer I began to critique the placement of it, and soon decided I couldn't stand it any longer. I took it out after I had made a few phone calls to see how long I should expect it to take to close up. No one actually gave a definite answer. It was "It depends on how fast you're body heals." I could understand that. So regardless of the chance it may take up to a year to close, I made up my mind and took it out.
At A Glance Author Nicole Contact Nicole@bme.anon When A month ago Artist Marc Studio Piercing Emporium and Tattoo Location Worcester, Mass. About a month ago, I realized that my belly button was as closed as it would ever get. Besides the small scar left on top, it was fully closed through out the hole. I decided I would go back to the Piercing Emporium because the piercer Marc was very nice the first time, and considering I was only 13 at the time, he made me feel very comfortable and calm. I decided to go the Friday before vacation so that I could have a week for it to become less sore. When I got to the shop, a few people were browsing through tattoos, but soon left. Another girl working behind the counter took care of paperwork while Marc was checking my belly button to make sure he understood why I had let it close up and to make sure it was fully healed. After he explained that because of my small body, any higher it could reject. So I told him that if it were going to reject to just pierce it in the same place because it was already closed.
I waited in the front part of the shop and looked at some of the tattoo books while Marc got everything ready and sterilized the jewelry I had brought from the previous time. He called my mom and I in, and surprising I still wasn't nervous. He cleaned my belly button several times, and had me stand straight up with my hands at my sides while he marked it. It was marked a pretty decent distance from the scar, and I was very pleased with it. He took out the jewelry, needle, clamps, etc., and had me lay down on the bed. Still not nervous. Of course at this time my mother's maternal instincts kicked and she had to come over and hold my hand and kiss my head. I really think she was more nervous than me. I had my attention focused on a lovely Simpson's poster on the ceiling. You know those posters imitating the painting with the dripping clocks? Well, it was pretty cool, and did a good job of distracting me. I was told the same thing probably everyone getting a piercing is told. "Breathe in and out, and when you breathe out I'm going to pierce it." I did as I was told, and when I exhaled, the needle went through. This time it hurt MUCH worse than the first because of the scar tissue. He had me lay down for a little after in case I was light headed, which I wasn't, or in some sort of pain, which I wasn't. He explained the aftercare very well, and on my way I went with my soap, brochure, and sea salt. On the way home, it was a little sore, so I spent most of the car ride with my seat back so there would be no pressure on my navel.
Now, about a month later, it's doing good. I hope it won't reject. It's a little red from the irritation of running up stairs with textbooks bumping into it. And, then there's the irritation from my shirts pulling on it. But regardless, I love it. It's much higher than when I first got it done, and is much straighter. The sea salt soaks are kind of difficult. I haven't quite gotten the hang of laying down, then standing back up without completely soaking myself. Washing it in the shower is easy though. It takes no more than two minutes. The soap however has dried it out, but its not as bad as it was the first week I started using it. I would recommend the Piercing Emporium to anyone near Worcester interested in getting a piercing. They made sure to talk me through the procedure, as well as making sure I understood the aftercare before I left.