This was my 8th piercing, and my 3rd "serious" (at least to my way of thinking" modification. I'd always liked the look of pierced nipples, and my frequent browsing of the pictures and experiences here on BME convinced me that it was definitely a mod I wanted -- if I could ever get up the nerve to let someone jab a needle through the second-most sensitive part of my body.
At A Glance Author kythryne Contact kythryne@bme.anon Artist ? Studio Natural Art Tattoo Location Spring Hill Florida My interest in body modification is primarily ritualistic - both of my previous "serious" mods mark significant changes in my life, and this was no exception. I'd been struggling with some serious self-esteem and body image problems, and I wanted a visible way of showing that I was becoming more comfortable with the way I look and act. Getting my nipples pierced seemed like the most appropriate way to do that.
I'd been meaning to check out the local tattoo and piercing studio, and this seemed like as good a time as any. I called the studio and asked for prices ($25 for one nipple, $40 for both) and asked a few questions about the piercer. The price seemed a bit low, but the piercer answered my questions intelligently and invited me to check out the studio and his portfolio, so I decided to drive over and take a look.
After changing into a comfortable bra and a loose shirt (just in case!) my husband and I headed over to the shop. When we got there, there were three people in the shop, one of whom had just had a tattoo done on his leg. They were talking loudly and hanging around for no apparent reason, which we found very distracting, but the piercer came over to talk with me about the piercing. I checked out the jewelry on display, asked about their sterility practices, asked him to describe the procedure, and looked through his portfolio. I couldn't think clearly with the other people there, so we stepped outside for a few minutes to discuss it, and while we were talking, the other people left.
When we went back in, the piercer seemed much calmer, and after asking a few more questions, I decided to go ahead and have it done. I initially wanted both nipples pierced, but I decided to wait until after the first was done to decide if I'd do the second at the same time or if I'd wait a while. The piercer was fine with that, and after a bit of nervous chattering, I came around to the piercing area and sat down on his table while he set up his equipment.
All of his equipment was autoclaved and in sterile pouches. He set everything up in front of me, being very careful to not touch anything that wasn't sterile once he put on his gloves. I took off my shirt and bra, and he asked which nipple I wanted to do first. I decided on my left (mainly because I'm right-handed, and usually sleep on my right side) and he cleaned my nipple and the surrounding area and marked the nipple with a pen. After checking very carefully to make sure the positioning was perfect -- and after my husband double-checked -- he told me he was going to clamp the nipple, and warned me that it would probably be worst part of the procedure.
The clamps weren't particularly painful -- no worse than nipple clips ;-) -- but I was getting very nervous by this point. He picked up the needle, and my husband took my hand and reminded me to breathe deeply. The piercer asked if I was ready, and after a few breaths, I nodded and he pushed the needle through.
It hurt about as badly as I'd expected it would. It was quite painful, but not unbearably so. I said something to the effect of "ow ow ow ow ow oh fuck ow ow ow FUCK!" but it was more from the shock than the pain. The piercer checked to make sure the needle had gone through straight (it had) and then put in the 16 gauge captive bead ring.
I started getting dizzy while he was putting in the CBR, and for a few seconds I thought I might faint. I laid down on the table, and asked for a drink of water, which my husband went to get for me. After lying back and taking a few sips of water, the dizziness began to fade, and I was able to sit up so the piercer could finish cleaning up my nipple. There was a small trickle of blood, but it stopped quickly.
I decided not to get the second nipple done that night, because the dizziness had been much worse than I usually experienced with a piercing, and I didn't feel up to having another piercing done then. He took a picture of the piercing for his portfolio, gave me a piece of gauze to put in my bra, and I carefully put my bra and shirt back on and slowly stood up and walked around to the front of counter to pay. While he was running my credit card, I looked through his tattoo portfolio, and briefly chatted with him about a few ideas I had for future tattoos.
I was feeling a little shaky when I got home, so I sat down and asked my husband to bring me some orange juice. I carefully peeled off my shirt and bra, and admired the piercing in the mirror -- I was thrilled with the placement and the way it looked. It was a bit sore, and my breast swelled a little around the nipple, but I was surprised that it wasn't nearly as painful as I'd expected.
Before I went to bed that night, I did a quick saltwater soak, but I didn't turn the ring or use any soap. There was a small amount of blood clotted on either side of the ring where it came out of my nipple, and I didn't want to break the clot and start the bleeding all over again. The nipple felt incredibly sensitive, and while I was soaking it the "piercing rush" finally hit me and I got dizzy all over again. I sat down in the hall outside the bathroom, and had a bit more orange juice, and just enjoyed the rush.
I wore a bra to bed that night, and was very careful not to bump it or lie on it while I slept. Occasionally I felt a small twinge of pain, but again, I was surprised at how little it hurt.
The next morning I decided to try to clean it properly, and after a bit of deliberation, I decided the shower would be the best place to do it. I ran warm water over my breast for a few minutes, and then carefully picked off the clots and gently rotated the ring. I used a small amount of liquid Dial soap while rotating the ring, and then rinsed it off and blotted it dry.
I did the same thing that night before I went to bed, and again the next morning (today). By tonight, it was very easy to rotate the ring, and I could gently play with my nipple without any pain -- it was sensitive and a bit tender, but definitely not painful. I'll probably wear a bra to bed again tonight, but by tomorrow night I don't think it'll be necessary.
Overall, I was very pleased with the piercing experience. The piercer did not give me an aftercare sheet, but I'd already told him about my previous piercings, and made it very clear that I knew how to do aftercare. He did go over aftercare verbally -- all of the standard stuff, like using antibacterial soap, keeping it clean, and not using ointments or lotions on it, but I thought not giving me an aftercare sheet was just slightly unprofessional.
The placement was excellent, and I have had absolutely no problems with this piercing, so my only complaint is the lack of an aftercare sheet. It wasn't a big deal for me, but for someone less experienced, it could make a difference -- but then, maybe he'd have given an aftercare sheet to someone less experienced, so it's hard to judge on that alone.
I intend to go back to him for the right nipple, and probably for some ink as well. For a small-town studio, I was very impressed, and his rates were very reasonable. The jewelry appears to be good quality, the sterility practices were excellent, and the shop was spotless. He took his time with me, despite the fact that he was about to close the shop (I was the last piercing of the evening) and was very careful to make sure that the placement was good.
He's not the best piercer I've ever encountered, but he was very good and I expect he'll get better as he gets more experience under his belt -- he told me he'd only been piercing for about a year and a half.
I'm very happy with this piercing, and everyone who has seen it thinks it looks very sexy. It was painful, but well worth it, and seems to be healing very easily.