The Second Installment of My Piercing Tour Across The UK. To read the first installment read :
At A Glance Author Canuck Contact Canuck@bme.anon IAM Canuck When A month ago Artist Margaret Studio PX Piercing Location Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK http://www.bme.freeq.com/pierce/02-tongue/A20217/tngdaddy.html
Well a week had elapsed since my tongue piercing at Cold Steel in Camden and just like ink; titanium is more addictive than heroin. I was itching to get more needles pushed through a body protrusion. Actually, its not the experience so much for me as the jewelry. I am a slut for jewelry, it is only through a great deal of willpower that I am able to limit myself to one neck chain and one ring on each hand. After all I don't want to look like Huggy Bear. My corporate job forces me to self-censor and limit myself to four ear piercings (so far). I could probably get away with more, but I have a family to support and I can't push it too far.
So I was itching to get another piercing. The tongue was looking good and I wanted more. I had read as much as I could about two of the piercers in the region (Purple Body Piercing & PX Piercing). Both had good reviews on BME and UK Body Arts newsgroup. But, Purple's shopfront put me off a bit. No good reason, but the fact that it was in a fetish shop in one location put me off slightly. I wasn't that keen on it getting around my parent's hometown that I was going into a "rubber" shop.
As PX Piercing was in Newcastle and I had to pick up some new Newcastle United merchandise at the club store, I thought I would check out PX Piercing while in town. It took me a little while to find the studio. To make it easier for the next person, it is on Stowell St, in Newcastle's Chinatown on a street full of restaurants. After finding the building, I entered the lobby of a fairly non-descript office building. It has a controlled entrance and I had to be buzzed in by the person I would later know as Peter. They invited me into the piercing room which was bright white and wonderfully clean smelling. Just my sort of place. With an academic background in microbiology, I prefer white to funky. Both Peter and Margaret were very friendly (very pierced as well) and offered me an appointment in a couple of days. As I was leaving Newcastle in a day, that wasn't good for me. Well if I was willing to wait a half-hour, they could squeeze me in for my selected nipples pie rcing.
So I retired to the waiting room. To me it looked like the waiting room for a particularly hip dentist. There was furniture from IKEA and decent music magazines to read while waiting. The rest of those waiting were teenage girls, going for navel piercings I assume. I really prefer the professional look for studios as opposed to the "funky" look. This is basically a form of cosmetic surgery when you get down to it, so clean and professional are what I am after.
After a while I was invited my Peter to join them in the piercing room. Peter and Margaret, while being slightly offbeat in appearance are two of the loveliest people I have met. In no time at all we were chatting about my family in the area. Next subject was mutual acquaintances in the piercing and tattoo community. I only wished I lived in the Newcastle area so I could spend more time with them. Lovely people.
Next to business, it was off with my shirt and Margaret examined my nipples. She marked initial piercing locations and had Peter check her marks. A little adjustment and they were both pleased with the locations. Absolutely perfectly dead on when I checked. Margaret has been piercing for yonks and it shows. Onto the table and Margaret put the clamps on my left nipple. Again, like my tongue piercing, I was expecting some pain from the clamps, which never came. Maybe the better piercers can clamp without pain, I don't know. As my nipples are extremely sensitive for a man, I was very surprised. Margaret asked me if I wanted a freeze anathestic. Did I mention my nipples are very sensitive? Did I mention I was in it for the jewelry and not so much for the experience? Damn straight I want the Ethyl Chloride! So a quick spray and my nipple felt numb. Important, remember that. It FELT numb.
Margaret asked me to relax and breathe in and then out. On the out breathe the needle went it. Shit it hurt. Basically it felt like she had taken a hard bite on my nipple. Peter kept chatting and kept me aware of what was happening. It is a great method, one concentrates on the work or piercing while the other keeps the subject happy and aware. Margaret then put the barbell in, but my senses were overloaded, so I didn't feel that. Peter keep telling me how good it looked. Margaret cleaned up a very slight bleed from the nipple and asked me if I wanted to continue with the next nipple.
The procedure was repeated on the right nipple. This time the clamped definitely caused me some discomfort. Pain no, but not something I would have willingly in general. The breathe in and out and in went the needle. This time one of my legs convulsively went in the air along with a few expletives. Peter explained that after the initial rush of endorphins, your pain threshold drops. Thanks for the information Pete :). If I had known that earlier the order would have been reversed as my right nipple is significantly more sensitive than my left. Keep that in mind if you have the same. Again Peter was a great cheerleader and just made the experience that more enjoyable. Margaret has a very smooth and sure hand.
They let me rest to recover as long as I needed and offered me sweets in case I was light headed, which luckily I was not. They gave a run down on their recommended aftercare which I took note of but as I was planning to follow the aftercare recommended by The Piercing Experience Http://www.piercing.org I didn't take too much note. Its been almost two weeks and the piercings are well on their way to being completely healed and definitely free of pain or discomfort.
Peter and Margaret provide an incredibly calming piercing experience. I cannot recommend them enough. If you are anywhere near the North East of England, look them up and let them make you shiny.
As before my thanks to everyone at BME, The Piercing Experience and PX Piercing for making this such a wonderful experience. Next installment, a PA while visiting my (now) friends at Perforations in Brighton.