I had been contemplating getting my nipples pierced for awhile, but the actual day that it had happened on was quite spur of the moment. I casually mentioned to a friend who also wanted hers done (but didn't end up getting them) that we should go get our nipples pierced soon. She told me that she couldn't get them done but I should do it that day. I sat there with a nervous grin on my face contemplating it for about 45 minutes while she finished watching her show on tv.
At A Glance Author anonymous When A week ago Location Calgary, Canada I went to a different studio than where my regular piercer works at. He doesn't do nipple piercings on those under the age of 18 (me being a few months off) and I had heard plenty of good things about the studio that I chose to go to. I also at the time felt more comfortable having someone that I don't see regularly being the one who puts metal through my nipples as I am mildly self conscious about my body. I now somewhat regret going there and from now on will only see my regular piercer who has pierced me 20+ times always doing a wonderful job. I called ahead of time asking how much this studio would charge for 2 nipples piercings with barbells. They gave me an estimate (about $150), I decided that I had enough cash to get it done so my friend and I headed on our way.
After a long drive to downtown Calgary trying to find this shop, along with my friend getting frustrated, pulling over her car, and making me drive the rest of the way to find parking, we finally got there. I walked in and was greeted by a girl sitting at a desk. She IDed me (having to be 16+ to get nipple piercings there) and pointed out the piercer to me. I told him that I would like to get my nipples pierced with barbells. He went on some big speal about how he won't pierce nipples with barbells because they can't be rotated when cleaning (it's not good to move them around anyways though since you just drag crusties and whatnot through the hole prolonging the healing) and that they would have to be extremely long to accommodate swelling causing them to get caught on things (I personally find barbells to be easier in the ways of getting caught on stuff). I skeptically followed him into the room after he informed me that he would use 2 14ga CBRs.
Once in the small piercing room which was closed off by a curtain and you could hear the drilling of tattoo needles nearby, he handed me a form to fill out. All I basically had to write down was my name, date of birth, address, phone number, and sign it. I found it a bit odd that it didn't have the 20 questions on it like at the other studio I generally go to where it asks if you've eaten recently, if you've consumed alcohol or drugs within this amount of time, if you have taken any medication and what (incase of blood thinners), if you're prone to fainting, if you're pregnant, etc..etc. He then asked me to take off my shirt and bra and lay down while he left the room. I stripped down with my friend standing at my side and layed down on the table. He came back in and explained that he was going to pierce them freehand and summed up the procedure while cleaning off my nipples with an iodine swab.
>From there he asked me to stand up and face him so that he could mark the enter and exit holes. He got the left one right off the bat but it took him awhile to be satisfied with the markings on the right nipple. He also made some comment about how my nipples are not perfectly symmetrical (who's are?) so he was going to pierce the right one at a slight angle to make them look more even when I was standing. He was finally content with his markings and disposed of the pen that he used. He also commented on my nipples not sticking out very much (I find them to be fairly pronounced and never inverted, which he was also drilling me on). He said that it would be a little harder to do because of this, but assured me that he could handle it.
My friend stood by me and held onto my foot (me warning her that I may kick her if it hurts) while he got ready to pierce me. He told me to inhale and exhale loudly and he would pierce me on the exhale. It really bothered me that he would only pierce me on the exhale, when I inhaled halfway through getting pierced he stopped until I exhaled again to continue pushing the needle through. From there he did the jewelry transfer and let me get up to check it out in the mirror. The piercing looked great (other than a bit of blood) but I was already feeling a little off since I hadn't notice him change his gloves at all yet to avoid cross contamination.
I stood in front of him so that he could make sure that he was entirely happy with the markings on my right nipple before he proceeded to pierce that one as well (still having not changed his gloves). He changed the markings a bit and then the chair that he was sitting on broke. He got up and fixed the chair. I was standing there just pleeding inside my head that he would at least change his gloves after messing around with the wheels on his chair, or else I was out of there. Thankfully he did change his gloves after that but that was the last time that he changed them. I had a little voice inside my head screaming at me to leave but I figured that I've already got one done, why not get another.
I layed down on the table again and he lined up the needle to my nipple. Once again, everytime I inhaled during the procedure (which was 3 times this time) he stopped until I was exhaling again. This made the piercing take longer and hurt more than it should. He asked if I was alright and my friend commented that I was still smiling (which I was) so that I must be fine. I cringed as my nipple ached when he was fumbling around trying to get the ball on the CBR.
I finally got to put my shirt back on. It was a little awkward standing there with my friend and a guy that I had never met before topless, so I was relieved. He went through aftercare with me. The piercer told me to clean them twice a day with antibacterial soap and rotate the rings to make sure that they got completely clean, then rinse them off. I sat there the entire time he was explaining it thinking that as soon as I walk out these doors, the aftercare is getting tossed straight out the window. I'd rather not use a kill product, prolonging the healing, to remove all the bacteria from the area (good and bad) when I could just aid the healing doing warm sea salt soaks.
I walked out of the room and went back to the girl at the desk to pay for it. In total it ended up being a little over $100. I payed it, gave her $101 (it was $100.47 or something like that), she asked me if she had to go get me change. I told her not to bother then she gave me some comment about how I only gave the piercer a 50 cent tip. I was wondering since when is it mandatory to tip a piercer, especially one that I didn't have a completely enjoyable experience with. I generally tip my other piercer since he does an excellent job and I have gotten to know him more on a personal level but he gets gifts generally instead of loose change.
I left the shop, my nipples aching a little bit. My friend looked at me and said "tossing that aftercare right out the window?" "Yup," was my response, followed by her going, "right on." She's has a fair amount of piercings herself and has also sat with me when getting other piercings hearing my regular piercers aftercare regimes (basically sea salt and saline solution), along with the negative effects of "kill products". I decided that I'm never going back there and just sticking to what I feel comfortable with from now on. This was my first time being pierced by someone else and it has proven to me that I originally picked an awesome piercer. From there we went on the journey back, stuck in rush hour traffic, so that I could attempt to get to work on time.
It is now a week and a half later (they were done on April 11th) and they are doing pretty good. The rings are a bit of a pain as they get caught on almost everything when I'm not wearing a bra. I've been religiously doing sea salt soaks a couple times a day using 1/4tsp per 8oz of water. My nipples were bloody and lymphing like there was no tomorrow for about the first 3 or 4 days. Now they are still lymphing but that is to expected to go along with a fresh piercing. They have been bumped a few times, mainly at work since I work in a kitchen having to carry trays and such, along with wrestling with a friend the night of getting them. It hurts like crazy when they get bumped around but otherwise it has been fairly pain free. I like my new piercings and I think just about everyone that I know has seen my nipples by now.
Once they are healed I plan on changing the CBRs to barbells, as I find them for asthetically appealing along with being more comfortable from experience in other piercings that I have. I found it odd that when I called the place asking about the cost of them piercing my nipples with barbells they gave me an estimate but once I got in there the piercer refused to do them with barbells. It was also really hot in the shop which made me feel a little uncomfortable and light headed. As I was walking out the door the girl at the desk asked me if the piercer had given me an aftercare sheet, which he didn't, and she responded with "oh well, you'll probably remember it." I know that with that sheet of paper I would have disregarded it anyways, but they should still ensure that their cleints are well informed on properly caring for their piercings. I also never even caught the piercer's name. There are definately worse piercing shops in this city, but this is one that I will never go back to.