Three days ago I was on the phone with my friend Paul and we were talking about piercings. Having roughly 15 on his face, Paul is qualified to speak authoritatively on the subject. The last piercings I had done were a vertical hood and navel in december 2001 and the body mod itch had been plaguing me for some months. However, piercings cost a lot, especially in downtown DC, where I live. Paul had a fabulous suggestion: come out to Arlington and go to his good friend and piercer Josh at Skyline tattoo. If you come with me, he said, I'll get you a discount. Yes! I like discounts! So after my morning class I hopped the metro to the Pentagon and ventured out into the strange land of Arlington suburbia.
At A Glance Author blackleatherbelize Contact belize@gwu.edu When It just happened Artist Josh Studio Skyline tattoo Location Arlington VA I had toyed with the idea of piercing my nipples for some months, but had always thought that having large, soft nipples, that it wouldn't look very good. However, eventually I caved, for two reasons: I was assured by many a friend that they would look fine, and plus I needed to pierce SOMETHING! To keep my parents content, I try to keep my piercings off my face, so that was out... (we'll see how long that lasts.). Of course it had to be both nipples, Im one of those people who straighten paintings in art galleries, I cant help it, I have to have balance dammit!
So, I met Paul at the bus stop and after chilling at his place for a bit we headed on over to Skyline Tattoo. I hadn't had anything to eat since my morning bagel and I was beginning to wonder if that might have been a mistake.After all, I was getting two piercings done at once, and from what I had read on BME, nipples could rival even a prince albert for pain factor. Not that my vertical hood had been that unbearable, but who knew, maybe nipples were worse. When we got to Skyline, Josh was on the phone. After introductions were made, we spent a good hour sitting around chatting. Josh is quite a character and an excellent piercer...we engaged in some fun banter and let him do some girl's navel before getting around to me. By this point I was getting a little lightheaded from the lack of lunch and was ready to get it done.
He took us back into his little room and laid out the tools for the job: new packaged needles, gloves, 12 gauge rings. We had discussed the gauge: my vertical hood had been done in 12 and since he was going to use a 12 gauge needle anyway, I saw no reason in using 14 gauge rings. Paul said he would hold my hand but wasn't going to look at the needle. For a guy with so many piercings, he has quite a fear of them. So I held his hand and the arm of the chair and Josh put on the clamp. It didn't hurt at all!!!! I was so surprised, after reading so many horror stories about clamping, I had expected at least a little pain, instead, I felt less than with my japanese clover nipple clamps. Josh pointed out that it wasn't tightened down and proceeded to click the clamp down one notch. Ahhh!!! there we go....it still didn't hurt in any bad way, but I could see distinct play possibilities in owning one of those clamps...Then he took out the needle, positioned it and told me to breathe i n and out...and there it was, yes, some pain, but not much. Less than my vertical hood, definitely.I looked down and there was a needle going right through my nipple. It actually looked pretty cool! It was over before it even began. It was at this point that Paul suddenly decided he should go answer the store phone and he left hurriedly. We laughed over his rapid departure. Josh put the jewelry on, sliding the end of the ring into the hollow end of the needle, so that the ring went in as the needle was pulled out. A very neat and painless process. Paul returned in time to see Josh crack me up with some politically incorrect but hilarious joke. I laughed so much my un-pierced nipple was moving around too much to be clamped, so I made him wait til I was finished. Then he clamped the nipple and with a sudden push and ouch! the needle went through. This time it hurt more ( another fact I already knew,thanks to bme) and I think I may have strained Paul's hand for about half a se cond. However, the pain was over almost as soon as it started and I wa s complimented on not yelling. When all the jewelry was in, I admired myself, Josh checked out my vertical hood to see how the competition pierced (he was favorably impressed), gave me the standard care procedure lecture, and we left the little room.
I left the store very happy, very lightheaded, very hungry, and not much poorer. For the last two days I have been running into bathrooms on campus just so I can admire my new acquisitions. I absolutely love them...everyone I know, even my gay friends, have demanded to see them and are impressed....I nearly told my mother the other day. So far I have had a tiny bit of dried blood on the rings in the morning, but other wise, no bleeding and they seem to be healing nicely so far, I am using salt water religiously and hope that they heal fast so I can play with them! In conclusion, this was the best college graduation present to myself ever, almost better than the strap-on.....Thank you Paul, for hooking me up, thanks Josh, I hope to see you again with new requests and jokes, and to the readership: get em, you'll love them, I promise...they're so hot!!!