As I continue my journey into the 'corporate' world, I have found the increasing need have more hidden piercings done. When I started my piercing hobby 10 years ago in university, everything was visible, and that made it lots of fun. Now that I'm in a place where I love my job and don't want to have to make the choice between work and piercing, I've just moved to the less visible stuff.
At A Glance Author Fluxx Contact Fluxx@bme.anon IAM Fluxx When A month ago Artist JesseV Studio Eternal Body Art Location Cambridge That said, my most recent experience was that of the nipples. I had my left nipple done about 7 years ago. It was a captive bead ring that was way too big. I also tried to change the jewelry about a week after getting the piercing. Not a good idea. I couldn't get the new ring in, and hence let the piercing heal over. Over time I've missed having it done, as I really like how it looked and my boyfriend (now husband) liked it as well. I believe it's always good when one's hobby benefits both people!
One challenge is the size of my breasts. They're pretty darn large at about a DDD, so I knew that healing may be a challenge (they get in the way quite a bit). Another challenge is my lifestyle...I'm a very 'on the go' person, and I also play goal for a semi-competitive soccer team. Every time I visit Jesse for a piercing my first words are, "I have to play soccer Sunday, will this be ok?" I truly hoped that I wouldn't get a ball to the chest!
So, March 2004 rolled around...I got in touch with my tried and true piercer, Jesse (Eternal Body Art, Cambridge) and we set up an appointment. I decided to get both nipples pierced with horizontal bars this time. Also, for the first time, I didn't tell my husband (or anyone else), that I was getting this done! I thought it would be a fun surprise for him.
As much as I've been pierced numerous times, there is always a bit of excitement/anxiety the day of the appointment. When I arrived at Jesse's it was busy, as usual...and also there had been a mix-up with appointments so I wasn't scheduled. But being the great guy he is, he got me in right away. He had a new apprentice and asked if she could watch the procedure. I said 'no problem' and off went.
The measuring took a while to do, and it was a bit unnerving being topless. I know that sounds funny, but I'm not really an exhibitionist. Also, based on their size I image they can be tough to work with. Nevertheless, Jesse got it all marked out and we were ready to go. As usual, all needles and jewelry were autoclaved and sealed. Finding a comfy position in the chair was a bit of a challenge though...It sort of lied down on a bit of an upward angle.
He did the right one first. It was the usual deep breath in and then exhale while the needle goes through. It wasn't too bad at all. When I had my chest piercings done it was much more painful. Sliding the jewelry through felt a little bit scratchy but wasn't painful. Next was the lefty. This one would be a bit more challenging because of the scar tissue from the previous piercing. Same breathing again and this one definitely took more effort to get through. It hurt a lot more, but within a few seconds it was over. Still not as bad as other piercings I've had done. They bled a little bit, so we lined my bra with gauze. When I got home most of the bleeding had stopped. I just made certain to get any 'crusties' off while soaking them (sea salt) so that they wouldn't tear at the piercing.
For the first few days wearing a seatbelt was a little tough, but within a week they weren't really sore to the touch. I had the piercing done on Wednesday and played soccer on Sunday (of course). It wasn't too bad – I wore 2 bras for extra protection and luckily avoided any major hits. It's now about one month later and they're absolutely fine. I love the horizontal bars, and I'm becoming more of a topless exhibitionist after all!
If anyone is considering a nipple piercing, I would highly recommend it. For me, they have increased nipple sensitivity somewhat. I would also suggest that you spend some time talking to your piercer to make sure you get the best piercing for you. The healing period was so different from my previous experience and I'm certain it had to do with placement, jewelry and expertise.
So, I continue on my quest for new and fun, non-visible piercings. I think that perhaps down the road I may stretch these ones a bit, but I am going to wait and see.
Oh, and my husband...of course he loves them.