At A Glance
Author	countingsheepnumber13
Contact	countingsheepnumber13@bme.anon
When	A month ago
Artist	Eric J.
Studio	Soul Survivors
Location	Winnipeg, Canada

THE REASONING

For a big girl, I have a small chest. I have resigned myself to this fact; it's a hereditary thing but it doesn't mean I have to like it. My small chest comes in handy when I dance (I am a Japanese dancer so I don't need to pad my chest down too much) and when I run, but not so great when there are pictures everywhere of girls who are smaller than I am (size-wise) with ample bosoms. I know that basing what is beautiful on doctored-up photos and completely skewed proportions isn't healthy, but sometimes it happens without you even realising it. At 24, I hadn't completely accepted my small breasts. What better way to do it than by piercing them; I would be beautiful on my own terms and be empowered. So this is the story of my nipple piercings and the month-long journey of healing.

PONDERING

I guy that I knew had both of his nipples pierced. Like me, he ran and claimed that it never bothered him. But, he is a guy and doesn't have to wear a sports bra to prevent him from bouncing around. He said that it hurt but it was totally worth it. I was still worried about the pressure on my nipples when I ran and I wasn't ready to give up running for a month or however long it takes to heal nipple piercings.

Then I looked at the BME Risks page. Some of the photos were less than positive. I know that they are shown not to scare one away but to show what can happen. It is better to know what you are getting into before hand then after. Our technicians wife also suffered from mastitis after giving birth to her children and he said it was extremely painful. I was also worried about the breast feeding issue later in life. At that point in time, I decided not to get my nipples pierced. But, if that was the end of the story, I wouldn't be writing this.

PLANS

After a month or so, I called Soul Survivors, the place where I go to get all my work done. I asked about running and the guy said: "I assume you wear a sports bra and don't go running into things with your nipples. It will be fine". I made my appointment for the Thanksgiving Day long weekend (Canada). I watched Harry Potter 3 at the Imax before my appointment to get my nerves steady. I am also big on symmetry and decided to get both of my nipples done (during the movie). I wanted them both to be beautiful.

PIERCING

I arrived at the studio 30 minutes before hand. I filled out the form and waited. I was called in and sat down on the "chair". Eric, my piercer for that day asked me if I had any questions and showed me the tools in their sterile packaging. I took off my shirt and bra and he marked me. To get me relaxed, he talked about the hellish week that he and his girlfriend were having. Placement done and checked, I sat back on the chair and got ready. He said that he would do the nipples one after the other so that my body didn't have time to relax or come off of the adrenalin.

He put the clamps on my right nipple. The clamps had a rubber band on them to keep them clamped. This way my nipple would be a little numb. Right before he pierced, his girlfriend called on his cell phone. He answered it as it was his girlfriend and she was also having a shitty week. Okay, ready to go. Breath in and out, pierce. Ring in (14 g CBR), move to left side. Breath in and out, pierce, ring in. I must admit that the left side stung a bit more than the right. The pain was minimal but was there. Don't let pain be a deterrent from what you want to get done! Once they were done, I looked in the mirror and let out a huge laugh. I was so happy. They were straight and perfect. I thanked him profusely and tipped him (I put on my shirt and sports bra first). I paid for the piercings, got Soft Soap antibacterial soap, an aftercare pamphlet and was told to come back in four weeks for a follow up. I left the studio in a happy daze, with tender breasts.

I highly recommend wearing a sports bra as it keeps your breasts in place rather than having them bounce all over the place. Less trauma for your nipples. Every time I passed a mirror, I would raise my shirt and bra and stare. My breasts were beautiful to me on my terms, even if it meant doing something which involved a little bit of pain and potential risks afterward.

AFTERCARE

I ran the next day with the fresh piercing . I will admit that it hurt and afterward, they were a little pussy and had a little bit of blood on them. Washing them the hurt like a bitch. The holes were tight and stung a lot (granted, they are open wounds). I noticed that the right one was a little more temperamental than the left one. I did warm sea salt soaks for twenty minutes for three days. That cleared up whatever was irritating the nipple right away. I clean them twice a day with the soap in the shower. When sleeping, I wore loose pyjamas and a camisole to hold my breasts in place. Sleeping on my back was the only option up until a couple of weeks ago.

Running became a lot easier as time went on but I always made sure to wear an a good, supportive bra when I ran and worked out, not one of those little crop tops type of shirt. Even during my period my nipples posed no problems. I tried wearing different bras and shirts, sometimes the beads of the CBR are visible when I wear a light-coloured top that is made out a thin material. If I run into things (I am naturally a klutz), the piercings make their presence known.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

I love my nipple piercings. They are probably my crowning achievement. Every time I look at them (which is a lot), I feel proud and womanly. There was a reason in getting them done and I feel more empowered by them. You don't need anyone else or society telling you what is beautiful, everyone is beautiful (small chest with nipple rings and all) and you do it on your own terms.