Three years after my first piercing (a lip in Boston) and on my second trip to the states from the green green grass of home, (working for a wedding photographer as part of the J1 student summer work program) I decided to once again brave the needle and get my two nipples done at the once. The fact that I was one day into my 21st year and was still feeling the effects
At A Glance Author pacer Contact info@readysteadyjedi.com When Two years ago Location Montauk, Long Island of the night before had nothing to do with it. No sir.
Having always been quite a big fan of piercing and having at the time a girlfriend that looked not unlike a jewelry display case, I was quite keen to get my nipples pierced. I always abhorred ear piercing, found eyebrow rings too common, and, having an obsession for symmetry that will soon extended to my tattoos, realized that two nose rings looked a little
silly. I also wished to get something a little more unusual and extreme, but something that I could choose to tell people about, rather than the parade of grannies and 12 year old boys I'd endured over the last three years asking of my lip, the inevitable "did that hurt"?
I had once before attempted this double piercing feat in my native Ireland. The parlor was slightly suspect - they were performing all piercing and tattoos in the front window; when I asked if I should take anything beforehand for bleeding the guy suggested a handful of aspirin; while I waited to be pierced I sat topless for nigh on half an hour in the window. I did not let this put me off. However when the piercer clamped my nips and a little clear goo came out, he freaked out and refused to pierce me. I responded by vomiting a handful of aspirin on his floor.
So my friend Rosheen (also a paddy) was working in this place in Montauk, Long Island doing henna tattoos and I dropped by. I had seen the piercers in action here and felt rather confident in their abilities, although I did have some reservations about their Mexican tattooist who cleaned tattoos with the remnants of the bottle of tequila he drank during each and every tattoo. After being informed of my misdeeds of the night before by my friend, I attempted to make reparations with the karma tree by dropping $100+ and asking for their finest nipple gouging. And get it I did.
Bravely I sat in the chair and got lathered up. I mentioned to the piercer of my previous attempt and "the lactation incident" (as it was now known). She assured me (as did a doctor the day after that initial attempt) that it was perfectly normal and we continued in cleaning, marking and clamping my tiny tots. My piercer asked with a smile (and no small amount of demonic German accent) if I wanted it the painful or painless way. I asked for painless. The needle plunged and I questioned her English comprehension skills.
Sudden sobriety as our hero (being moi, keep up) quickly realized this was a rather bad idea. The needle pushed in through my skin of my left areola, around the back of my nipple and out the other side. She then slid a large black ring (the same ring I wear to this day) into the needle and threaded it back through. No small amount of facial contortions later (if you don't believe, visit the parlor, I'm told my pained expression still adores their wall) and the second was skewered and I was ready for bandaging (not really), given a lollipop (really) and sent on my merry way. One quick drink later and we were back on the hoochy-man trail.
The lip piercing I got in Boston was a pleasurable experience because I was so afraid of the pain I expected that when it hurt very little, I was immensely relieved. People always ask me if it hurt. My response is generally "no, but these buggers did". The only way I can explain the pain is "well, how the hell do you think having kebab sticks shoved through your tits feels?". It's the pain I should have expected but foolishly didn't.
I should also mention that, on both occasions, I had to sit for a good five minutes on the bench after my piercing as I felt woozy with slight ecstasy type rushes. I always put it down to being a bit of a girly boy, but I'm told it's from adrenaline. Whatever it is, the piercers don't seem to like people holding up their rooms for no good reason so may I suggest, if the piercer gives you lip, or it is suggested you leave, that you do so, and when you feel the certain nausea, express it out the front of their premises, loudly and in such a manner that suggests to all those in the vicinity that the piercer is the rat fink they've just proven themselves to be.