Nipple piercings used to ick me out. I thought they were kind of skanky. Somehow, though, they began to intrigue me. I started to want metal through my nipples.
At A Glance Author anonymous Contact anonymous@bme.anon When A week ago Artist Vegas Studio Liquid Tattoo Location East Lansing I had dated a guy with nipple rings and thought they were pretty cool and fun. Then, recently, I became friends with a girl who asked if I had mine done (I have several other piercings). She told me she wanted hers done and that we should go together. I agreed that this was a great idea.
She ended up coming up with the cash quicker than I was able to, so I went with her to offer moral support and a hand to hold. Her first one went smoothly, then the second caused her to make a horrendous face. I already knew that the second one hurts worse, but she looked like she wanted to cry.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and the same friend decided it was time for a short road trip to check out a tattoo studio in her hometown. Well, once we got there and talked to the guys, she decided she wasn't ready. We inquired about nipple piercings for me. They were charging $30 per nipple plus jewelry, the cheapest of which was $23. I took a pass on that.
We grabbed a phone book and started calling around (its a college town, there are plenty of tattoo and piercing shops). She informed me that the guy at Liquid told her he could do them for $25 a piece and that he pierces with rings, not barbells. Okay, I figure I can deal with that. I kind of wanted barbells but figured rings would be okay, since I am not very large chested and they are easy to clean.
So we walked the three blocks or so to Liquid Tattoo. We walked in and I told the guy at the counter, who turned out to be the owner and the only person in that day, that I wanted my nipples pierced. He had me fill out the form while he pierced a girl's navel and her boyfriend's ears.
He came out and attempted to copy my ID but the copier was having none of that. So he just looked at it and decided all was good. Three more girls walked in at this point, one wanting a navel ring and one asking about a tattoo. He commented that he'd had several piercings that day and that his piercer was gonna be sorry he'd taken the day off. Um okay, that made me a little nervous. He isn't the regular piercer?
We walk to the back to the little piercing room, which is clean and has witty signs on the walls. He has two different size rings in little sterile packages and he holds one up to make sure it will be the right size. I relax a little. This is a good sign.
He has me take off my shirt and stand up so he can mark me. He wipes my nipples with a paper towel soaked in rubbing alcohol. He remarks one nipple three times before he is happy with the placement. Again, this is a good sign.
I sit down and he tells me he doesn't do the surprise poke thing, he tells clients to breathe in and out and on the out breath, he pierces. Okay. Cool. In and poke. Much less pain than I expected. I'd compare it to my navel piercing, maybe even less pain and very fast. Just like that, the ring is in and he on the second one.
I am prepared for PAIN. The second one hurts worse, everyone knows that. Breathe in and poke. I'm almost disappointed--it actually hurt less than the first one. Jewelry in.
One go the beads and he wipes away the excess marker and tells me I can put my shirt back on. He even commented that I took it much better than most people he's pierced.
They barely hurt. Even after I got home and washed them, they felt pretty good. Cold weather doesn't seem to bother them. Wearing a bra didn't bother them. I even went to the gym that same night and did my normal cardio and ab workout.
I was even able to sleep on my stomach that same night.
The next morning, I washed them for the first time and stupidly decided to remove a piece of dead skin hanging from the hole on one of them. Well, it wasn't dead yet and it hurt a bit when I pulled on it and started bleeding. That was the only mishap so far though.
A week later, they are kind of itchy, which I assume is just a symptom of healing. I wasn't really given any aftercare instructions, so I've simply done the same as every other piercing I've had. Dial, vitamin E oil, a random salt soak or two and the occasional bit of tea tree oil.
All in all, I'm very happy with the results. I would definitely go back to Liquid in the future.