Piercings have always been a form of release for me. An adrenaline rush that few other experiences can match. The charge and excitement continues to keep me enthralled. I've accumulated twenty successful piercings over the years along with countless other endeavours. I really can't see an end in sight. With each new earring or barbell my mother would complain "Why do you want to mutilate yourself like that?" I would always respond "Beautification with mutilation". Over time the phrase has become my motto, something my brother and I have continued to spout for years. Those three words repeatedly bring a wicked little smile to my face each time I hear or speak them.
At A Glance Author anonymous Contact anonymous@bme.anon When A month ago Artist Dawn Studio Skincraft Location Cincinnati Generally, I try not to rush into any piercing or tattoo. I admit i've had a sporadic moment here and there. Over the years though i've met too many people who've been displeased with their work, myself included. I have scars left over from an unsuccessful pair of surface bars on my breast. I enjoy telling people "Scars are like tattoos with better stories". They serve a purpose for me, a continuous reminder that planning is essential. Not that I don't love my scars, I cherish each and every one. It just upsets me that I paid a hundred dollars for work I no longer have.
This brings me to Christina. Over the summer I had seen a photo of the piercing for the first time. Instantly I fell head over heels in love. She was the epitome of divine mutilation. I wanted her more than anything. Her sultry seduction was calling to me. As I had said before, I prefer not to rush into anything, at least not anymore. It took a long time to prepare myself. Was I ready for this? Earlier in the year I had went with my brother and his girlfriend when they had their nipples pierced. I'm always one to instantly jump on any opportunity to witness pain first hand. I thoroughly enjoy seeing the reaction on peoples faces, especially beings I don't get a chance to see my own. I have to say, their responses definitely deterred me quite a bit from getting any kind of intimate work.
Now don't get me wrong, pain brings pleasure. In fact that's a huge understatement. Pain is like ecstacy, a delightful euphoria. Each experience differs ever so slightly though. Anyone whose been pierced more than once knows that different areas result in their own unique sort of pain. I enjoy comparing one location to the next. I can recall each piercing from the moment the needle pushed through the skin to the dull pain of the healing process in the days and weeks that followed. I had no experiences to compare this to though. I have to confess, this time I was a bit scared.
Every time I get pierced I have to spend time preparing myself mentally. I need to get myself psyched, twist myself out of the mind fuck that is fear. I couldn't really say where the dread emanates from, although i'm sure there's plenty of people who'd like to put their two cents in on the matter. I imagine it stems from my first experience. From the butterflies that always fill my stomach as I wait in the studio, followed by the week or two afterwards spent cleaning away the crust and pus. I always revel in the sense of accomplishment that consumes me afterwards because I went ahead with my original plan. Nostalgic terror, it never fails to return, even though I know what to expect. I've gotten to a point where I almost welcome the horror as it festers away in my stomach. This was new territory and I had to spend a lot of time traipsing around in my head. I knew I could do this though. I mean seriously, what was the big deal? This was just another piece of flesh, maybe a fe w more nerve endings, all in all this was still part of the same body. I just needed to "man up" and do it!
Finally, after I spent a few months stuck in my mind I "sucked it up" and made an appointment. I always say I do my best work when i'm backed into a corner and who better to put me there than myself? This was also my first time with an actual appointment. I've always just walked in to the studios and let 'em at it. This time I really didn't want just anybody stabbing away down there. I've had a lot of work done at Skincraft and I knew they had an experienced female piercer. I went ahead and made a four o'clock appointment with Dawn. I think being on a schedule for the first time definitely made the whole process a lot more exciting. Instead of twenty minutes of fluttering butterflies I had four hours worth of them! This was also the first trip by myself, so I certainly felt a little intimidated. Of course this isn't really the kind of piercing where you want your friends watching.
By the time four o'clock rolled around I was totally psyched and terrified at the same time. Dawn was very cool and collected though. This helped me out immensely, I felt like her aura was mingling with mine to help put me at ease. She offered a choice of either a 10g or 12g barbell. People say size doesn't matter, they're fools. The bigger the better so I chose the 10g 5/16" curved barbell. I would never go with a CBR. I had an unfortunate experience with one as a teenager in my navel. I most definitely would not want a reoccuring ordeal in that area, no thanks.
We went on and headed to the back. Dawn kept up a light conversation thankfully, which helped keep me at ease. As she was setting up she told me to go ahead and remove my undergarments and hop up on the table. At this point I was very pleased with myself. Earlier in the day I said screw underwear and wore a long skirt while I was at it. This made me much more comfortable. From the actual piercing experience up to the car ride home. I can't even imagine how horrible it could have been if I would have worn pants. In between set up and the marking process I was able to cover up. I'm a pretty modest person which is one of the reasons why it took me so long to go through with this. The thought of lying there half naked while some stranger pokes and prods you is not my idea of a good time. The prodding and poking? Ok. The half nakedness? No thanks, maybe for some, but not me.
Dawn measured things up and after the first marks were made she asked me to take a look. As I mentioned before, i'm pretty modest, everything looked straight and I trusted her judgement. I told her everything was fine, I really didn't want her messing around down there any longer than she had to. She went ahead and put the clamps on, and i'd have to say that was probably the worst part of the experience. After a quick test prick I heard the famous "Take a deep breath" and on my exhale the needle went through. Honestly, it really wasn't anywhere close to what I had been expecting. All the while I was thinking inwardly "Why didn't I do this sooner?" The sensation was pretty similar to my navel piercing (the second time around, I don't advise on self piercing if your not trained) I could feel how the needle had little resistance upon entry, it took a little more effort to exit. There was a slight "pop" and it was done. I experienced a slight stinging sensation while she was put ting the jewelry in that i've never felt before. Dawn said it was because the site is a much more sensitive area where nerve endings are more concentrated than most locations. Once everything was set and ready though she told me to take a glimpse. A split second later I was bounding towards the mirror to admire her work. I fell in love all over again! She was so perfect! Everything was nice and straight. With two shiny little silver balls peeking out at me I was in heaven! None of my other piercing could even begin to compare to her beauty and appeal. I ended up forking out seventy dollars total, tip included. I'd say she was the best investment of the year!
It's been a month now and she's still my favorite! I do have to say these past few weeks have been trying. I wish I would of made my mind up sooner. Skirts are not very pleasant during the fall and winter around Cincinnati. Especially since stockings and pantyhose have not been a close friend of mine lately. Any girl who doesn't like the look of a skirt on them should check into a Christina piercing. I can almost guarantee you'll find yourself a few that you'll feel great in. I've always been a jeans and t-shirt girl, now I have a new outlook, i've realized they're not that horrible. Once you find a few decent ones they actually give you a good self esteem boost! Not to mention you don't have much of a choice the first two weeks. I'm back into pants thankfully.
The healing process has went pretty smoothly. It was slightly painful the first three days, since then i've mainly just had issues finding clothes that don't aggravate anything. I've learned to take my time standing up and sitting down. Even though i'm comfortable enough to wear pants again, if i'm not careful the barbell will catch on the seam inside my pants. I plan on getting a flat plate for the top to avoid this problem later on down the line. Otherwise it's been very similar to my navel. I still have a bit of pus here and there but there's no more pain,,, unless it gets snagged, if so it's brief. There was hardly any swelling. My skin is still a bit pink around the edge of the entry site on the top. Like my navel I figure that'll go away in a few months. My skin seems to take forever to heal up completely. Also, considering the placement, i'm sure my clothing isn't helping any. As I said before though, this is by far my favorite piercing and I belive it will be for a lo ng time to come. I've fallen in love with Christina, I wouldn't have it any other way.