I just turned 22 today and i got my hood pierced. 5 days ago…I also have my tongue done and my ears done too..it was a short sting..but a very painful short sting..but after its all done and over with..its soo worth it..u will be walking out of there with a smile and will be wanting to show everyone that u got it done..its like having a gigantic secret, u just want to tell everyone….after almost a week of having it..the swelling has went down and it doesn’t hurt to move it anymore.. I got mine done vertical which I recommended cuz it creates an awesome sensation that u won’t regret. I just can’t wait to try it out during sex….my next experiences..so anyone thinking about getting it done..do it..its beautiful, exotic and most of all erotic…

- sneakysnake

Yesterday I finally had my navel pierced and went back today to get my vertical hood piercings.

I went to Basement, Ink. in Oak Forest, Illinois. This is where I plan on getting a tattoo which is supposed to start in a couple of weeks.

I’d been reading the forum at Tattoo/Body Piercings for a little while now and visiting the personal sites of some of the regulars. They are tattoo artists and piercers themselves. I’ve lost the fear of the unknown and felt very comfortable about what to expect so, got my piercings.

Normally I can’t stand to have anyone touch my navel at all, its too sensitive but, I thought navel piercings are beautiful and I knew I would like to wear one. They are, it is and I do.

Joe did the piercing and he took his time to explain to me about the aftercare, what to expect, how it might feel and to answer any questions. He also told me about his license and how only two piercers in Illinois have his license. He assured me that if I ever purchase a ring from anywhere that I can bring it back to him to sterilize and he’d put it in for nothing.

I liked it so much and read the first hand experiences about vertical hood piercings that I knew my next piercing would be that.

I called the shop today to ask how long someone should wait between getting their navel and having their hood pierced. Joe wasn’t in today but Terry was. I recognized his voice from being in the tattoo shop and he was also the very first person I met there when I went to see about my tattoo design in the first place.

Terry said that he is the piercer who does the genital piercings and that he’d be happy to do it for me right now if I wanted to come in.

I told him I was a little nervous and that I was going to take a shower to cool off first, (it was hot here today.)

He laughed and said that he would appreciate that.

He consulted with me and suggested that getting a gem barbell may not be the best to start off with so I got a surgical steel with balls on it.

Whew, that was nothing like the navel piercing. No way. I think I made it difficult for him also because reflexively I pushed away from him while he was piercing! I told him I was sorry. He said it was no problem at all because he continued with the piercing. Once I caught hold of my reflex I stopped pushing myself away and he had no problem finishing it up.

That totally surprised me. I mean, I think if my feet were not in the stirrups maybe I couldn’t have gone anywhere.

So, you might want to keep it in mind to force yourself not to push yourself away from you piercer!

Terry was very kind about it and said not to worry. He did a great job and I am surprised by how pretty I think vertical hood rings look.

My suggestion is to really be certain that this is something you want. To do some research, know your piercer, and enjoy it.

It surprised me more than hurt because I knew it would be sensitive.

I was really surprised that neither my navel nor my hood piercings bled.

The navel piercing is for myself for my birthday gift, (37.) My vertical hood piercing is my happy divorce present, and the upcoming tattoo is a special way for me to honor my dodem.

Good luck, happy studying and researching, welcome to Tattoos/Body Modifications and enjoy your new adornments and art.

-Jennifer

My Tongue Piercing

I’d always wanted my tongue pierced since the idea had first entered my mind, probably when I was about 11 years old. I’d begged and begged my mother to let me do it, to no avail for years.

When I was 16, I finally decided, I didn’t care if my mother wanted me to have it or not, she’ll get over it and love me regardless of a little piece of metal through my tongue. So, needless to say, on a day in May, a friend of mine and myself went against both our parent’s will, falsified our ages (I made a fake drivers permit, my friend stole her sister’s ID) and we had our tongues pierced.

As a word of advice, don’t falsify your age, just wait or beg your parents more. Most reputable piercing parlors will know if you have a fake ID, if they pierce you without proper ID, I would question their credibility as professional piercers. *Luckily*, my friend and I had a good experience with our piercer and have suffered no ill effects. So, if you’re thinking about getting a fake ID and getting a piercing done, think again, don’t put yourself in a bad situation. just tell your parents that you are going to do it anyway, and you’d rather play it safe, go to a reputable piercer that practices good sanitation and would like their consent.

Anyway….
we both opted for 10g barbells, a little larger than the standard 12g barbell. The procedure was not painful at all. I did not even feel the needle go through. However, afterward, my mouth felt really uncomfortable, but definitely not unbearable. The discomfort subsided in about 3 days. Now, I have an 8g barbell and I still very much love the piercing, almost three years later.

My Nipple Piercings

Since I had gotten my tongue pierced previously in my life, I knew I wanted another piercing and turning 18 was not far away. I wasn’t sure what piercing i wanted. I’d wanted my lip pierced, but I was undecided — I didn’t want to close any doors of opportunity in relation to occupations. I’d also been considering having my nipples pierced, but I didn’t know if I really wanted to deal with healing them for 6 months to a year.

Suddenly, all became clear. I had just turned 18 and I was at a club that I go to regularly, talking to a friend of a friend. I had not known him personally for more than a few days and we were just discussing random things that new acquaintances talk about. I had just broken up with my boyfriend, he had just broken up with his girlfriend, and we discovered that in addition to exiting relationships at the same time, we both had a lot of similarities. We joked, and said, “hey! we’re so alike, we should get married.”

Then the topic of piercing came up in conversation. We both wanted a new piercings, and he was thinking about getting his nipples pierced, and i said, “hey! me too!” (not to mention a guy with pierced nipples is ultra attractive to me)….so, right there and then, we set a date to go get our piercings done the following Tuesday, 3 days later.

That Tuesday, we headed down to Infinite Body Piercing in Philadelphia, and had our IDs checked, filled out forms, and waited for about 10 minutes before we were called back.

We were helped/pierced by Kevin. He was very friendly and he made me feel comfortable and at ease (he must have some talent to make a topless stranger-female comfortable!). The piercing room[s] smelled like doctor’s offices and were set up and just as clean as a doctor’s office. Kevin asked who wanted to go first, and Matt enthusiastically exclaimed, “ME!!! I will!!”

Kevin set up his equipment (with gloved hands, changing gloves several times the entire time we were there). He cleaned Matt’s nipples, marked them with a non-toxic sharpie marker, gave the marker to Matt, asked him if he was ready and continued to clamp and pierce Matt’s nipples. It took probably less than 30 seconds to pierce both of his nipples, and apparently, it had not hurt Matt at all, and the needle effortlessly slid through his nipple.

Now it was my turn. Kevin followed the same procedure with me after he disposed of the equipment he had used on Matt and set up new equipment for me. He carefully marked both of my nipples, as i was in a standing position and asked me if i was ok and ready to go. He clamped my nipple and told me to take a deep breath and that he would pierce on the exhale. OUCH. The first nipple hurt a bit, it wasn’t really that unbearable. Just kinda felt like someone had bit it hard. It kind of shocked me a little at first because I was watching/anticipating pain. I took a short break and then I was ready for the second nipple. Matt distracted me by talking to me, and I barely felt the second nipple getting pierced.

Neither of us knew what getting our nipples pierced would mean. Now, I guess we can consider it our first “date.” Currently, my nipples have healed nicely and it has been almost a year since they’ve been pierced and Matt and I have pretty much been inseparable ever since. Now, we joke that we are married and we’ve got rings to prove it.

-Amy

Like many kids my age (15, nearly 16) I have an interest in piercings. Out of what I have done my most beloved of them all is my monroe piercing (simulated beauty mark above upper lip). While most girls get their bellybuttons pierced I have an interest in piercings that are not so common, which is why I got my monroe piercing two months ago.

It all started about one month before Christmas. I was getting the itch for a new piercing. First I wanted my tongue done, but that was a DEFINATE NO. So I opted for a less mainstream one and asked for a monroe piercing. My parents said no at first but after four weeks of asking over and over again they broke down and said yes. Two days after Christmas my mom said we could go after my dentist appointment and get my piercing. While at the dentist I was having second thoughts about my piercing. What if it hurts really bad? What if the piercer messes up and has to do it again? After these worries I chickened out and asked the dentist to numb the area of the future hole, and he did.

Flash forward an hour and I’m standing at the counter picking out my labret. I picked a plain surgical steel one with a small purple stud in the ball. Following that I had a 15 minute wait, but finally my moment arrived. I was led into a small room with a window by the chair so other customers can watch piercings if you don’t mind. The piercer, who looked like Alec Baldwin, carefully picked out a needle and made sure it was the right side. After cleaning everything he said “Ok, lean back a little(so he could get a better angle) and close your eyes.” I thought I’d hear a sort of pop noise after the needle went through my skin (inserted the needle from inside mouth to exit outside of face), but I didn’t. After opening my eyes wondering if it was over I looked straight into the mirror and saw my beauty mark. I opened and closed my mouth a few times, feeling the flat back by my gum. It felt really weird, but cool.

After receiving a cleaning sheet and some salt to mix into water for rinsing with the piercer told me what kind of soap to use (anti-bacterial like Dial or Softsoap) and told me I could use any kind of mouthwash so long it doesn’t have alcohol in it. Also he told me I would want to pick up some ibuprofen for the swelling.

After debuting my piercing initially I got weird looks and comments, which I still do. My piercing healed really good and finished healing within 3-4 weeks. I have yet to order a specially made labret for my monroe but I have fun changing the balls so my monroe is different then most peoples’. I’ve only seen one other girl in my town with one, so I feel very unique since the piercing isn’t very popular around here.

The only thing I still hate since getting my piercing is when people ask stupid questions like: “Do you know you have a piece of metal above your lip?” I would recommend this piercing to anyone who wants to get one. It’s really pretty and it makes you more unique. Also, anytime anyone is in the area of Ames, Iowa, stop at The Asylum in campus town. The workers are professional and cool, plus the setting is VERY sterile.

- Sara S.

If you go to a restaurant, you will more than likely tip your waiter or waitress for good service. You’ll tip a bartender, a cab driver, maybe even a delivery person. Have you ever thought, though, of tipping your tattoo artist or piercer? Do they expect a tip? If you do tip, what should it be or how much?

Gratuity for a tattoo or piercing can’t really be determined by the percentage rating most use for tipping a restaurant server. Even ten percent of a $200.00 tattoo would be a very substantial amount just to give as a tip. A tip, instead of a percentage, should be based on (1)how much you can afford and (2)how much you feel it is worth. A $5.00 tip would certainly be accepted more graciously than nothing at all.

• “To tip an artist…shows that you thought the artwork you just received was well worth what I charged and you were happy enough to add a little. It’s not requested and it’s not required…The words, ‘That’s kick ass!’ mean alot more to me than any tip.” – Biscuit, Firehouse Tattoo

It should be noted, though, that it is notnecessary, expected or required for you to tip at all. Professionals in this field realize that most people have been saving for quite some time just to get a tattoo or piercing and might not have anything left afterward. What means more to them than a cash tip? Appreciation! When you look at the finished product, thank the artist. Tell them it looks great! Let them know you are happy with the work they did. (Only if this is true, of course!) Tattoo and piercing artists put their heart and soul into what they do – it can be very disappointing to them when a customer looks at it and says, “Eh. It’s Okay”. If you’re really happy with a job well done, let them know it.

Sometimes, a tip doesn’t even have to be monetary. If you know your artist well, you can even give them some kind of gift you think they would enjoy. Again, it all comes down to showing appreciation for the work you received. Artists have been given a wide variety of “tips” from t-shirts to sculpture. If you have a specialty in some field yourself, such as car repair, you can even offer a discount or free service of some kind.

Use your imagination – a tip doesn’t have to cost you anything at all. If you’re really happy with the service you have received, referring your friends to your artist and giving them repeat business can be the best tip of all. Some customers will display the studio’s bumper stickers on their cars or hand out their business cards.

• “I think one of the best tips that people can give a shop or an artist that they really like is repeat business or recommending them to friends, family, etc. I have given no completely unusual tip other than [the fact that] I am an avid baker, so I always bring cookies or other goodies when I get pierced or tattooed.” – Lilly Blossom, Enthusiast

To sum it all up, you don’t have to tip but it is greatly appreciated. You don’t have to give a monetary gratuity – a handshake, a “thank you” and your referrals can be worth much more than money. If you want to give cash and you can afford it, your artist certainly won’t turn it away. Any way you show your artist you really appreciate the work they did will be a great tip.

Piercing T.L.C. – Aftercare Instructions

T.L.C. stands for tender loving care, and that is exactly what your new piercing is going to need. Slacking off on your aftercare or using harmful products will only prolong your discomfort and the healing process. Most piercers will give you aftercare instructions, and the general rule of thumb would be to follow their advice. But I have found that about 60% of all customers allow this information to enter one ear and exit the other. Also, 47% of all piercing clients lose their paper aftercare instructions and blame it on their hungry dog. And then there is the 21% that go to a mall kiosk and get pierced with a gun, and then come here to learn they shouldn’t have done that. For those of you in any of those groups, or if your piercer really didn’t tell you how to care for your new piercing, here are my recommendations. *Disclaimer* I do not claim to be a professional piercer. Not all aftercare methods are appropriate for all people, but I am recommending what I have found to be best after experiencing and caring for over 20 piercings. General Piercing Aftercare What You May Need: Sea Salt Anti-Bacterial or Antimicrobial Liquid Soap/Wash (Like Provon or Satin) Cotton Balls Cotton-tipped Swabs Small disposable cups (2-4 ounces) Paper towel or newly cleaned washcloth Cleaning Your Piercing: 1. First, wash your hands thoroughly. Never touch your piercing or jewelry with dirty hands. 2. Saturate a cotton ball with warm water, and gently wipe away any “crusties” that have gathered around the piercing site. Throw the cotton ball away. 3. Apply a generous amount of liquid soap to your fingertip, and apply to the piercing site and jewelry. Make sure you get the soap everywhere, but rotating the jewelry is not necessary as long as you work the soap around the piercing and jewelry completely. 4. Rinse the piercing and jewelry several times with warm water, ensuring that all soap has been removed. 5. Dry your piercing with a clean paper towel and then dispose of it. Cleaning Tips Although it’s a very antiquated method, some piercers will still tell you to rotate your jewelry. This is not wrong per say, but I have found that it causes more problems than it solves. Any crusties or bacteria still on the jewelry are then introduced inside the raw piercing when the jewelry is rotated. This can cause irritation or even infection. It’s best to just clean the piercing and jewelry thoroughly without actually moving it. Cloth towels, especially those that have been already used, can harbor germs and bacteria. This is why it is safest to use a disposable paper towel. Other single-use products such as gauze, napkins, etc. can also be used. If you must use a fabric cloth or towel, make sure it is clean from the laundry. Acceptable Healing Aids and Products Tea Tree Oil - This soothing liquid cools and refreshes an irritated piercing. Use only high quality tea tree oil that has been diluted with distilled water. Emu Oil - A universal healing product that has been discovered to also produce exceptional results when healing a piercing. H2Ocean - Although some would call it “glorified saline solution,” most do report excellent healing results with this product. Saline Solution - Less expensive and more readily available than most other products, saline solution is very effective in soothing and healing a new piercing. It’s also an acceptable substitute for sea salt soaks. Do NOT Use: Hydrogen Peroxide - Hydrogen peroxide kills bacteria, but it also kills the white blood cells attempting to heal your piercing. It can cause irritation and lengthen overall healing time. Rubbing Alcohol - Alcohol will dry the skin and irritate the raw piercing, which could actually lead to infection. Glyoxide - This is a product that contains hydrogen peroxide and hinders healing rather than aiding it. Ear Care Solution - Solutions that are provided by jewelry boutiques and department store piercers usually contain alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and other harmful chemicals that only aggravate a new piercing. Ointments - Antibacterial ointments or similar products only clog pores and/or kill good cells trying to heal the piercing. Sea Salt Soaks 1. Wash your hands thoroughly with liquid antibacterial or antimicrobial soap (Satin and Provon are best). 2. Place a pinch of sea salt in the bottom of a small disposable cup. About 1/8 teaspoon. 3. Add hot tap water – as hot as you can stand – to the salt. Use about 3 ounces of water – which is just over half-full in a 5 ounce cup. 4. If possible, invert the cup right over the piercing and allow it to stay there for 5 minutes. This usually works well for nipple and navel piercings. If you can’t create a sufficient seal against the skin with the cup, then soak a cotton ball in the salt water solution and apply the cotton ball to the piercing. When it cools down, throw it away and place a newly saturated cotton ball on the piercing. Do this for 5 minutes. 5. Rinse the piercing with warm water and dry with a clean paper towel. Soaking Tips Only pure sea salt is to be used. Table salt, kosher salt, epsom salts, and iodized sea salts are not acceptable. Sea salt can be found in many grocery stores and almost all health food stores. If you are not sure about the solution strength, put a dab on your finger and taste it with the tip of your tongue. It should be no saltier than a potato chip. To aid in healing a new piercing, sea salt soaks once a day should be sufficient. If your piercing is irritated, increase sea salt soaks to 2-3 times per day until the irritation subsides. If your piercing becomes irritated as a result of sea salt soaks, you are probably using either the wrong kind of salt or have made your solution too strong.

Conch

As with most ear piercings, the conch is is a cartilage pierce. Another nickname for this piercing is the “shell”, both named after the way this part of the ear resembles the seashell bearing the same name.

A conch piercing is relatively simple to an experienced piercer. The trickiest part is getting matching conchs even, providing you decide to pierce both ears. Because of its secure location near the center of the outer ear, there is little to no chance of rejection or migration.

As with all cartilage piercings, the conch will be subject to soreness and infection if not well cared for. Learn more about general piercing aftercare on the Piercing TLC page.

Recommended Starter Jewelry: 12-16 gauge CBR

Estimated Healing Time: 2 – 12 months

Conch Orbital

The conch orbital piercing runs perpendicular to the standard conch piercing, and actually requires 2 holes to be pierced instead of just one. This allows the ring to “orbit” the ear’s cartilage. Recommended jewerly and healing times remain the same.

Industrial

An industrial piercing is basically any piercing that connects two piercing holes with an extra long barbell.

The standard industrial is actually two helix piercings, but industrials can be a wide range of connected piercings.

Recommended Starter Jewelry: Piercer will determine best length & gauge

Estimated Healing Time: 2-12 months

Vertical Industrial

The vertical industrial is just another example of the many ways this piercing can be utilized.

Tragus

The tragus is a thick layer of cartilage just below the rook. Like the rook, some will be easier to pierce if the tragus is more pronounced. In those with a small tragus, it can be more difficult to pierce.

Some people report hearing a “pop” sound in their ear during the procedure, although this is not always the case. This sound can startle you, so be prepared and try to relax.

Recommended Starter Jewelry: 16-12 gauge CBR or mini curved barbell

Estimated Healing Time: 2-12 months

Anti-Tragus

The prefix “anti-” is used with piercing to describe a pierce that is located across from the original piercing bearing its name. For example, the anti-tragus is opposite the tragus.

The daith is located just above the tragus, and the piercings are very similar. It is a piercing through a rather thick section of cartilage, which does make the piercing itself appear to be more dramatic. But the fact is, there is minimal pain with these piercings, and the aesthetic reward is certainly worth any discomfort.

The healing process can be a bit longer and more complicated than most other piercings. The daith tends to be a magnet for dirt and germs that are around us. And it also requires more attention simply because it is a larger wound than a thin cartilage piercing. It is imperative that you keep it clean and strictly follow your aftercare instructions.

Recommended Starter Jewelry: 16-12 gauge SSS or Titanium CBR or small Curved Barbell

Estimated Healing Time: 2 – 12 months