Pierce me, baby! (Body Piercing)

Member Name: cazkins

Product:	Body Piercing
Date:	28/09/08 (42 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Exciting, form of expression, fun choosing jewellery, usually looks great

Disadvantages: Things can go wrong so think about it first and be practical

I had my ear lobes pierced when I was around 8 years old. I'd wanted them done for ages and I nagged my mum to let me have them pierced even though my dad disliked the thought of having a hole purposefully put through your skin. My mum gave in to my pleading and took me to our local hairdresser who offered 'professional' piercing. It wasn't cheap, I can't remember how much it was as it was years and years ago and prices have changed since then, but it wasn't cheap. Mum insisted I go somewhere and get a decent, hygenic job done with proper jewellery that wouldn't leave my ears green. I don't remember if it hurt back then, but I was thrilled to have it done. I wasn't so thrilled however 3 weeks later when my ears started to swell. My mum ensured the antiseptic was used twice daily and the earrings turned each day like instructed, so we couldn't work out why my ears had gone red and puffy. Not long after that came the point where they had to come out... I was in tears in our living room whilst my mum and her friend tried their best to remove the earrings out of my already painfully sore ear lobes. It took hours and lots of crying and shouting. I had to let the holes heal up, although they had pretty much healed up around the earrings, and I left my ears alone for a few years.

When I got to around 13, I went to Claires Accessories and decided to try again. I got my lobes pierced with pretty studs that weren't stirling silver this time, in front of a shop full of people. My knees were shaking and I was petrified. Two women pierced my ears so that both could be done at the same time with the guns. It was over in a split second, didn't hurt as much as I'd thought, and they looked great. I had no problem with these. Last year I wanted to get another 2 lobe piercings per ear, and because it seems quite expencive in Claires these days (£25+ per ear I was told), I got it done when I was working in America. It was at a piercing stand, and wasn't done with any special metal jewellery, just basic titanium I think. It was extremely cheap and I worked out that for the 4 individual piercings it only cost me £8, inc. earrings. These looked wonderful and I've had no problems at all! Last week I had my cartilage done at a hairdressers for £4 inc. earring, but I thought it may be a bit dodgey. I had no antiseptic solution given to me, no medical questions asked, it was just in a chair, gun in and pierced within 2 seconds. Although it seemed a bit dodgey, it didn't hurt and the piercing seems fine, so I'm very happy!

It's not always the best option to go somewhere more expencive to get a good piercing, just ensure you look after the piercing well afterwards. Get yourself a good antiseptic solution and wash the piercing twice daily. Try to go around and over the piercing, as well as around the hole. Turn the studs and push them in and out slightly to ensure they're loose inside the hole as you don't want them to get stuck as it'll be very painful to remove. Always listen to any advice given to you - make sure you know how long to leave them in for before removing and make a note in a diary of when you got it done so you don't forget.

I'd like to get my lip pierced but there's always the problem of work. What if your employer doesn't approve and asks you to remove it? Not easy if it's newly done and it has to stay in for 12 weeks! I guess I'd like more done, but something holds me back. It's probably practical reasons like jobs, but I do think they look great on most people.
Some people can be quite 'old fashioned' when it comes to piercings, like my dad, and wonder why you'd put yourself through scarring your body like that on purpose. I don't see it as particularily harmful, but that said, things can go wrong. You can get infections, belly rings can get ripped out, lip piercings can damage tooth enamel... so think all of these things through first. It's so exciting though to get a new piercing and look at the nice jewellery you can wear once the original piece is ready to be removed. It's a form of expression for many, a way of beautifying yourself and a way of getting something done for yourself because after all, it's your body.

Unlike tattoos, most piercings will heal quite quickly and you'll hardly know you had it done. So that's an added benefit incase anything goes wrong or you change your mind. At the end of the day, just be sensible and hygenic when it comes to piercings. If it's something you want done, then do it for yourself. Not for anyone else. Don't let yourself be talked out of it because someone doesn't approve or someone may sterotype you for a particular piercing (ie. an ear piercing in a man might be chav or a lip piercing may be goth/punk/emo). If it's something you've thought through, something you want, then it's your choice. It's your body so respect it and make sure it's what you want before you get it done. Just talking about this makes me want to get another cartilage piercing :o)

Summary: Take responsibility for your own choices about your own body