Its my body and my choice, not yours. (Body Piercing)

Member Name: wicked_witch

Product:	Body Piercing
Date:	20/04/04 (21541 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: depends on the piercing

Disadvantages: annoying people who think their superior

Note- I?ve included information about a certain ?down there? piercing in this op and a bit of slightly graphic information about it, if you think this sort of info will offend or upset you, then don?t read this.

Currently I have ten piercings?six in my ears, plus my nose, tongue, navel and somewhere else I?ll leave to the imagination. I love each and every one of them, even the ones that hurt like hell (surprisingly, the tongue and er, other one, weren?t the most painful as you might think, my nose and certain parts of my ear hurt much more). My piercing craze has been a very recent development in my life, I had my first piercing done last summer. I?m considering getting my nipple done but I?m a little put off by the fact that its supposed to hurt like hell and take ages to heal, also I think it looks a little silly when you wear tight tops. The tongue is my latest and probably my favourite, It was actually the first thing I wanted pierced, but the guy at Tribal told me I had a vein lying in the middle and it wasn?t possible, so he pierced my nose instead. However, I managed to get my tongue pierced with no ill effects, other than the usual four days of swollen glands, liquid diet and pain when talking or swallowing. The amount of tuts and disapproving looks I get from grannies on buses is considerable, but to be honest with every dirty look and judgemental stare I get I just love my piercings more and more. And I?m not even one of the visibly pierced ones?you can barely see my tongue stud when I talk unless I want you to (it doesn?t hurt when trying to pull men!) and the nose is a more accepted form of facial piercing, unlike lips, cheeks and eyebrows.

People?s prejudices when it comes to piercings kinda piss me off. People still have the image of piercing and tattoo studios as dirty, pest-ridden places run by some huge hairy sweaty guy called Bubba who has spikes and MUM tattoos on every visible part of his body, who smokes while giving tattoos.
Proper piercing studios should look and smell more like dentist surgeries than bars, although they may have slightly cooler décor- Urban has some great graffiti type decoration on the walls. Getting septicaemia or an STI from needles just doesn?t happen in proper studios, and if it does, then it?s your own damn fault for going to a dump to get a piercing! There are plenty of approved studios in cities and usually one in large towns. If there?s no-one approved where you are then just take a trip into your nearest city.

Another prejudice is that all piercings are dangerous and people who get pierced are masochists. Personally I cant stand pain and getting new piercings always terrifies me because I cry if I get a bloody paper cut (although the hype is usually more than the pain), but the pain of getting the piercing is only a day or two or a week or two, and if you like the look of your piercing then you have that beautiful piece of body art forever. Interestingly, the only piercings I?ve ever had trouble with have been my ear lobes and my navel, both of which are now highly accepted places to pierce, especially the ears. All the unusual places I have like my ear cartilage, tongue and nose, have been more or less trouble free (aside from the initial month or two healing period in which you have to deal with a little pain and blood). Mouth injuries in people with pierced tongues are massively overstated. For the first week or so when you aren?t used to your piercing and your tongue is swollen you will occasionally hit the bar off your teeth, which can hurt. After this period it doesn?t really happen, unless you become one of the rare pierced tongue types who make a habit of tapping their teeth with their piercing. As for speech impediments, these tend to be temporary and last for a month at most, and infection only really happens if you don?t wash your mouth out with mouthwash after everything you eat, drink and smoke until your piercing is healed. The major
ity of problems with piercings are a result of lack of aftercare. I didn?t look after my navel piercing right and as a result it took three extra months to heal.

The bottom line is, if you don?t like the way piercings look, then don?t have anything pierced. This is your choice and it?s equally MY choice to adorn my body in a way I find beautiful. This doesn?t give you the right to criticise people who do have piercings. You wouldn?t tell someone you don?t like their new haircut so why tell them you think their new body jewellery sucks? Learn to be polite. Very few of us are masochists, its my body and if I get pleasure from decorating it in any way I see fit, you have no right to tell me what?s right and wrong. Keep your disgust to yourself because it just shows your ignorance and makes me prouder of my choices.

So you wanna get pierced?

The first thing you have to consider is where you want pierced. Ears would be probably your first thought, either lobes or a more exotic piercing such as cartilage or the little piece, which sticks out over the hole in your ear (your tragus). Even if you just want your lobes pierced the best place to go is a proper piercing studio, not a hairdresser or a Claire?s Accessories. Proper studios will use a needle instead of a gun. Needles, though not as quick, are much safer and usually less painful. Apart from the fact that there have been occasions of guns going wrong and seriously injuring people, the force and speed of a gun damages the surrounding tissue and makes the wound a lot harder to heal. Needles don?t damage the surrounding skin in the same way. Believe it or not, particles of blood can also become airborne in microscopic amounts and infect the gun, and hepatitis is very easily spread with equipment like this. Don?t let someone use a gun to pierce your ears and NEVER let them use a gun on any other part of your body like your nose. Noses have a particularly delicate healing process and guns reall
y don?t help. Plus if you want a more exotic ear piercing hairdressers and shops are unlikely to do them.

What else could you have pierced? The list is endless. Eyebrows, tongues, nose, cheeks, labrets, lips, nipples, navels, genitals plus skin piercing on anywhere you can think of. Some of these have rather serious consequences. Tongues require four or five days off work living off soup, Slimfast, smoothies and baby food and washing out with mouthwash after every meal and every five or so hours, female genital piercings can prevent you walking around without either pain or experiencing orgasm (I kid you not) for a week or two (although, despite the delicate nature of these piercings, female genital piercings only take about two weeks to heal. This is because it isn?t the actually clitoris that is pierced?piercers are reluctant to do this because there?s a 1:100 chance that they pierce a nerve and all feeling is lost. It?s the little flap of skin OVER the clitoris that is usually pierced).

For any piercing you have make sure the studio is registered with an approved body, the names of which you can find if you look them up on the net. Feel free to snoop around, reputable places wont mind. The place should be very clean and sterile looking with needles kept in packets, sinks in every room and clean utensils. The staff should be friendly and non-intimidating, and they usually are, although they are often be-dreadlocked and pierced student looking types. Obviously nobody should be smoking and the place should have a dentist surgery smell. The piercer should be happy to answer any questions you have about dangers associated with your piercing, how to look after your new wound and any other questions.

My experience of piercing

Tongue-
This is currently my favourite (probably as its my most recent) I?ve had it for three months now. Tongue piercing is something that makes a lot of people shudder but actually it hardly hurts at all.
All you feel is a little pinch; which is surprisingly, especially after the nerves you will no doubt encounter before this piercing. The following 12 hours will be rather uncomfortable, more so than painful. If the piercing really hurts a couple of Nurofen usually do the trick, but the feeling tends to be more unpleasant, you feel as if there is a clamp in your mouth, and the balls on the stud feel massive. The sensation of having something stuck to your tongue like that is unusual and you will want to spit the balls out. Try not to move your tongue too much. The next day your tongue will probably be swollen massively, although mine never had this problem at all. The swelling should last for a week at most, then will start to go down but continue aftercare for six weeks at least.
Cost- mine cost £25 with a student discount. Expect to pay at least twenty and probably nearer thirty for this one, the price should come complete with two bars, one for the initial swelling, the other for after the swelling goes down.
Questions you should ask beforehand- tongue piercing has a few risks associated with it but they are massively hyped and very few piercings here have much bother if they are cared for properly. If you have questions regarding them make sure you ask. Also, good studios should include two bars in the price of the piercing. The first bar is a lot bigger and you will wear it for two weeks while the swelling goes down. After this you go back to get your second bar, which is smaller and will be put in for you. This is your permanent bar. Make sure you ask about this, one bar wont do the trick- if its too small it will hurt your swollen tongue, if its too big it will be uncomfortable and possibly damage your teeth after the swelling goes down.
Before piercing- Eat something a couple of hours before you go for the piercing.
The piercing process- You will be asked to gargle with Listerine for a minute or so, then the piercer will dry your tongue and
mark it with ink where the piercing will go. You will then be told to lie back. A clamp will be put on your tongue to stop it wiggling (this will be a reflex and you wont be able to help it) and the needle pushed through. The piercing will then be put in and the ball screwed on. You will probably feel little more than a pinch, and by the time you feel that little pinch the needle will be through.
After piercing- if you faint from having this pierced it?s your nerves, not the pain of the piercing which is minimal. The piercer will ask you to lie down for this and stay lying for a minute or so after. You should get an aftercare sheet. You will need to eat soft food like soup and baby food for about five days. Slimfast is another option as you don?t have to eat at all but there will be plenty of vitamins and minerals, although you should really try to eat something solid too. You should take a multivitamin and a zinc complex until you can eat normally again and you should wash your mouth out with antibacterial mouthwash after eating or drinking anything other than water. Not smoking for a week is helpful. You will probably feel tired and run down from not eating solids and often your glands swell as your body tries to get rid of the foreign body in your mouth. Taking four or five days off work is probably a good idea. Arnica gel can be used around the piercing to soothe the swelling (the bottom of your tongue in particular will be sore), but if there is blood don?t rub it in right around the piercing. I also discovered that Nurofen more or less stops the swelling getting too painful, both glandular and on the tongue, so taking some a few times a day for the first few days is a good idea. Once the swelling goes make sure the ball is tight so it cant come off while your sleeping, checking before this point will probably hurt a lot. You will probably feel more strange and uncomfortable than in pain. Continue to use mouthwash after food for six weeks until the healing
process is complete, you should then continue to use mouthwash twice a day. Oh and no kissing or, er, oral action for six weeks either. The bacteria in other people?s mouths or other bits can cause your damaged skin to get infected. You must keep this one scrupulously clean or you?re in big trouble. A good test that you?re clean enough is the mouth tasting of mouthwash and arnica gel for a full six weeks at ALL times. Don?t touch the piercing while it?s healing if you can help it, and wash your hands before and after if you do. This is important with all piercings but especially the tongue. After the healing process is over, you can put a smaller ball on the underside of the piercing to stop it contacting with the soft bit of the mouth cavity. If you?re worried about your teeth, have acrylic balls instead of metal.
Advantages- a facial piercing that isn?t too obvious. Great for grossing people out if that?s your thing, also fantastic for pulling men (and makes certain activities very enjoyable for them). You?ll probably also lose about a stone in weight from the liquid diet!
Disadvantages- some people can find this one a bit disgusting. If your employer disapproves you can get a clear ball for work so it isn?t visible, or put a tube through your piercing during work. The initial week after piercing isn?t very comfortable.
Risks- a slight risk of damage to the teeth but only usually in the first few weeks with the big stud is used and your tongue is swollen. Do NOT develop the habit of tapping the piercing off your teeth. If a vein lies right in the middle of your tongue it may be nicked. Some places check for this others don?t. I had mine pierced in another studio after one refused to do it because of a vein, and I had no bleeding at all, I assume the piercer spotted the vein and pierced around it. The risk of infection is low if you keep the piercing very clean, although be careful if it bleeds a lot after piercing. Some dentists may refuse to treat you
because of the piercing so you may have to travel a little further to the dentist. There is a risk of the piercing coming loose in your sleep and lodging in your throat, you can minimise this by making sure the balls are very tight just before bed.

Nose
Nose piercing is the more acceptable facial piercing, it is often done for religious reasons and little studs can look very pretty. Unfortunately it hurts like hell. Its easily the most painful one I?ve had done, not least of all because you cant numb the nose as it carries a very slight risk of anaphylactic shock. Unlike the tongue however after the initial piercing the pain goes almost instantly, and all you will feel is a slightly bruised feeling around the area for a few days. There may be a bit of blood and you have to be VERY careful, like the tongue, of keeping this one clean.
Questions you should ask beforehand- not too many, just make sure that the piercing is done with a needle not a gun.
Cost- mine cost a tenner as it was a trainee piercer, however they usually cost twenty to thirty, depending on the jewellery you choose.
Before piercing- Make sure you eat something before you get pierced to minimise your risk of passing out. I hear this isn?t uncommon with noses because it hurts so damn much!
The piercing process- your nose will be cleaned inside and out with a sterile wipe, and then marked on the outside where the piercing will go. A metal tube will be inserted into the inside of the nose and a needle pushed through. This needle really, really hurts, and your eyes will water like hell. The stud or ring will then be pushed in and if there?s blood it will be cleaned.
After piercing- You should be given an aftercare sheet. You shouldn?t take the stud out for six weeks (as with all piercings) as it increases risk of infection and can result in a painful lump developing on one side of the piercing, the inside of the nose in this case. Its best to get a small stud with a tight
twist in it for initial piercing, it will hurt more to get in to your tender new orifice but it will be less likely to fall out (there aren?t usually backs on nose studs because of the risk of inhaling them). Clean the inside and outside of your nose with a cotton bud dipped in either diluted tea tree oil or warm salt water. Warm salt water is especially good for gentle healing, but the tea tree is great for getting rid of the weird smell associated with healing piercings. A little blood will usually crust under the piercing for a few days, then there will be pus oozing out for a while (lovely). It should be clear or white; if it?s bloody or green you should visit your piercer. The inside of the nose will probably be especially bloody for a while though; it might feel like you?ve got a cold. Aside from turning the stud twice a day to stop it sticking, try not to play with the piercing too much and wash your hands before touching it.
Risks- Gun piercing can damage the surrounding tissue, and again there is a minute risk of anaphylactic shock, although not freezing the nose reduces this. If the piercer tells you their going to numb your nose tell them not to. Aside from the pain involved this one is pretty risk-free.

Navel- Popularised by anorexic pop tarts like Bitchney Spears, the navel is a very attractive place to have a piercing, and all the beautiful bars and rings you can get make this one a fun one to have pierced. However it hurts quite a bit and takes a very long time to heal.
Cost- Mine cost £25. The price varied, it was £20 for a ring (I don?t recommend you are initially pierced with a ring however, it takes longer to heal), £25 for a plain bar and £30 for a bar with a coloured stone. The £20-£30 mark is around average in a good studio.
Before piercing- as always, make sure you eat something!
The piercing process- your bellybutton will be cleaned and marked up for piercing. You will be asked to lie back and then they will numb you
r navel. A needle will be pushed through followed by your chosen jewellery. This one hurts quite a lot as only the surface of the skin is numbed; you can feel the needle going right through. Afterwards a dressing will be applied, navels usually bleed a lot after piercing.
After piercing- as usual you should get an aftercare sheet. Navels can take ages to heal because of their location, movement and rubbing against your trousers or shirt will irritate it and it will take a while before you can show it off. Getting a bar instead of a ring is a good idea; rings can catch and make the wound take longer still to heal. There will be a good deal of blood and bruising, which may last a good few weeks. Use saline solution on this one, its more gentle than the tea tree solution. Keep cleaning the navel so long as it oozes anything, this can last months. If the wound is still bleeding after a few weeks or oozing black, green or horrible smelling stuff then go back to your piercer. Wiggle the piercing about a few times a day to stop it sticking and to dislodge any gunk, wash your hands before you touch it. Aside from this leave it alone and let it heal.
Risks- there is an increased risk of infection with this one, and a risk of catching if you wear a ring, apart from that it?s risk-free.

Clitoris hood- If you tell someone about this one, its certainly a conversation starter, however try not to get so drunk that you show it off (and no I haven?t done that?yet). Not as shocking or painful as you might think, especially given that it isn?t the clitoris itself that is pierced. The chance of hitting a nerve is very high and its impossible to ensure the piercer hasn?t done this. If a nerve is hit then you lose all feeling down there for life, so instead the little piece of skin over it is pierced. It?s a very pleasurable piercing to have and solves many of those reaching orgasm during intercourse problems; it also means you orgasm a lot faster (interestingly its poss
ible to orgasm without even touching the piercing!)
Cost- mine cost £25, I?m not sure the average for this one but the £20-£30 mark is probably about right.
Before piercing- firstly, you?d better make sure you?re comfortable showing off this part of your body to a stranger.
Piercing- After being asked whether you want a horizontal or vertical piercing, you?ll be asked to remove your bottom half clothing and lie down with your knees apart and feet together. You?ll be cleaned and marked up for piercing; a needle will be inserted followed by your new jewellery.
After piercing- you should refrain from sex for at least four days, and make sure and be gentle for the first couple of weeks. If any pain is felt during sex, you should stop immediately, as there is a very slight chance the piercing might tear. It won?t tear out, but it will make infection easier. Wearing cotton underwear?and no thongs or tights, for the three-week healing period will allow the wound to breathe. Have one salt-water bath at least every two days for the healing period (dissolve a tablespoon of sea salt in a glass of hot water and pour it in the bath). Apparently a drop of lavender oil will reduce any pain, but personally I?d dilute it first. Don?t use anything like alcohol, TCP, or even things you can use on other piercings like tea tree oil, as it could result in thrush. The piercing should heal in three weeks and is less susceptible to infection than other places (believe it or not) because of a natural acidity in the area, which makes it hard for bacteria to survive.
Advantages- well they?re obvious aren?t they? Given that most men can?t find it with a road map AND broad daylight, shoving a piece of metal through it makes it very hard to miss. Men also tend to like to play with it, so you may get foreplay that lasts a whole five minutes instead of two seconds (sorry guys ;-). It makes achieving orgasm from penetration just as easy as it is for men and they can become much s
tronger. It has literally been known to transform sex lives, especially for women with overdeveloped clitoris hoods or a small clitoris. As I?ve mentioned, this is one of the easiest to heal too, and it doesn?t hurt much as such a small area is being pierced.
Disadvantages- There isn?t really any, except a slight discomfort or possibly over stimulation when climbing staircases for the first few weeks!!!
Risks- none as far as I?m aware of, despite common belief this area is not prone to infection.

Ears- a variety of ear piercings can be performed. I have my lobes pierced, also my tragus (the piece of cartilage that sticks out in front of the ear), the anti-tragus (the edge of cartilage directly opposite the tragus), upper conch (which goes straight through the shell of the ear), and the daith (the little ridge of cartilage above the tragus). The ear can take anywhere between six and ten weeks to heal, and can sometimes be troublesome due to irritations by hair, shampoo, hair products etc (especially piercings on the cartilage).
Before piercing- Make sure you wont be pierced with a gun, and if your getting a piece of cartilage pierced eat something as they can hurt).
Piercing- The usual. The area you want pierced will be cleaned, marked up, numbed, a needle inserted followed by the jewellery. Pain varies considerably. Ear lobe piercing with needles is a lot sharper but less painless. Cartilage hurts quite a lot, and the tragus is murder because it?s so thick and sensitive.
After piercing- Your piercing should be cleaned and rotated on a twice to three times daily basis. Don?t use TCP while the wound is healing, use tea-tree oil, warm salt water, hot compresses are also nice on the ears. Granulomas, small lumps that appear around the piercing, are common especially if the stud has been knocked or fallen out and put in again. Hot compresses are ideal for this. Try to avoid overuse of hair products and watch out while washing your hair.

Advantages- Uncommon ear piercings are pretty and can be less obvious unusual piercings. When they heal they are usually trouble free and less prone to the flare-ups some other piercings can occasionally have.
Disadvantages- a bit boring sometimes, everyone has their ears pierced. Some people have particularly sensitive ears that never take well to being pierced. Having big lobe rings torn out is an occasional problem!

Body piercing has long enough been seen as the domain of freaks, but have become a lot more mainstream of late. As long as for have a reputable, sterile place pierce you and you follow the aftercare instructions to the letter, you probably wont have a problem. Some people?s bodies are more likely to naturally reject the piercings?eyebrow piercings might grow out, or your body may refuse to heal. If this is the case, then piercings are a bad idea; otherwise it?s an individual choice. I love my piercings and have had little problems with any of them, with the exception of my bellybutton, which is my own fault for not being more rigorous with cleaning it. And always remember, piercings can always come out if you get bored of them or they cause constant problems. Prejudice against piercing is just the same as prejudices against other things such as people with marginalized viewpoints on big issues such as abortion or animal rights?they result from ignorance. People with this sort of uptight viewpoint need to get a piercing in a private area?that?ll loosen them up.

Summary: