Piercing
In the spirit of my last entry I've been regressing in my maturity level and trying to get in touch with my inner teenager.. The result? This is what my belly looked like this morning this is what it looks like now.
Now, this wasn't a rush decision at all.. I've been thinking about doing something for ages.. Ideally I would like a tattoo, but since I'm a terrible, horrible wuss I settled for a little piercing instead. I did quite a bit of research online before making an appointment and one thing that scared me were the many pictures I've seen of heavy bruising around the area and blood.. so I asked my piercer (is that the proper term? I forgot to ask that..) and his response was essentially this..
"There should never be bruising from a piercing if done by a professional, little bleeding is fine, but not profusely at all".
In other words, before you get anything pierced, do your research and find a good professional!
I've received extensive verbal instructions plus a couple of leaflets on how to care for my new holes.. and for jewelry changes (this one is just a starter ring, I'll replace it with something cute and flowery once it's healed sufficiently for that -- 6-8 weeks) I should visit him and he'll do them at no charge.
Pain wasn't *nearly* as bad as I expected (a friend pierced hers before I so I got to see the whole procedure first).. everything was newly opened and sterilized in front of me and each step explained carefully. It felt just like getting a shot.. except over with a lot quicker!
The tshirt is cool, I know :) It's from Wales and credit goes to Lynne!
Comments
ouch !
It didnt hurt at all?
One of the students in my wifes English Class got her tongue pierced and wound up with a very very bad infection....so yes - it does pay to look into the establishment beforehand...and maybe not get the tongue pierced :)
Posted by: jim mcmurry | May 28, 2003 09:34 PM
It did hurt a bit.. a lot like getting a vaccine or getting your blood drawn but it's over with a lot quicker -- the needle is really sharp and putting in the ring doesn't hurt at all.
Posted by: kasia | May 28, 2003 09:57 PM
Did your piercer's shirt say "support your local porkers?"
Posted by: Derek | May 28, 2003 10:21 PM
you've got more guts than i do, i must admit...
i just don't think i'd be able to sit there and say 'sure, stick that piece of metal through my flesh'. same thing with tatoos really. the can look cool and all, but when it comes right down to it, i'm a wuss.
and yes, the t-shirt is cool.
Posted by: garrett | May 28, 2003 10:33 PM
Way to go, Kasia! :)
No piercings for me - I'm the other way round. Couldn't stand the thought of drilling holes through my flesh, but a tattoo is fine. They're not nearly as painful as you would imagine. Well, OK, they are, but the result is worth it!! Hell, what's 45 minutes of intense physical pain compared to meetings with management?
Posted by: Spike | May 29, 2003 04:39 AM
I don't think a ring is the best kind of jewelry for a first time navel piercing. A piercer friend of mine, who was a member of the APA, highly advised against rings in navels. They get caught on clothing easier and have a tendency to get infected easier. A crescent shaped bar is better in this regard.
Posted by: Christopher | May 29, 2003 06:02 PM
I'm permanently disfigured enough by childhood accidents and adult stupidity (the scar on my face from a cycling wreck last year, for instance) that I feel life itself leaves too many marks. Actually paying someone to add to the total seems crazy to me, but to each his own.
At least with a pierce instead of a tattoo, in five years when you may have regrets, it'll heal.
Posted by: Stewart Vardaman | May 30, 2003 08:36 AM
One might say I have enough orifices already ;p
all the same, as `Flower` used to say : -
"One more of us ...
One less of them ! "
Posted by: Sam | May 30, 2003 11:36 AM
Stewart, and how do you feel about the recently published docs on project Phoenix? Cause, you know.. that actually matters ;)
Posted by: kasia | May 30, 2003 02:48 PM
Judging from the pictures, she has substantially less gut than I.
Posted by: Dan Isaacs | May 31, 2003 01:19 AM
Wow, all I did before my 30th birthday was go skydiving. This is much braver.
Posted by: Mark | June 2, 2003 10:11 AM
I've had my tongue, my lip and my cartilage pierced in two places. I also have a tattoo. It's not bad really. Cartilage is the absolute worst. Don't do that unless you're a diehard. I got an industrial and ai, mama mia... That killed like a mother. My tattoo? Not hardly at all. And it's on the back of my neck, on my spine, completely filled.
It's probably a lot to do with how experienced your piercer (yes, you got it right) or tattoo artist is and your pain tolerance.
Congrats on the ring. Just be aware... Tats and piercings are addictive. ;)
Posted by: Melissa | June 3, 2003 11:23 AM
Painful first week or so, you don't realize how much you touch your belly button until it hurts when you do :o
I had to take mine out for obvious reasons, and will have to go through the whole thing again :(
Posted by: Lynne | June 4, 2003 05:54 PM
Had a smallish tatoo done about 2 years ago and plucked up the courage to get a proper one 2 months ago :)
Already booked in for my next one now!
Posted by: Jon | June 20, 2003 06:52 AM
getting your belly button pierced doesn't hurt at all. Its just gross in the healing process! If you want pain, get an industrial and tragus piercing!!!
Posted by: ashleigh | July 20, 2003 06:16 PM
HI i am only 13 and i have got my belly peirced on january 10 2003.......................can you say ouch!!!!!!!!!! well it gets infected some times and it really hurts!
Posted by: Brittany | October 15, 2003 09:28 PM
Hi....Im 14 years old and im gettin my belly button pierced soon for christmas....but there is a little problem..My mom is ok with it and everything (it took 3 years to get her that way) but my dad says no when ever the subject is brought up! and my mom wont let me get it done unless its ok with my dad. Can n e 1 help me?
Posted by: Shannon | December 6, 2003 02:29 PM