So, where and when did you get your first piercing? For me, I was in fourth grade and my mom took my sister and I to get our earlobes pierced (FINALLY). We dropped into Claire’s, and the technician pointed that piercing gun at me and everything was done with little to no pain in 15 minutes! I have to admit that the experience freaked me out a bit – just because I was a kid and couldn’t handle the anxiety that came with waiting for them to hurry up and pierce my ears.
I got my cartilage pierced about 2 years ago and my experience was SO much better, thrilling even! I decided to be rebellious that day (since my parents were really against piercing anything but earlobes) and booked it to Pacific Mall. Needless to say, I adore this piercing. I’m not too keen on the more (arguably) painful and more complex piercing locations and I feel like my cartilage piercing keeps it classy with just a hint of edgy.
Taking my own experience (however minimal) and the experiences of my friends (who have conventional and unconventional piercings), I’ve come up with the most important things to consider when you’re debating whether or not to get a new piecing. Before I get started, there are three main things to think about before you get going:
Location
You want to pick a location that you’ll love, obviously. Whether it be on your ear, your face, or further south (if you catch my drift) you’ve got to be able to commit to it! For me, I’d rather get a piercing that’s visible, especially if you’re going to be dressing it up with fancy rings/studs.
Where to Get it Done
If I were to get my cartilage pierced all over again, I think I’d change my venue of choice. Not that I had a bad experience at Pacific Mall, but it’s generally well known that it’s more hygienic to use needles as opposed to a piercing gun. My healing time was considerably longer than any of my friends who chose to get the needle. According to my trusted sources, the needle is less traumatic, more sterile, and more precise. When looking up places around Toronto to get a piercing, I know some establishments have employees who are medically trained by hospitals to do them, and you can’t go wrong with a little extra caution. Of course, this means you’ll be paying more, but you know, better safe than sorry!
How much time are you willing to invest caring for it
It’s generally well known that certain piercings have a longer healing time than others. If you’re not willing to take the time and clean your piercing for a week to a month, there’s a good chance that your new piercing could get infected. Plus, certain piercings (eg. navel piercing) pose a higher risk of infection when compared to an ear piercing – no matter how well you take care of it. If a high maintenance piercing isn’t for you, just choose another location where the healing time is minimal. Patience is definitely key here.
Now onto the good, the bad, and the ugly!
The Good:
They make a statement:
Whether that statement is about your lifestyle choices, fashion choices, or who you are as a person, most people agree that having extra piercings makes you just a tad cooler than your pretty vanilla earlobe duo.
You can dress them up or down:
Have you seen the kind of piercing jewelry that’s out there? There’s a whole market for these studs, hoops, and what-have-you all over Etsy, Pinterest, and Instagram. They are all definitely pin worthy! Check out some examples below (Definitely getting a classic boho chic vibe here and loving it!)
They’re semi-permanent – if you change your mind
By semi-permanent I have ear piercings in mind. I know that if you choose to close one up, within a year or two the hole will be too small to even tell you ever had a piercing. However, I’m not entirely sure this applies to piercings that have been enlarged via spacers.
Once they’re healed, they’re low maintenance
After the healing period, there is virtually no swelling, redness or any kind of liquid secretions. It’s so easy to just put in a sparkly stud and leave the piercing be, and wait to receive compliments from every direction ;)
They make great conversation starters
“Love your piercing! Where’d you get it done? What’s that area called? Where’d you get those rings?”
Get ready to hear these lines on repeat!
The Bad:
Awkward Placement
If you get seasonal allergies or are one of those people who are just prone to getting colds no matter the season, I suggest that you might want to talk yourself out of a nose piercing. I actually wanted to get one for a while but figured it wouldn’t work out for those same reasons. I mean, could you imagine sneezing the day away and blowing your nose constantly with a fresh nose piercing?
*Trend alert: Septum rings have become super popular among celebrities, like Shay Mitchell, Rihanna, and Kat Graham this year – if you’ve ever wanted to get one, there’s no better time than now! If you’re a little apprehensive, there are a bunch of clip on septum rings on the market so you can test the waters out first. No one will know.
Some piercings are more work-friendly than others
Often in the professional world, certain facial piercings are no go’s. It sucks that this kind of stereotyping still exists, but it’s something that you might want to think about before getting pierced.
The Ugly:
Infections
If you don’t care for your fresh piercing properly, it could definitely get infected. Signs of infection are (put less graphically for your reading pleasure):
Crust
Liquid Secretions
Bleeding
Swelling
Throbbing sensations
Itchiness
And of course, more than usual discomfort and pain
If you have any of these symptoms then I suggest you book it to your doctor’s office right away. The sooner its dealt with, the better! When I went through my healing time, I made sure to clean my piercing at least twice a week with a saline solution. According to the Piercing Bible, you can make your own or buy some at the drugstore. Check out their website for a more comprehensive overview of after piercing care here: http://www.piercingbible.com/
*You have to pay for their actual book, by their website has a lot of useful info, make sure to check out their blog too!
Pain
This might not be too much of an issue for a lot of people (those of you graced with a high pain tolerance) but having a piercing definitely means you’ll be dealing with some pain and discomfort from time to time. You might have to change your sleeping position for a while, or maybe your eating habits and make up routine (for tongue and lip piercings), but if you’re really set on the location, it’s a compromise you’ve got to accept!
Whether you choose to get a fresh new daith piercing, a septum ring, or the classic belly button piercing, there’s something to be said about the joy it gives you once its healed and rockin’ a killer piece of bling. I can’t lie, after writing this blog I really want to get another one! I’ll let you lovelies know if I follow through later on. Ciao for now,
Vanessa
Photo Sources:
http://mrwgifs.com/emma-stone-this-is-the-best-reaction-gif/
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/100Pcs-6G-Body-Piercing-Large-Sizes-Steri…
http://guns-pictures.drippic.com/wallpaper-ear-piercing-gun-walmart-top-…
http://www.beautyfrizz.com/accessories/piercing-types-and-80-ideas-on-ho…
http://pandawhale.com/post/30964/i-got-nothing-but-time-vin-diesel-gif
http://www.yourwildworld.com/chimnast-print-and-getting-the-ultimate-pic…
http://intothegloss.com/2013/01/guide-to-piercing/
https://www.etsy.com/market/nose_rings
http://www.theluxuryspot.com/hairflip-gif/
http://www.seventeen.com/fashion/blog/celebrities-septum-piercings