A&E writer thinks piercings not a big deal
September 22, 2008
Take a deep breath. Sounds serious right? Not really.
In fact, I think that in certain situations, such as when people are preparing to stick needles through you, it is just what you need to be reminded to do. This is the idea that I kept coming back to after leaving Fine Line Tattoo Inc. with my packet of sea salt, my instructions for care and four new holes. And I will undoubtedly go back and continue my body modifications, even if only to put a few more holes in my ears, which I know to some people doesn’t make sense. Most would think if something that can be that painful, uncomfortable, nerve inducing or all of the above, then you wouldn’t be so keen on coming back for more. And I am likely to agree that a bad experience could turn you off of piercing forever. I still cringe when I think of the barbaric piercing guns, which used to be the gold standard for putting holes in ears.
But there are a few things that I think everyone who is going to get a piercing can do to make sure that things go smoothly and pleasantly:
1. I like to make sure that my piercer has done the piercing I want before. Teddie Fishcher, my new piercer at Fine Line, has years of experience and was able to help me with several decisions.
2. Good hole-pokers will tell you everything they are doing! Yes, this is important, the more you know about what is happening, the calmer your nerves will be. For example, it might have freaked me out slightly if Teddie had brought the flash light up to my ear to check for veins (which they do for cartridge piercings) without warning me first.
3. Do not freak out! It will help you, and your piercer, to stay as calm as possible, no matter what happens. I am willing to bet that what seems like a disaster to you is something they have seen before. (I even had one of my earlobe piercings bleed for 10 to 15 minutes, but all was just fine because I was calm and let Teddie do her job. She is wonderful.)
Still not enough to quell any piercing woes? Not a problem. Because of the cooperation of Teddie Fischer at Fine Line Tattoo, we were able to record my ears being done, as well as ask a few good questions.