Tattoos and Piercings?

[Colored Guy]

I have one piercing below the belt that I had done years ago. I may get one ear pierced one day, but that's as far as I would take it.

[Tesseracts]

Reviving this thread to talk about my recent piercing experience and ask for advice.

I took out my industrial and left it out for about a week. It's the first time I have ever done that since I got it 5 years ago, it by the time I tried to put the jewelry back in I couldn't. I was afraid it had closed, so I emailed the tattoo/piercing place where I originally got it done asking what my options are for fixing this. I got no response so I called the next day. When I called they said "oh yeah, you're the one who sent us an email" (but they never responded), and told me to come in so they can look at it.

The piercer the shop has now is different, and he seems a lot colder than the piercer who originally did my industrial. I took the jewelry out of my bag and placed it on the counter, since it's a small place and we were standing at the front counter at the time, and he snapped "don't do that." I asked "don't do what?" and he said I shouldn't put it on the counter because "it's been inside my body." He said "that's why I'm wearing gloves." Neither he nor anybody else made any attempt to clean the counter, which is what they would have done if my industrial bar was ACTUALLY a biohazard.

Fortunately my piercing was not closed, it just needed to be widened. He widened it for $5 (although I had to ask, nobody offered me the price). Then I asked if he could look at my ear lobes to see if those have closed, since I was already there. He said he would do it if I bought earrings. I asked how much those cost, and he said $70. That doesn't sound right because my industrial originally cost $70, including the bar. I looked on the website, and it says a lobe piercing is $45.

So, for a while I've been thinking of getting another industrial or maybe other ear piercings, but I feel like I can't trust this guy. My questions are:

1) Is this normal? Or was he being weird?

2) Can anyone recommend good piercers in the Boston area?

Oh man. I just Googled the guy who originally pierced me, turns out he's dead. Sad.

- - - Updated - - -

For some reason this isn't showing up on the "new posts" page.

[pidjones]

A forum more dedicated to body piercing might be a better place to ask, such as painfulpleasures or tribalectic. Also for registered piercers check http://www.safepiercing.org/

And definitely find someone you are comfortable with!

[Intomyskin]

I got my nipples pierced as a 50th birthday present to myself (I’m a guy). It was actually related to my tattoo experience in an odd way. I was trying to decide if I wanted to get heavily tattooed, and part of that debate was wondering what it would be like living with a tattoo, changing my body, having something unusual on it that was covered, but where there was still the possibility of having it noticed. Piercing intrigued me similar to tattoos because it involved changing the body permanently (well, semi permanently). So I got the idea that getting my nipples pierced could be a “test run” for getting a large tattoo. I figured that if I was uncomfortable living with the piercings, then I probably was going to be uncomfortable living with a huge tattoo. And I could take the piercings out, with no harm done, and get on with life.

So I did it, and it actually helped me finally decide to get a back piece and sleeves. I liked knowing the piercings were there, that I had a special secret, and that I had stepped out of the box. It was also like crossing a threshold into the world of changing my body. Once I got the piercings, it seemed like it was a smaller and easier step to decide to get a big tattoo. I sort of felt like I had started on a path that I had to follow.

 

[Kate1939]

I have two holes in each lobe and one helix piercing.  Had my nose done a few years ago and loved it but to be honest it got caught on one too many shirts/towels/washcloths and I just had enough of it and took it out.  Hole healed up just fine.

I've had three tattoos and the helix healing was worse than any of them by far.  The pain and tenderness went on forever.  No infection or anything, just pain.  I'd love to get another one, but I don't think I want to deal with the annoyance for months again.

Impressed with you folks who have industrials and septums done.  I think I'd pass out.  

[Intomyskin]

Several here say that they find piercings to be high-maintenance or a pain to deal with during healing. I sort of enjoyed the healing process. Yes, It was annoying to have to make time for the soaking/cleaning routine twice a day, and my healing took about twice as long as expected, but on the other hand it made me pay attention to that part of my body, which I had previously taken for granted, which was cool.

[pidjones]

Have to admit that I had a piercing about 4 months before my first ink. The healing wasn't bad, and I still really like it. Pierced @14g and eventually stretched to 8g, it settled in nicely.

[sister123]

I have 1 tattoo. Nothing big or bold.

I have 2 piercings in each ear. And I have a body piercing. My skin is very sensitive and i seem to have a nickel allergy, so I've given up on piercings. I wear titanium earrings only. 

Edited September 13, 2016 by sister123

[iowagirl]

My lead teacher at work has her nose and belly button pierced, and no tattoos. She's talked about getting one but wants to do something w/meaning. I've got one in my right lobe, three in my left, but haven't worn earrings in many years so they're closed. Where i go for tattoos also does piercings, so we've talked about going down together..I'd like to redo my lobes, and I'd like to do something else too in my ear. She's got a picture w/all the different spots labeled b/c I have no clue about them. 

One of my cousins has that part between her nostrils done and it made me want to cry when I saw it just b/c I can't imagine how painful that had to've been, tho she said it wasn't bad. 

[Transplant]

never had any piercings, i did get a skin diver on my neck. It got stuck on everything, hurt all the time, never looked that good.

I persisted with it for a full year, then took it out with a pair of pliers.

 

 

[Synesthesia]

I have a few. Lobes stretched to 0g, one tragus (the other will be done soon for symmetry's sake), one side of my lip, and my septum. I also had and retired two upper cartilage piercings. One of them was at a slight angle and never really healed 100% and the other fell out while I was sleeping and I just decided to let both of them close up.

Don't really get people who say piercings are high maintenance. My septum was the single easiest body modification I've had and I can be super discreet with it on days when I don't want the attention. Lobes and lip both healed quickly and without any issues. The only one that gave me much trouble at all was my tragus, but that's mostly the fault of my piercer. She pierced me at 18g with a fixed bead CBR (pictured below, they fucking suck), then had me come back a couple weeks later to pry it out of my ear and insert 16g jewelry...she wouldn't just pierce me at 16 for some reason. Caused a ton of unnecessary trauma to the piercing.