This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s fall editorial intern Celeste MacMurray. Find her on Instagram at @clsmsanchezx. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
I got my ears pierced for the first time as a child, and I grew up wearing earrings and really enjoying the expression that came with it. When I was in high school I started to get more piercings on my ears. Every time I got a new piercing it felt like a boost in my confidence and I just loved how they looked. After enough time passed and they healed correctly, I was even more excited to change my jewelry and customize my piercings further. They offered me a sense of confidence and expression that made me feel good about myself.
Seeing as I went to a high school with a strict dress code, I couldn’t get any facial piercings until I was in college. As soon as I graduated high school I got a nose piercing that I love more than anything. The small stud piercing just stood out so beautifully, and after months of healing I changed it to a hoop. I felt that it just suited my face, and being a silver jewelry girl, I loved how the metal complimented my skin tone.
Later in college I also got an eyebrow piercing, and I absolutely adored it. My favorite piece of jewelry I ever owned for this piercing was a curved, silver barbell with pearls because I loved the delicateness of it. I no longer have this piercing as it rejected — something we will talk about later in this article— but I still love the time I spent with this piercing.
If you’ve been wanting to get a piercing for a while but don’t know where to start, this article will hopefully give you some of the advice you’ve been looking for. We’ll be mainly covering ear piercings and facial piercings and what to expect when you get a piercing done. As someone who has had facial and ear piercings for years and has dealt with all things imaginable, I can tell you what you should and should not do before a piercing.
Research, research, research
Your first step when it comes to getting any piercing should be research, and this applies to multiple things. When you first see a piercing that you find yourself interested in, do as much research as possible on it. Looking into what the piercing is like, how other people rate the pain, what its care and maintenance are like are all things you should look into. You want to be as informed as possible when it comes to the piercing you want to get and how to care for it so you’re prepared.
Another thing you should be aware of when it comes to piercings is anatomy. Certain piercings, such as the industrial bar, navel and bridge piercings are anatomy-dependent, meaning your body has to be equipped to hold these piercings. If you don’t have the anatomy required for a certain piercing, don’t try to force it as you will most likely only cause problems for yourself down the line. For example, navel piercings rely on certain belly button shapes, and if you have an outie, it is advised you do not get a piercing as it is highly unsafe. If you don’t have the anatomy for an industrial, don’t let it deter you as there are other piercings you can get and connect them with jewelry to give the illusion of an industrial.
After choosing your piercing and researching, the next step is finding a place to get it done. You want to make sure to read as many reviews as possible for both the tattoo parlor you’re going to and the piercer as well. Many tattoo parlors, piercing studios and piercers have social media these days, so that makes it a little easier to see what their work and reputation is like. You can find the most information possible by visiting their website, such as their prices, policies and whether or not their piercers belong to the Association of Professional Piercers.
The Day of the Piercing
Now that you’ve made your appointment, you need to know what to expect. Be a little early to your appointment to check in because you will most likely be asked to sign forms beforehand. These forms mainly ask questions about your age, any medications you are taking, if you have any medical conditions and the like to ensure you’re in the clear to get a piercing. Be sure to bring some form of identification as tattoo parlors or piercing studios will ask for it to verify your age as there are age limits on certain piercings. The best way to know what kind of ID to bring is by checking their website or calling ahead of time.
For the most exciting part: how to sit through your piercing. Make conversation with your piercer as it makes the appointment flow more smoothly. When it comes time to get your piercing done, stay calm. Whatever you do, do not thrash around or scream as it can mess up your piercing. After your piercing is done, make sure to listen to your piercer’s aftercare instructions to make sure you get the best healing results for your piercing.
Aftercare
You may think now that you’ve gotten your piercing done it’s all over, but that’s not true. Aftercare of your new piercing is where things get tricky and what’ll determine how your piercing heals. Piercers will typically recommend you use saline solution to clear your piercings, and some tattoo parlors and piercing studios even sell them. Some piercings need extra time to heal before you can change out the jewelry, so for the best results possible it’s best to follow that guideline. A piercing is an open wound in your body, and to ensure its longevity you need to give it time to heal and clean it properly.
In addition to this, some piercings require a certain type of jewelry when you first get them to ensure you have a smooth healing process. You want to make sure that you’re starting out with the right jewelry, and for piercings like snake bites or eyebrows that they’re slightly bigger to accommodate swelling. Later, you will also need to get this jewelry downsized to avoid rejection.
There is one reality of piercings that people don’t want to accept—me included sometimes—that some piercings may reject. When a piercing rejects, it’s your body’s way of pushing it out because it views it as a foreign object it needs to get rid of. Surface piercings such as eyebrows, navels and nipple piercings are the most likely to reject, and this is something to keep in mind if you plan on getting these piercings.
I absolutely loved my eyebrow piercing, and although I was crushed that it rejected, it was for the best that I removed it. There was no way it was going to heal and my body was just doing its natural thing and removing it. My piercing was starting to thin the skin it was behind as it was pushed out more and more, and keeping it was just not a viable option. I do have a scar left behind now where I had my piercing, but I regret nothing. Some piercings will leave scars behind, but that’s part of the territory and it was a risk I accepted. You have to become comfortable with the idea of scars if you want to get piercings as they are likely to happen if you ever remove them or if they were to heal improperly.
Hopefully with all these tips you can have the confidence to get pierced for the first time. The process can be a little daunting, but with lots of research you can prepare yourself for the whole process by being knowledgeable about what your experience should be like.
What have your piercing experiences been like? Do you have any advice for for what to and what not to do before a piercing? Feel free to share them with us!
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