Hey everybody. My name's Travis, and I'm 16 years old. For the last year and a half, I've wanted my eyebrow pierced with a passion. Both my parents were against it throughout that time. My mom never really gave me a reason, but my dad thought that I'd be treated differently (in a bad way) by basically everyone I'd ever meet because of it. I think the initial reason I wanted the piercing was as a source of independence and control of my own body, as I was molested by a close family member as a child. 3 months ago, my parents divorced, and I went through some rough times with my siblings and parents.
I was eventually sent to boarding school this September, and came back for Christmas break. I asked my dad if perhaps I could get my eyebrow done as a Christmas present, and he seemed extremely reluctant. A few days later, he told me I could get it done, with my own money thought and not as a Christmas present. He talked to my mom, and she approved reluctantly as well. The day of my piercing, my dad got into an argument with me over something trivial half an hour prior to my appointment at Anatomic, and told me I wasn't allowed to get it done anymore. I exploded at him, as I'd been waiting a year and a half for it and he used it as a carrot so I'd be "good" (AKA obedient) around him, then pulled it away at the last moment. 10 minutes later, he kicked me out of my house. Extremely upset, I went to my mom's house, who knew how upset I was, and gave me the money to go get my eyebrow done that night and so it'd get my mind off of things.
That night, I met up with my best friends Nick and Hermes downtown, and also Nick's friend Taylor. Taylor happened to be going to Next to get her right nipple pierced, and I thought I'd tag along and get my eyebrow done if the place was clean. Hermes gave us a ride there, then he and Nick went off for a bit while me and Taylor got our piercings done. The girl at the front had an assortment of piercings and was very nice when we were filling out our papers. Unfortunately, Taylor had no ID at all and I had the wrong ID, so they called both our parents to confirm. My mom picked up right away and said I was allowed to, while they couldn't get ahold of Taylor's parents. I picked out my jewelry, a 16 gauge barbell, and went into the back piercing room with my piercer and Taylor.
The piercer showed us their autoclaves and how clean everything there was, and then gave us our aftercare speech which took about 5 minutes. Taylor eventually got ahold of her parents and left to get hers done. I lay down on the padded table (kind of like a dentists table), and she washed her hands, put on gloves, and pulled out all her equipment. Everything was packaged individually and looked very sterile. Once everything was out, she changed her gloves again, and marked where she thought it would look best (I had decided on my left eyebrow) I looked in the mirror, and it looked like awesome placing on her behalf. She then pulled the clamps out of their package, and clamped around where I was to be pierced, and tied the clamps with an elastic band. She changed her gloves once more, and gave me some gauze that was lavender scented and told me to take a few breaths of it. I immediately relaxed with the scent of the lavender, and she removed the needle from it's package. She moved around the table to my left side, and told me to take a deep breath in, then out. I expected it to go in right away, but then she told me to take another deep breath in, then out. As I did, I thought that she'd ask me to do one more and pierce me on the third time around. As I'm thinking this, as I exhale, I felt a sharp pain, then it was gone and I felt a presence in my eyebrow. I was kind of surprised that it was done, and I asked "Are you done already?" She said "Yep, I just have to put the barbell in now." She put in the barbell, which didn't hurt but felt a little weird, cleaned the piercing, then put the tools into a drawer for used tools, and told me I was all done.
I went out front and found Hermes was in the front room, and he immediately told me it looked awesome. I looked in the mirror, and instantly was overjoyed. I went and bought the epsom salts and unscented Neutrogena soap from the front desk, they asked me if it was an enjoyable experience (to which I replied of course!) and we waited for Taylor to come out. After showing me her piercing, she bought her aftercare stuff and off we went in Hermes car. We ended up having a great night with our new piercings, and I love looking in the mirror every morning at it. I've had it for about 4 days now, and I found it only painful if I accidentally bang it (which has happened twice) and if I sleep on it. There were a few crusties on the third day, but I do two half hour Epsom salt soaks per day and clean it with the soap and q-tips every morning.
To anyone considering getting their eyebrow piercing done, I would totally suggest it. Mine cost $97 canadian, which is about $75 american. My only warning is that piercings are addictive, I was planning my labret the next morning, but I'm think piercing is a healthy method of self expression and body modification. Feel free to email me or add me to your MSN at clubberlang17@hotmail.com to ask specific questions about my experience or to see some pictures.
среда, 10 февраля 2010 г.
Coming of Age with a Bridge
Since middle school I have wanted a bridge. I think I first saw it on my friend's poster plastered wall. I never told anyone that I wanted it, but secretly I longed for it. I drew (crappy) self portraits of my older self with that piercing and hid them from the world, but day by day my wish took seed and grew.
As time went by, my life changed in ways I could have never imagined. I was growing up and taking responsibility for my life. I was able to confront my mother and tell her that I no longer wished to live with her. That I wanted to move in with the man she hated above all others, my father. After a six month falling out with her, I was boarding a plane with my brothers headed away from mild Dallas and on to rainy Frankfurt, Germany for Christmas visitation.
That Christmas, instead of boarding the return flight to Dallas with my brothers I stayed behind to live out the remainder of my childhood in my childhood home. But it was different. The house itself was double the size, built for double the people. I now had a loving stepmother along with two (half)sisters.
Here, I finally had the freedom I had always wanted. The grass was definitely greener. Well, sort of. I had lived in Germany as a child, but it was hard after really growing up in the U.S. to adjust. Not just because my German sucked and I could barely utter an intelligible sentence without committing a major grammatical faux pas, but I had to learn how their school system worked and how to function in their culture.
Being an American in a small village in Germany was interesting, not only because my childhood friends were now Anti-americanists (better said anti-Bushists) but also coming to the painful realization that we had all grown and changed and were no longer best friends and not even good friends.
Luckily, adaptation has always been part of my life. Now I was the "crazy American chick" whereas in Texas I was the "crazy German chick" (you can also substitute Nazi for German). And I was about to get even more "crazy". I graduated from tenth grade and moved on to a new bigger and better school.
I found new friends and smarter friends. In the whirlwind of change I also joined a band, whilst all the while my 18th birthday was slowly creeping nearer. My wish was finally going to come to fruition. It was to be my symbolic coming of age ceremony. After all the familial turmoil and major life changes during the last 2 and Ѕ years of my childhood, it was going to be the squeezing of that horrible Mt. Vesuvius of a zit on your forehead the day before a big date. Yes, sweet satisfaction and vindication. (O.K. sorry about the gross metaphor, but don't tell me squeezing big huge zits and watching them explode isn't satisfying)
I wanted to get it done on my birthday, but unfortunately my birthday was on a Sunday, and in Germany everything except service stations and restaurants has to be closed on Sundays and holidays by law. So I went in to my favorite piercing place (I stretched my lobes with the aid of Julius) with a girlfriend and talked to Julius about it.
After the very undramatic beauracracy, I went into the little white room with the red leather evil dentist's chair. My friend had to stay outside during the procedure. Mainly because of space considerations. So Julius marked me up and prepped everything and asked me if I was ready. I so was. He put the clamp on and in went the needle. It felt sooooo cool. It felt as if cool water was flowing through my skin. All of sudden it was over and I was staring at two beautiful balls suspended between my eyes.
I was on a high. My life was finally mine. At least until I got on the train home. I hadn't told my parents that I had planned this for my birthday, so I was very nervous as to what they would say and how they would react. My step mother didn't like it, but told me it was my life and my body.
A week after I had it done my father noticed it. His first words to me after a look of disbelief on his face were "Take it out!!!" and then "YOU LOOK LIKE SHIT WARMED OVER!!!". This was the man who told me to stand up for myself and take control of my body when my mom had all my hair chopped off. And now when I was taking control, he didn't like it. But I wasn't insulted. I actually had to bite my lip not to burst out laughing.
So he lectured me and repeatedly told me I looked like shit. But I had resolve. I hadn't gone through hell to change my life just to let few nasty words make me crumble. Sooner or later he would get used to it.
After about a month, the lectures got fewer and fewer. Occasionally, during the past year he has tried to bribe me to take it out. But I am not to be bought. I am in control of my life.
To be honest, my peircing was very polarizing among my friends and family. Either they loved it (the minority) or they hated it. I was very encouraged and flattered, though, when I saw a friend at a birthday party that I hadn't seen in a while and he said to me "Ich habe noch nie ein Peircing gesehen, dass so zu einer Person passt" translated it means "I have never seen a peircing that suited a person so well".
That's exactly how I had always felt.
My 19th birthday is rolling around in a few weeks and I think I'm gonna pay Julius a visit.
As time went by, my life changed in ways I could have never imagined. I was growing up and taking responsibility for my life. I was able to confront my mother and tell her that I no longer wished to live with her. That I wanted to move in with the man she hated above all others, my father. After a six month falling out with her, I was boarding a plane with my brothers headed away from mild Dallas and on to rainy Frankfurt, Germany for Christmas visitation.
That Christmas, instead of boarding the return flight to Dallas with my brothers I stayed behind to live out the remainder of my childhood in my childhood home. But it was different. The house itself was double the size, built for double the people. I now had a loving stepmother along with two (half)sisters.
Here, I finally had the freedom I had always wanted. The grass was definitely greener. Well, sort of. I had lived in Germany as a child, but it was hard after really growing up in the U.S. to adjust. Not just because my German sucked and I could barely utter an intelligible sentence without committing a major grammatical faux pas, but I had to learn how their school system worked and how to function in their culture.
Being an American in a small village in Germany was interesting, not only because my childhood friends were now Anti-americanists (better said anti-Bushists) but also coming to the painful realization that we had all grown and changed and were no longer best friends and not even good friends.
Luckily, adaptation has always been part of my life. Now I was the "crazy American chick" whereas in Texas I was the "crazy German chick" (you can also substitute Nazi for German). And I was about to get even more "crazy". I graduated from tenth grade and moved on to a new bigger and better school.
I found new friends and smarter friends. In the whirlwind of change I also joined a band, whilst all the while my 18th birthday was slowly creeping nearer. My wish was finally going to come to fruition. It was to be my symbolic coming of age ceremony. After all the familial turmoil and major life changes during the last 2 and Ѕ years of my childhood, it was going to be the squeezing of that horrible Mt. Vesuvius of a zit on your forehead the day before a big date. Yes, sweet satisfaction and vindication. (O.K. sorry about the gross metaphor, but don't tell me squeezing big huge zits and watching them explode isn't satisfying)
I wanted to get it done on my birthday, but unfortunately my birthday was on a Sunday, and in Germany everything except service stations and restaurants has to be closed on Sundays and holidays by law. So I went in to my favorite piercing place (I stretched my lobes with the aid of Julius) with a girlfriend and talked to Julius about it.
After the very undramatic beauracracy, I went into the little white room with the red leather evil dentist's chair. My friend had to stay outside during the procedure. Mainly because of space considerations. So Julius marked me up and prepped everything and asked me if I was ready. I so was. He put the clamp on and in went the needle. It felt sooooo cool. It felt as if cool water was flowing through my skin. All of sudden it was over and I was staring at two beautiful balls suspended between my eyes.
I was on a high. My life was finally mine. At least until I got on the train home. I hadn't told my parents that I had planned this for my birthday, so I was very nervous as to what they would say and how they would react. My step mother didn't like it, but told me it was my life and my body.
A week after I had it done my father noticed it. His first words to me after a look of disbelief on his face were "Take it out!!!" and then "YOU LOOK LIKE SHIT WARMED OVER!!!". This was the man who told me to stand up for myself and take control of my body when my mom had all my hair chopped off. And now when I was taking control, he didn't like it. But I wasn't insulted. I actually had to bite my lip not to burst out laughing.
So he lectured me and repeatedly told me I looked like shit. But I had resolve. I hadn't gone through hell to change my life just to let few nasty words make me crumble. Sooner or later he would get used to it.
After about a month, the lectures got fewer and fewer. Occasionally, during the past year he has tried to bribe me to take it out. But I am not to be bought. I am in control of my life.
To be honest, my peircing was very polarizing among my friends and family. Either they loved it (the minority) or they hated it. I was very encouraged and flattered, though, when I saw a friend at a birthday party that I hadn't seen in a while and he said to me "Ich habe noch nie ein Peircing gesehen, dass so zu einer Person passt" translated it means "I have never seen a peircing that suited a person so well".
That's exactly how I had always felt.
My 19th birthday is rolling around in a few weeks and I think I'm gonna pay Julius a visit.
The best birthday present
Ever since I had gotten my tongue pierced, all I wanted was another piercing. Although I did receive a second piercing in my ear, it wasn't enough. I mean, I knew that I would be getting another piercing as my birthday present, and still, I couldn't wait. The thing I had to determine was what piercing I was to get next. Everyone had their own suggestion, such as my mom and boyfriend said I should get my bellybutton pierced, a few friends of mine said I should get my septum pierced, and many other people were wanting me to get my eyebrow or lip pierced. And what I was more of wanting was my eyebrow pierced.
It was the Thursday of the week before my birthday after school, and when I had come home, I entered my mother's room and asked her (after awhile of contemplating whether I should ask or not) if we could go Friday to get my piercing. She didn't say anything for a few seconds after she said, "Psht, ha...," then she said, "Why? You don't even know what you want yet..." Now of course, to me, this is a yes, but I still had to answer. I told her that I wanted my eyebrow done, but I was still slightly unsure, since I didn't want to upset my boyfriend in my decision, but I was sure, because it was what I wanted. Still, she acted as if it wouldn't happen, since my birthday was still in a week to come.
Come Friday, after school I had gone to my boyfriends house, since I knew my mom was still at work and wouldn't even be home until around 5:00 pm. Around 5:30 my cell-phone rang, and it was a private call, so I knew it was my mom, but being unsure (since the number was covered) I still answered as if I didn't know who it was. Of course though, it was my mom. All she asks is where I'm at, and I just tell her to guess, and she gets it right, since I'm usually no where other than my boyfriend's house. Anyways, I say in my voice, as in I know why she called kind of voice "why..." she just says that she was just wondering. After awhile of that going back and forth, I say, "So can I?" Then we talk a little and agree that my boyfriend and I would meet her at Koolsville.
Well, my boyfriend and I arrived right after my mother had, but my boyfriend was having a little difficulty in parking, so we waited until he was finished. Then we walked into the shop, and I admit—I was nervous. In fact I told my mom and my boyfriend I was nervous, but all my mom had told me was "why?" Seriously, I didn't know why, but I think it had to do with the fact that my last piercing wasn't at this place, and I didn't know if they would do a good job. Then again, they all had piercings, which put me a little at ease. They then handed my mom the paperwork, knowing that I would be 16 in a week, they allowed me to qualify for a piercing (which was the reason they kicked me out last time). My mom was half way through the paperwork, when they read our I.D.s and said, "Oh, no, we can't do this. The last names don't match." I got really mad, and so did my mom, because even on the birth certificate our last names don't match because she's changed her name three times. So w e just found that to be a total waste of our time and decided to go to the last place I had it done—Bone Daddyz.
I felt less nervous at Bone Daddyz, in fact very calm. We walked in and everyone is just sitting in the room talking to each other and giving people tattoos. My mom told them what I wanted and they asked if I was underage and then told her she had to sign all the paperwork. Then the guy told me to wait as he set up the room. I never learned his name. A couple minutes later he comes back out and tells me he's ready. My nerves started coming back, but this is what I wanted. I first asked if my boyfriend could come back with us (which he was)—this calmed me down a bit.
The guy told me to keep standing, and he marked where the jewelry were to be placed, and then told me to look in the mirror—I like it (this was on my right just to tell). He then tells me to sit down, and he cleans up my eyebrow in alcohol and then goes to business with the clamps. The clamps really weren't that tight—I was hoping that they would be tighter so I wouldn't have to feel the piercing that much. And since I had gotten my tongue pierced, I was expected just a slight pinch, or nothing at all. He finally got the clamps on right, but didn't even tell me to breathe in or nothing he poked down with the needle, and I felt it, then it felt like he struggled a bit with pushing it through, so that hurt a bit. Even my boyfriend told me at the end that I flinched. That's because I could feel the struggle it took for the needle to go through. When he got it through, he told me to close my eye (the needle was right in front of it), then he put in the jewelry, which wasn't muc h of a struggle. I would have to say, that this piercing did hurt more than my tongue, but not to where I was crying or even tear up a bit. And when I looked in the mirror—I fell in love with my newest piercing! It was so beautiful. My mom then paid the guy and we left.
It's been about four days since I had it done, it is a hassle to try and not bump into it, but I still love it. It's slightly swollen, but not to where you can tell that much. Nonetheless, I would recommend that people get this piercing. I can't wait until my next.
It was the Thursday of the week before my birthday after school, and when I had come home, I entered my mother's room and asked her (after awhile of contemplating whether I should ask or not) if we could go Friday to get my piercing. She didn't say anything for a few seconds after she said, "Psht, ha...," then she said, "Why? You don't even know what you want yet..." Now of course, to me, this is a yes, but I still had to answer. I told her that I wanted my eyebrow done, but I was still slightly unsure, since I didn't want to upset my boyfriend in my decision, but I was sure, because it was what I wanted. Still, she acted as if it wouldn't happen, since my birthday was still in a week to come.
Come Friday, after school I had gone to my boyfriends house, since I knew my mom was still at work and wouldn't even be home until around 5:00 pm. Around 5:30 my cell-phone rang, and it was a private call, so I knew it was my mom, but being unsure (since the number was covered) I still answered as if I didn't know who it was. Of course though, it was my mom. All she asks is where I'm at, and I just tell her to guess, and she gets it right, since I'm usually no where other than my boyfriend's house. Anyways, I say in my voice, as in I know why she called kind of voice "why..." she just says that she was just wondering. After awhile of that going back and forth, I say, "So can I?" Then we talk a little and agree that my boyfriend and I would meet her at Koolsville.
Well, my boyfriend and I arrived right after my mother had, but my boyfriend was having a little difficulty in parking, so we waited until he was finished. Then we walked into the shop, and I admit—I was nervous. In fact I told my mom and my boyfriend I was nervous, but all my mom had told me was "why?" Seriously, I didn't know why, but I think it had to do with the fact that my last piercing wasn't at this place, and I didn't know if they would do a good job. Then again, they all had piercings, which put me a little at ease. They then handed my mom the paperwork, knowing that I would be 16 in a week, they allowed me to qualify for a piercing (which was the reason they kicked me out last time). My mom was half way through the paperwork, when they read our I.D.s and said, "Oh, no, we can't do this. The last names don't match." I got really mad, and so did my mom, because even on the birth certificate our last names don't match because she's changed her name three times. So w e just found that to be a total waste of our time and decided to go to the last place I had it done—Bone Daddyz.
I felt less nervous at Bone Daddyz, in fact very calm. We walked in and everyone is just sitting in the room talking to each other and giving people tattoos. My mom told them what I wanted and they asked if I was underage and then told her she had to sign all the paperwork. Then the guy told me to wait as he set up the room. I never learned his name. A couple minutes later he comes back out and tells me he's ready. My nerves started coming back, but this is what I wanted. I first asked if my boyfriend could come back with us (which he was)—this calmed me down a bit.
The guy told me to keep standing, and he marked where the jewelry were to be placed, and then told me to look in the mirror—I like it (this was on my right just to tell). He then tells me to sit down, and he cleans up my eyebrow in alcohol and then goes to business with the clamps. The clamps really weren't that tight—I was hoping that they would be tighter so I wouldn't have to feel the piercing that much. And since I had gotten my tongue pierced, I was expected just a slight pinch, or nothing at all. He finally got the clamps on right, but didn't even tell me to breathe in or nothing he poked down with the needle, and I felt it, then it felt like he struggled a bit with pushing it through, so that hurt a bit. Even my boyfriend told me at the end that I flinched. That's because I could feel the struggle it took for the needle to go through. When he got it through, he told me to close my eye (the needle was right in front of it), then he put in the jewelry, which wasn't muc h of a struggle. I would have to say, that this piercing did hurt more than my tongue, but not to where I was crying or even tear up a bit. And when I looked in the mirror—I fell in love with my newest piercing! It was so beautiful. My mom then paid the guy and we left.
It's been about four days since I had it done, it is a hassle to try and not bump into it, but I still love it. It's slightly swollen, but not to where you can tell that much. Nonetheless, I would recommend that people get this piercing. I can't wait until my next.
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