Subject: rec.arts.bodyart: Piercing FAQ 8--Misc. Info
Date: 5 May 1995 08:37:34 GMT
Expires: Mon, 05 June 1995 07:00:00 GMT
Summary: This posting contains information about body piercing.
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Archive-name: bodyart/piercing-faq/part8
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The rec.arts.bodyart Piercing FAQ is broken up into 9 parts:
 1--Introduction
 2--Piercings & Jewelry
 3--Getting A New Pierce
 4--Professional Piercers
 5--Care Of A New Pierce
 6--Problems And Hazards
 7--Healed Pierces
 8--Misc. Info  <---YOU ARE READING THIS FILE
 9--References List

What's in this section:

 8--Misc. Info
    1. Piercings And Surgery
    2. History Of The Nipple Piercing
    3. Personal experiences
       3a. Tongue Pierce
       3b. Labret Piercing
       3c. Hand Web Piercing
       3d. Eyelet Piercings
       3e. Nipple Piercing
       3f. Triangle Piercing
       3g. Niehbuhr, or Erle
       3h. Vertical Clitoral Hood Piercing
       3i. Horizontal Clitoral Hood Piercing
       3j. Ampallang Piercing
       3k. Foreskin & Septum Piercings
       3l. Frenum Placement with Intact Foreskin
       3m. Ampallang Piercing #2

 1. PIERCINGS AND SURGERY-------------


.At times, when going in for a hospital stay, you are asked to
remove your jewelry.  Some people have expressed some skepticism that this
is really necessary.

        The problem begins when we talk a little bit about radio waves. RF
(radio frequency) signals don't behave like conventional electricity, and
can be radiated outward from an antenna into free space.  If your body is
energized with RF uniformly, it won't do you any harm until you take hold
of a metal object, which will radiate that signal outward and tend to give
you a burn on the area where you touched it.  Frequently technicians will
work on an energized AM broadcast antenna (where the whole tower is the
antenna).  So long as they jump onto the tower without touching both the
tower and the ground, they are perfectly safe, but they have to be very
careful about keeping tools insulated and staying away from sharp points
on the structure.  Working around high voltage RF fields, one is advised
to remove watches and wire-rimmed glasses, let alone labial piercings. 

.Now, you ask what this has to do with the hospital stay.  Well,
the primary problem that we come to is that whenever you have an
electrical pulse that is very short and abrupt, with a fast risetime, high
frequency radio signals will be generated.  This is why running the vacuum
cleaner interferes with the TV reception, for instance, because the abrupt
opening and closing of the curcuit by the motor brushes causes a large
number of high frequency harmonics to be generated.  Lightning is another
excellent example of the phenomenon.  (If you want a mathematical way of
thinking about this, imagine trying to represent a discontinuous function
as a Fourier series... it will require an infinite number of terms each of
which represents higher and higher frequency products.  If you don't know
what this means, don't sweat it, though.)

.The heart defibrillator is probably the best example of this,
however.  It uses a very high voltage pulse with a very short risetime to
stimulate the heart muscles when the heart has gone into convulsions. 
While it has saved the lives of many people, the side effects from having
short risetime pulses going through your body can be pretty severe,
especially if you have hidden jewelry somewhere.  What is worse is that
the patient who is receiving this is probably not in any state to inform
the doctor that there is something wrong.

.Another problem here concerns electrocautery equipment, which
uses a very localized RF current to fuse tissues and blood vessels.  While
this equipment has resulted in much reduced surgery times and fewer bleeding
problems, it can also result in stray RF travelling around in the patient's
body.  Usually a secure ground is attached to the body in the area where
work is taking place, but if that ground develops a poor contact, RF leakage
throughout the body can take place.

.So, follow the instructions and remove the jewelry.  It might not
be a problem at all, but it might also save you from serious injury in an
emergency, and it's not all that difficult to do.  A little bit of nylon
cord can save a lot of injury.

Short note: Diathermy equipment also has similar effects, though patients
undergoing diathermy probably have a better grip on what is happening to
them and the effect isn't so severe.  Frankly, does anyone still use
diathermy these days, anyway?  I haven't heard about it for years.... 




 2. HISTORY OF THE NIPPLE PIERCING-------------

The prepared by "Boy Brent", with a bibliography.

A hundred years ago they were piercing a lot more than their 
ears. In the 1890s nipple piercing was very much in vogue for 
Victorian women. 

In _Anatomy and Destiny_ (Bobbs-Merrill, 1974, p. 97), Stephen 
Kern explains that: "In the late 1890s the 'bosom ring' came 
into fashion briefly and sold in expensive Parisian jewelry 
shops. These 'anneaux de sein' were inserted through the nipple, 
and some women wore one on either side linked with a delicate 
chain. The rings enlarged the breasts and kept them in a state 
of constant excitation...The medical community was outraged by 
these cosmetic procedures, for they represented a rejection of 
traditional conceptions of the purpose of a woman's body."


_The Golden Age of Erotica_ (Paperback Library, 1968, p. 264), 
by Bernhardt Harwood:

"No more perfect example of Victorian extremism can be found 
than the unbelievable breast piercing craze that swept London in 
the 1890s. This barbaric [!] practice achieved fantastic 
popularity among seemingly sane, civilized English women, who 
submitted to the excruciating pain of having their nipples 
pierced in order to insert decorative gold and jeweled rings.

"In an attempt to explain what had driven so many females to 
embrace such a crackpot fad, a fashionable London modiste wrote 
a letter to a popular magazine, which stated in part, "For a 
long time could not understand why I should consent to such a 
painful operation without sufficient reason. I soon, however, 
came to the conclusion that many ladies are ready to bear the 
passing pain for the sake of love. I found that the breasts of 
those who wore rings were incomparably rounder and fuller 
developed than those who did not. My doubts were now at an 
end...So I had my nipples pierced, and when the wounds healed, I 
had rings inserted...With regard to the experience of wearing 
these rings, I can only say that they are not in the least 
uncomfortable or painful. On the contrary, the slight rubbing 
and slipping of the rings causes in me an extremely titillating 
feeling, and all my colleagues to whom I have spoken on this 
subject have confirmed my opinion."


                            * * * * *

Titrings, a bit of History

by D. W. Jones

  Titrings turn out to have a longer history than most of us 
seem to believe these days. A titring is a ring worn through a 
piercing in (or just behind) the nipple. Today, such rings are 
growing in popularity in certain segments of the population, 
amon g both men and women. The required piercings can be 
obtained, for a fee, in many cities, and there are jewelers who 
make jewelry specifically intended for wearing in such 
piercings. 

  Some may object to the name titring, preferring the propriety 
of the term nipple-ring. It seems odd to seek a proper sounding 
name for a piece of jewelry most people in our society would 
consider inherently improper, and I prefer the term titring for 
the same reason I'd prefer to call a ring worn through the 
earlobe an earring, not an earlobe-ring. I see no point in being 
annoyingly specific about exactly what part of the ear is 
pierced. Similarly, a ring worn through the nostril is, 
according to Ind ian women I've met who routinely wear such 
jewelry, a nosering, not a nostril-ring. The terms I prefer are 
short, descriptive, flow off the tongue with little effort, and 
generally likely to be based on common and sometimes vulgar 
English instead of on Latinate or scientific usage. 

Citations:

Adams, Cecil. "Chain Letter", from _More of the Straight Dope_.

Fuchs, Eduard. _Illustrierte Sittengeschichte vom Mittelalter 
bis Zur Gegenwart, Das Burgerliche Zeitalter Erganzungsband_. 
Albert Langen, Munich, 1912:

  This book turns out to be in 6 lavishly illustrated volumes 
(over 500 pages per volume) and Kern's citation was incomplete. 
The book is a complete history and commentary on all aspects of 
sexuality, from erotic art to clothing through the ages, along 
with courtship, nudism prostitution, and much more. 

The passage cited by Kern is on pages 67 and 68 of the 
supplement to Volume 3, in the chapter titled "Erster Teil, 
Erganzungen und Exkurse."

In 1898 a single Bond Street jeweller is supposed to have 
performed the nipple-boring operation on forty English ladies 
and young girls, and the lady quoted above also confirmed the 
spread of this custom among the fashionable women of London. In 
fact many ladies, instead of rings, had small chains fastened 
from breast to breast, and a celebrated actress of the Gaiety 
Theatre wore a pearl chain with a bow at each end.

I have not read Pelham's work in its original context, but it 
appears that both he and Fuchs made extensive use of the same 
English source, one article in "Society", a journal unavailable 
to me. I would like to find other sources, but have not yet done 
so. 

Titrings have an interesting collection of names in other 
languages: 

In French, "des anneaus de sein", literally, rings of the 
nipples or rings of the breasts. I looked up "sein" in Larousse, 
and the word appears to properly translate as anything from 
bosom to tit, depending on context or convention. 

In German, "der Busenringen", an archaic term, literally "bosom 
rings." In German, "Brustwartzenringe" is the common term today, 
literally "nipple-rings" (nipples are "breast-warts" in German). 

In German, "intimschmuck", or in Swedish, "intimsmycke", 
intimate jewellry or decorations, refers to all kinds of 
jewellry worn "below the neck". 


 3. PERSONAL EXPERIENCES-------------


    3a. Tongue Pierce

by Harry Ugol (harryu@warpten.EBay.sun.com)


I got my tongue pierced last June. The piercing itself hurt much 
less than my other piercings. The reason the piercing hurt a lot 
less is that the tongue is different from most other pierceable 
body parts; the tongue itself is muscle instead of skin. For one 
thing that means it has no nerves on the inside and few pain 
receptors on the surface. The striations in the muscle also make 
it much easier to physically pierce; the needle tends to slip 
between them - unlike a regular piercing, this one resembles 
pushing an embroidery needle through a piece of fabric.

The morning after the piercing my tongue was swollen and *very* 
tender, both of which are normal (a longer barbell is initially 
used for tongue piercings; the barbell is replaced with a 
smaller one once the swelling goes down). "*Very* tender" means 
it hurt to talk and it HURT to eat; I was not a happy camper 
that day.

The pain started to diminish within 24 hours. Within two days I 
was no longer in serious discomfort.

The healing regimen for a tongue piercing is slightly different 
than for most other piercings; Neosporin and Hibiclens and Ivory 
soap and such are not good things to put in your mouth. Instead, 
you use a *lot* of Listerine - before the piercing itself and 
after every meal and toothbrushing. I went through a giant-sized 
bottle in a week.

You also use a substance called Gly-Oxide, a hydrogen peroxide-
like compound dissolved in glycerin, which foams up nicely when 
you drip it on your tongue. Putting anything fun in your mouth 
other than food and drink is strictly out; aside from the 
standard still-healing-piercing infection dangers, cocksucking 
is no longer a low-HIV-risk activity if you have an open wound 
in your mouth. That phase lasted 6 weeks, I think, although more 
conservative estimates call for 2-3 months.

Like the septum piercing, a tongue piercing is not really 
noticeable if you don't want it to be. It takes a little more 
self-control - you have to remember not to throw your head way 
back when you laugh, and not to stick your tongue out for 
emphasis when talking - but I haven't had any problems with 
scaring the horses at work. Nor does the piercing get in my way; 
since the bar was downsized, it's basically a pair of metal 
balls riding just above and just below the surfaces of my 
tongue.

Sex with a tongue piercing is a *lot* of fun!


 3b. Labret Piercing---------------

This section by Anne Greenblatt

My first try at a lip piercing was towards the corner of my 
mouth, just below the edge of my lower lip. We used a 19ga 
needle for the piering, installing a 20ga 3/8" diameter surgical 
steel bead ring. The thin gauge of the ring proved to be a 
mistake - the second day I noticed the inside of my lip had 
started to tear upwards. A nasty infection settled in that 
evening. I drained the piercing as much as I could with hot 
compresses and removed the ring. The infection cleared with the 
help of antibiotics. All that's left is a tiny red mark just 
below the edge of my lip.

My second and existing lip piercing was done with a 14ga needle, 
installing a 16ga Labret stud in the center of my lower lip, 
about 1/2" below the edge of my lip. The labret stud is similar 
to a barbell. Instead of a ball on the inside of my lip, the 
stud is backed by a disc about 3/16" in diameter. A ball screws 
onto the front of the stud. Since the jewelry is inserted from 
the back, an insertion taper was used in the piercing process. 
The 14ga needle was inserted through the front, then the 16ga 
insertion taper was inserted into the needle, the taper threaded 
through the piercing, and the jewelry pushed through, pushing 
out the taper.

Before piercing, the outside of my lip was disinfected with 
betadine and the inside was disinfected with listerine for 5 
minutes and numbed with benzocaine (found in Oragel). The entire 
process was very quick and a lot less painful than many of my 
other piercings, including nostril and tragus.

Aftercare of the labret piercing included cleaning the outside 
hole with ear care gel containing benzalkonium chloride and 
applying vitamin E gel. The inside of the piercing was cleaned 
with Gly-Oxide, and I rinsed my mouth with diluted (50%) 
Listerine after eating and brushing teeth. The piercing healed 
in about 6 weeks.

There are several designs of Labret studs available. The most 
common is the steel disc-backed stud, available from Pleasurable 
Piercings and Gauntlet. A possible problem with this design is 
that the disc may, over time and wear, become unsoldered from 
the post. Another problem some have experienced with the disc is 
gum erosion, and erosion or "nesting" of the inside of the lip 
beneath the disc.

The second design, manufactured by Silver Anchor, is a stud with 
a screw-on ball in the front, with the stud wrapped around 
itself into a loose coil at a right angle to the stud. This 
design is similar to a nostril screw, and eliminates the chance 
of the disc becoming lost. The third design is the Fishtail 
Labret. Once again, the stud and back are a continuous piece, 
except that the back is approximately an inch long, bent at a 
right angle, and slightly curved to follow the shape of the 
gumline. The fishtail style is available in gold (WA Creations) 
and steel (Dakota Steel and Silver Anchor). 


 3c. Hand Web Piercing-----------------

This section  by "Surf", and edited by Anne Greenblatt

I'm on my second hand web pierce. The first one (Had it done 
first week in July 1993) lasted about 3/4 months before it grew 
out. I'm figuring that was because I had it in my right hand, 
and I am right handed, so the had got a lot of use.

I missed that pierce so much that I had it redone on my left 
hand in mid-December 1993. It's still with me, and it seems to 
be healing great.

The first time, I had it done at Gauntlet San Francisco. The 
piercer marked entrance and exit holes on my hand and positioned 
the pennington foreceps over the marks. The marks were farther 
back that I had first imagined they would be, but I'd never seen 
a hand web pierce before, either. Once the foreceps were in 
place, the piercer stretched the skin out a bit and he shone a 
light through the skin to make sure that nothing of importance 
was in the bundle of skin as well. He got the needle lubed with 
an antibiotic salve and butted the needle against the top-side 
(back of hand side) of my hand web (oh yes - he disinfected the 
area first with a betadine pad). He held a cork to the bottom 
(palm side) of the web and quickly pushed the needle through. 

I don't remember much pain at all, but then again, I had just 
had my nipple done (my first pierce ever!) minutes before. 
Anyway, the piercer got my jewelry ready to insert and in a 
moment he was fastening the ball-end. I have a 12 ga SSS barbell 
with a 1/2" shaft as my jewelry for the pierce.

The second time around was similar, but there were differences 
in the technique. I had it redone at Tie Me Down in Milwaukee. 
The piercer there seemed less experienced, at least with hand-
webs, but not so as to scare one off. I forget what he cleaned 
the area of my hand with, but he soaked the jewelry in Hibiclens 
to disinfect it. He marked the depth of the pierce noticably 
deeper than the first time, but that was fine by me. This 
piercer didn't use a cork on the exit side, and he pushed the 
needle through from palm side first.

For the jewelry insertion, he mentioned that he wasn't used to 
Gauntlet's barbells where the ball screws into the shaft, but 
rather the ones where the shaft screwed into the ball. With thal 
kind he could screw the shaft into the end of the needle for 
insertion. Because of this, he had problems with insertion and 
had to guide it in with an insertion taper. Since the taper was 
larger than the hole, it was a painful little process, but when 
the jewelry was in, I felt better about the pierce than I had 
the first time around - I could flatten my hand right away. The 
first time, it took a few days before I could do that.

The aftercare was pretty much the same both times. I would 
alternate soaking my hand in a solution of hot water and 
betadine and a hot salt-water solution. Use the betadine soak 
only if the jewelry isn't gold, though. I would soak about 10 
times a day - more if feasable. When the water cooled down, I 
would reheat it in the microwave and re-soak. I'd keep this up 
as long as I could. The betadine soaks especially reduced 
swelling when my hand was acting up. I would try to keep my hand 
unbandaged as much as possible, but I was wearing them a lot 
during the first week, and for the first few weeks while I 
slept.

After about 2 weeks, I had an initial healing that would allow 
me almost normal use of my hand, as long as I watched it and was 
careful. At first, I would wash the pierce with hibiclens, but 
am now using an antibacterial soap (easier on the hands and 
still kills germs). I would still recommend hibiclens on the 
fresh pierce, though. During the initial healing, I would swab 
some betadine over the freshly washed or soaked pierce to keep 
the germs away as long as possible.

I had relatively little swelling of my hand web area after the 
first week both times I had it done. Even less the second time. 
Now I would even mistake the thing for being fully healed (even 
though I know it's not inside)! There is no swelling at all 
anymore. I put lotion on the area when it gets dry (and believe 
me, the area gets really dry at times after piercing!). If the 
area dries out, it can get tender and hurt if bumped, but some 
lotion takes care of that.

All in all, I love the pierce. It is my favorite of all mine 
(eyebrow, hand, nipple, navel, PA) because it is so rare, and it 
looks wicked. From my expierence, I feel that a lot of people's 
reservations about this pierce getting in the way are 
unwarranted. Sure, there are some instances where it would be in 
the way, but for normal (whatever that is, right?) use, it's 
fine!

I am in Wisconsin and I'm wearing winter gloves all the time 
with no problems. I was waterskiing last summer and I could hold 
the tow line without a problem. Pretty much the only hindrance 
is the time spent explaining to people that I am not totally 
insane and that it didn't hurt (nonetheless I love to show it 
off.... I'm proud of my metal!)).

I would expect the true healing time to be 6 months, or a full 
year just to be sure. The times I mentioned above were my 
experience only. I've been told I'm a fast healer, so my 
experiences won't necessarily apply to everyone, but I have had 
really good experiences with the hand web despite the first one 
growing out.

One last recommendation - however you're handed, don't get that 
hand pierced. Like I said, when I had my right hand pierced, it 
grew out primarily because that had went through a lot more use 
than did my left hand. I just never realized it until I paid 
that much attention to my hands because of the piercing.


 3d. Eyelet Piercings--------------

This section by Julian Hurt, and edited by Anne Greenblatt

[Please note that Julian has much experience with piercings, and 
that this section is to provide information and in no way is to 
condone beginners from trying the same. Most people who wish to 
stretch out their piercings do it the regular way--stretching it 
a little at a time over a long period.]

Rings large enough to fill large (00 - 4) gauge earlobe 
piercings tend to be fairly heavy. The weights often are 
sufficient to automatically cause further stretching of the 
holes. An alternative to heavy jewelry is to wear light-weight 
eyelets. Eyelets essentially are stainless surgical steel or 
gold tubes that have been flared outward on both ends. They are 
hollow in the center and look like narrow grommets. Pleasurable 
Piercings carries eyelets from 4 gauge to 00 gauge and Gauntlet 
lists them from 10 gauge to 00 gauge.

Eyelets can be worn as the sole insert in a lobe piercing or 
with smaller gauge rings inserted inside them (thus allowing 
light weight rings without allowing the larger holes to grow 
closed). For illustrations of these two styles see respectively 
_Modern Primitives_ page 176, and page 3 of _Piercing Fans 
international Quarterly Number 18_. eyelets occasionally are 
called "earlets" or even "retainers." Eyelets are very effective 
visually when combined with additional rings or studs higher on 
the ear.

Eyelets are sized by the diameter of the tubing at its narrowest 
point and flare out so that the outer edge of the flare is the 
next even gauged size. thus the flange of a 4 gauge eyelet 
flares out about 0.025" and requires a 2 gauge hole. In order to 
insert an eyelet, one needs a hole the size of the outer flange 
(2 gauge larger than the eyelet size). After the eyelets are 
inserted the holes gradually will shrink'fill in towards the 
size of the eyelet.

The standard method for inserting eyelets is to begin with well-
healed piercings and gradually stretch them out. (See the FAQ 
and the article in _PFIQ number 18_, pages 23-30, for 
information on various stretching techniques.) When they are 
stretched to the stated gauge of the desired eyelet they then 
are stretched using an insertion taper of the next even gauge, 
and then inserted.

The taper temporarily stretches out the hole to accomodate the 
wider flanges, and then when the eyelet is in place, the tissue 
shrinks to the original gauge. Gauntlet warns, "CAUTION: To 
accomplish piercings large enough for eyelets great patience is 
required. Never push stretching too fast or the earlobe can be 
torn. When the hole is large enough for an eyelet, facilitate 
insertion and avoid damage to the earlobe by using a convex 
insertion taper of the next larger size."

It is also possible to insert eyelets in fresh piercings. 
Piercing needles are available up to 6 gauge from Pleasurable 
Piercings. One could pierce to the next size larger than the 
eyelet (e.g., pierce to a 6 gauge for insertion of an 8 gauge 
eyelet) but the eyelets would tend to fall out in normal wear. 
Anecdotal evidence indicates it is fairly routine to stretch 
fresh piercings to the next gauge with out tearing by using a 
well-lubricated (with anti-bacterial ointment) insertion tapers 
inserted fairly rapidly with a strong twisting motion. Then the 
eyelets can be inserted in standard fashion by following the 
taper just as one follows a piercing needle with jewelry.

The hole will snap back against the narrow part of the eyelet. 
In at least one case documented in rec.arts.bodyart postings, a 
person was innitially pierced at 6 gauge in both lobes and had 
them immediately stretched to a 2 gauge using the technique just 
described with a 2 gauge insertion taper. The piercing was done 
as an experiment by Wild Bill of Pleasurable Piercings at the 
request of a piercing-knowledgeable customer. As a precaution 
intermediate sized jewelry was on hand so that the stretching 
could be abandoned mid-way if any tearing had occorred. The 
stretching was only slightly more intense than the 6 gauge 
piercings which were relatively painless.

When eyelets are the initial insertions in fresh piercings, care 
is simple. Sensative Ears is used a number of times daily to 
irrigate the piercings. In the first few days there may be some 
swelling so that the flanges pop below the surface of the 
earlobes. As crusting loosens from the cleaning solution, gently 
po the eyelets so that both flanges are outside the hole. 
Regardless, once the eyelets are properly placed and loosened by 
the irrigation, grasp the flanges between thumb and forefinger 
and gently rotate them in the hole. These care techniques were 
used with the fresh 6 gauge piercings stretched to 2 gauge 
described above, and they healed without complication in 4 
weeks.

When eyelets are inserted by stretching they generally remain in 
place during normal daily activity. But when drying ones ears 
with a towel, cleaning the eyelets, or sleeping they do have a 
tendency to pop out unexpecedly. They also are small enough to 
easily be lost down drains. Thus one is advised not to clean 
them over sinks, not towel in the shower, etc. One way of 
preventing loss of the eyelets is to insert small rings or wire 
through them.

 3e. Nipple Piercing-------------


This section by Phaedrus

I pondered whether or not to crosspost this to rec.arts.bodyart 
and I chose not to. Mainly because I am rather unfamiliar with 
that group, and there is enough non-vanilla in my post to 
warrant not posting there. If a reader familiar with r.a.b. 
feels that this experience would benefit that group, then by all 
means feel free to repost it there.

All names used herein are used with the consent of the owner of 
said name. And if you were there and I did not mention you by 
name, it is only because I forgot to ask you. It is not because 
I have forgotten you.

Right. Onward.

It's been a full 7 days now, and I -think- I've processed enough 
to be able to post my piercing experience in a more or less 
coherent fashion.

I've been wanting a nipple piercing for over a year now. Some of 
you here back then may recall when I first posted about wanting 
one. Part of the waiting has been pondering, part because the 
time was not right.

So the time was right last weekend. Beverly Block had told me 
that she had been trained in piercing. We had talked about it a 
little over a year ago, and nothing had been said since. When I 
saw Bev at a Berkeley lunch on Friday, I asked her if she would 
do it at a ritual the next night.

After lunch and running amok in a certain storefront in Oakland, 
we headed across the bay to the Gauntlet. It was wonderful 
having Bev with me. She got into a professional argument about 
ring gauges for male nipples with a worker at the Gauntlet. And 
while Bev conceded the point, it felt good having a knowledgable 
advocate with me. I picked out a beautiful gold ring and Bev 
specified a needle and something with the ominous name of 
"pusher". At several points, the Gauntlet person discussed 
technique with Bev. Most delightful.

The next afternoon, I opened the Gauntlet bag and checked out 
the needle for the first time. I won't say that I came close to 
backing out, but I will admit that I thought about it.

That night at the ritual, after opening circle, Bev told those 
present that I was to be pierced next. I wanted people who 
-wanted- to be there to be present. It may sound strange, but I 
wanted people to be there because they wanted to be present, not 
because I wanted them there. I have to ponder that further 
sometime -- there's something odd there.

Anyway. I notice that Bev is a little nervous and encircle her 
bicep to get her attention. We lock gazes, and I tell her to 
breathe with me. She calms and returns to preparation.

I'm a little nervous, mainly because I do not know what to 
expect. My first piercing ritual, and I'm the piercee. Figures. 
I feel as if the ring is -already- in place, and the ritual is 
only matching realities.

I have my symbols: a length of black ribbon, an amethyst about 
my neck, a pewter earcuff. I mention to STella that our symbols 
are so much a part of us, and she tells me that we -are- our 
symbols. Once again, dear STella, dead on target.

It's time, and I lay down on the table clad only in my standard 
black playparty briefs. People gather about me, and I make it 
clear at some point that I -want- to be touched. It was at this 
point that I closed my eyes and did not open them until I looked 
at the ring in my body.

I concentrate on my breathing and feel the wonderful energy from 
my friends about me. I could almost sense the boundaries of the 
safespace that encircled us.

Bev fastens the hemostat on my left nipple and it -HURTS-. 
Goddam, it hurts. The stub-your-toe kind of hurt. Oh, lovely, 
the needle isn't even present yet and I'm a'hurting. Oh, well, I 
think.

The pain from the clamp starts to subside. I'm conscious mainly 
of my friends touching me. I can't distinguish who is touching 
me where...all I can feel is being enfolded in love and caring.

Bev tell me to accept the needle into my body, and it flows into 
me. No sensation of pushing, more like the needle was sucked 
into me. There is no pain, but rather an intense sensation that 
I have no name for. There is, however, and ragged edge to this 
sensation, and I do not allow myself to feel that. Rather, I 
passed that edge on to my rage which holds an image of my 
father. Let him feel that ragged edge.

The sensation is an icy clarity similar to that clarity that 
follows a mind-shaking insight. That's the closest I can come to 
describing it. I hear a most unusual sound, and realize that I 
am "screaming". I call it a scream only because I do not know 
what else to call it. I have never heard a sound like that 
before. It is not coming from any higher level center of my 
brain. It feels like it is coming from a deeper, animal part of 
my physical brain.

Bev asks me if I want to look at the needle, and I tell her no, 
thank you, I hate needles. This evokes laughter from the circle.

Suddenly a rush starts at my head and travels down my body and I 
realize that Wolf is out. I feel full of the Power around me, 
and I hear my body start to growl. A "Yes!" comes from a person 
over my head, and the circle feels even more together somehow. 
Since Wolf usually only comes out for self-defense or toppish 
rather violent lovemaking, I keep an eye on him. This situation 
is neither and I do not want him loose. He behaves, enjoying the 
feeling of the Power the ritual has evoked.

I'm so busy watching Wolf that I do not notice Bev taking the 
needle out or inserting the ring. I do notice that something has 
happened to disturb Bev, though I haven't a clue what it was. 
There's some sort of blaming going on, so I pull out the old 
joke about the blame stage of a project should be the -last- 
phase of a project and we aren't there yet.

Bev tells me that I can look at the ring now, but before I do I 
make a Gift to those with me.

I finally open my eyes and look into a small mirror Bev is 
holding. It is -beautiful-! Just how it is supposed to look. The 
realities have merged, and that brings me a warm glow of 
completion.

Ah. The gold ball is lost. That was the disturbance earlier. No 
matter. Even that occurrence feels right to me. The entire 
sequence of events feels perfect to me. I would not change a 
thing.

The circle slowly dissipates, and STella stays close to me as I 
slowly rise up in stages. Very slowly. I stumble about the 
dungeon for a bit, just to prove to myself that I can, then 
collapse on a handy bed. People wander by and now and again a 
friend cuddles and talks with me.

To those of you who shared this wonderful event in my life with 
me: thank you. I feel a bond with each of you. And, now that I 
am back in Illinois, I miss you terribly. It's funny, but all I 
have to do is look at my ring to remember the feelings of being 
with you in that circle.

And thank you, Beverly. You nor anyone else could have done 
better.

Postscript: the next day, I got an amethyst bead to replace the 
gold one that was lost. The ring achieved its proper state much 
faster because the original bead was lost. I am very pleased.

And, btw, my nipple is healing -very- nicely.

Phaedrus


  3f. Triangle Piercing----------

This section by Susan

Well....I got mine done by Raelyn Gallina in mid-February. I was 
expecting a very painful experience; a lot of people had told me 
it would be much more intense than my clit hood piercing. 
Actually, it wasn't. I don't know if it was my (mostly) lack of 
nerves this time - the clit hood was my first non-earlobe 
piercing and I was scared to death - or that I was more 
psychologically ready for this one or what, but it was not 
nearly as bad. Bled like crazy, though. I think happy thoughts 
about blood - keeping the wound clean and all that. It was 
swollen at first, but the swelling went down in about a day. It 
was a bit interesting to sit and cross my legs for about two 
days, and then it itched for a day or so. After that, I've 
hardly noticed it except occasionally when I manage to get it 
twisted a little in sitting or something. At six weeks, I would 
call it fully healed, and it has been almost no trouble. I 
cleaned it first twice a day for about a week then once daily 
with Triadine (generic Betadine). I am wearing a surgical steel 
captive bead ring in it. 

Actually, I shouldn't say I've hardly noticed it. Rather I have 
hardly noticed any *pain* from it. For the first few days it was 
so intensely *pleasurable* I had trouble concentrating - it was 
a perfect, intimate touch in *exactly* the right place, if you 
know what I mean.... *grin* Thankfully, that hypersensitivity 
has faded a bit. But I still have only to think about it to be 
able to feel like someone has placed one exquisitely delicate 
finger, just so... my, this is distracting to write.... :)

I'm delighted with the piercing, and recommend it highly to 
everyone who has the right anatomy for it (not every woman has 
enough flesh for this one, don't get your heart set on it until 
you are sure it can be done).

It also goes beautifully with the clit hood piercing, which is 
also horizontal with a matching ring. They sort of nest around 
my clit. I am thinking of getting another clit hood piercing 
above the existing one, so that I will have a set of three rings 
in a row. 


 
3g. Niebuhr Piercing -------------------------------
by  Denise "Ambient" Robinson
 
Niebuhr... When I saw the first photos of them, I thought, my goodness,
what a STOOPID IDEA.  Little did I know I would come to enjoy it
immensely.  "Why?" people always ask me...  Well, my response is so that
people will make eye-contact with me(having tremendous ta-tas can be a
disadvantage, ya know).  My main reason is that its an originality thang.
Noone I've ever seen in person has one, and I wanted somethang visible to
set me apart.  Purely poseur.  I refuse to pierce anyone with it for that
reason. The other reason is the Pain In The Ass Factor. 
 
It definitely receives a high PITA rating for many reasons: the actual
piercing, healing, and visibility.  The piercing itself can be rather
dangerous considering the location of major nerve trunks and blood vesseld
in the area.  Make sure your piercer pinches the area they're about to
pierce before poking you to ensure they're not hitting any major nerves. 
If you feel pain any where other than where the pinch is, ferget it.  If
you don't have much skin in that location, you may as well nevermind- if
you can't go too deep, it'll reject *fast*. Apart from the pinch method,
thats about the only difference in method from any other piercing.  Clean
it, mark it, clamp it, poke it.  We used a 14ga surgical steel barbell
between 5/8"-3/4"long (to allow room for cleaning) with 3/16"balls (to
allow me to see around the thang!).  I wouldn't use any larger of a gauge,
simply cuz I wouldn't like the potential visible bulge under theskin.  It
shouldn't be a painful piercing.  Unfortunately, the piercer to whom I went
ended up taking about 3 seconds to get the needle through, having not used
a cork (supposedly to ensure it being straight), so I admit that it *did*
hurt, but I feel that it *shouldn't* have hurt that much, done quickly. Oh
yeah, for the first 72 hours, I experienced caked blood on the balls of
the jewelry, hence I recommend holing yerself up for a weekend so's not to
freak out your friends... I've used Bactine (Benzalkonium Chloride) to
clean mine with great results... Twice a day, and any time I get
excessively sweaty or dirty. Healing a surface piercing seems to be a
full-time job for about six months. Neglecting it for a few days, or
playing rough with it seems to be enough to set it off (but then of course
it could be considered to be a good thang- a nice barometer for your
health, so long as you don't mind pus excreting from between yer eyes). As
for the visibility thang, it can be real frustrating wearing glasses or
sunglasses, or having braids or dreadlocks that catch in the thang.  If
its not 100% straight, boy, is it ever obvious.  And if it starts to
reject, it ain't a pretty sight. So far I've been lucky, and it seems to
be nice and even and straight. I must say, if this actually stays put, I'll
be incredibly loathe to ever remove it.  Its among the few of my piercings
that really feels like it belongs. 


3h.  Vertical Clitoral Hood Piercing---------------------
     by Erika Ferguson

Piercing performed by Morganna at Inkporium Tattoos in Lansing, Michigan.
In the summer of 94 I had my intro into below the neck piercing with the
ever popular navel ring. I wanted another piercing before I was even off
of the table and I had a nipple piercing about a month later. About that
same time I was exposed to the benefits of genital piercings through
conversations with my piercer but was still a little skitish. I had a
second nipple pierced and began stretching my ears, all the while trying
to prepare myself for a genital piercing. Most of my concerns centered
around exposing myself to the piercer, I felt uncomfortable with the idea
even with the piercer being female because of severe scarring on my inner
thighs and outer labia from childhood surgery. We began to discuss the
piercing and I originally wanted a clitoral piering but the piercer felt
uncomfortable so we settled on a vertical clithood piercing low down
towards the glans, which is well exposed. I was finally settled on doing
it and got up the nerve to tell her about the scars, she just shrugged and
said it made no difference, which took a weight off of me. The piercing
itself was done with a 12 gauge needle and receiving tube as my hood is
very loose. I was very nervous and shaky before the piercing and I found
the cleaning painfull as the glans is very very sensitive. It felt a
little strange to have the recieving tube directly on my clit so I held
very still , soon I felt a very intense sharp pain but I barely had time
to suck in my breath before it was over. She instilled a 12 gauge 5/8 SSS
captive bead hoop and sent me on my way with strict care instructions
echoing in my head . I found that the rolling of my wheelchair down the
sidewalk was a whole new experience, every bump in the sidewalk an
interesting tickle. My healing time was suprisingly rapid with one day of
light bleeding, one day of itching and two days of plasma secretion before
I was completly healed. A pleasent change compared to months of fighting
with a navel and trangus. Its been a few months now and the sensation is
still nice but alittlte to mild so Im getting bored. I plan to instill an
8 gauge 3\8 or 1\2 inch barbell to heighten the sensation some more. I
think I will enjoy the barbell more because I tend to get caught up in the
hoop so I play a little more gingerly than Id like. Despite my recent
complants, Id still rate this as my favorite piercing , well worth the two
seconds of pain. 



3i.  Horizontal Clitoral Hood Piercing----------------------  
     by Beth Young 

10 Days ago I decided to get a clit hood pierce.  I had been thinking 
about it for several months but hadn't quite got up the nerve to do it (it 
is my first non-ear pierce).  Around Thanksgiving, I went to one (of two) 
piercing places to talk to the piercer and test his knowledge of 
piercing.  I didn't want to be pierced by somebody that knew less than 
me.  And while I will admit I don't know alot, after reading the FAQs and 
talking/listening to people on the R.A.B, I knew what questions to ask 
and what kinda of answers I should get.  So, I talked to Jay for about 30 
mintues that time and went back to talk to him 2 other times before I 
decided to just DO IT.

I made the appointment for a Saturday afternoon.  I wasn't really nervous
when I got to the shop but then I had to wait.  Jay was working on a
tattoo and another girl was waiting to get her tongue pierced.  So, I
waited and waited and then waited some more.  That was the hard part.  The
longer I sat there, the more nervous I got.  Michelle, Jay's assistant,
came out to talk to me.  She told me what to expect and gave me the
cleaning instructions.  After an hour of waiting, it was my turn.  Jay set
up the privacy screen and then started telling me what he was doing to as
he set up the piercing station.  We talked about the jewerly and how the
piercing will stretch some with normal walking and that I might want to
get a larger guage ring after the pierce was healed.  After the station
was prepared, he stopped and took the time to tell me what he was going to
be doing to insure of the proper placement of ring and that the placement
would take longer than the actual piercing.  Then he smiled and said "drop
'em".  *deep breath* and I was ready to get pierced.  Jay cleaned the
piercing site and then measured and marked the piercing site and then
clamped on the forceps.  (This sounds easy but it did take the most time!)
Then Jay said to take a deep breath and let it out, Deep breath and
exhale, Deep breath and that was when he pushed the needle thru.  I kinda
sucked in my breath and then it was done.  In the time it took for me to 
take that deep breath, it was over.  I can't say that it
hurt, there was a slight sting and some pressure and then nothing.  I
could feel the needle and I could definatly feel the ring sliding thru. 
It was great! 

The cleaning instuctions were easy, use anti-bacterial soap to clean the
ring/piercing site 2-3 times a day and use Neosporine (sp?) on it once a
day for the first 3-4 days.  It bled a little that night after I had got
home and a little the next day.  I just cleaned the ring several times to
remove the blood.  I haven't had any problems with it.  I tried wearing
jeans about 4 days after the piercing and it made it tender so I went back
to wearing sweats/ stretch pants or dresses. I am wearing jeans today 
and it isn't causing the problems that it did last week.  I know it isn't 
healed completely but it isn't as tender as it was. :)  I would do it 
again in a heartbeat! :)
 
Beth Young (Phoen)
CCBeth@showme.missouri.edu


3j.  Ampallang Piercing -----------------------
     by Fred Heald (justfred@netcom.com)
     edited by Anne Greenblatt

So I happened to be in New Orleans for the first time this weekend, and I
was having a great time wandering around the place, and on Sunday I was in
the Qurter checking out a thrash clothing store and noticed a poster
advertising Body Piercing, Wings of Desire, Elaine "Angle" Binnie; I
thought, "Oh, cool, I've heard a lot about her on rab." I decided to
wander over.

Her shop is located on the second floor of another thrash clothing store. 
It's a cool place, not terribly crowded like Gauntlet seems to be whenever
I stop by (of course, crowded with people with great bodyart!).  The woman
who assisted me, another Elaine, was very cool (and is occassionally
online, "Hello!").  I looked at a few pieces of jewelry and started
wondering what had made me come in, and I realized maybe it was an
indication that I should go ahead and get the Ampallang I've been
considering for the last two years.  I was concerned that I might not be
able to get an appointment, but Elaine 2 said that they could probably fit
me in in about an hour. 

Meanwhile, another customer offered that ampallang's hea quite quickly
and don't hurt excruciatingly afterwards, and that I should have no
problem going to work the next day.  I thought it over as I perused
an issue of PFIQ that discussed the procedure.  "Angel" came over and
chatted with me about the procedure and healing regimin; she was very
nice and made me feel comfortable.  I decided to go for it.  Release
forms were signed, money exchanged.  Elanie 2 asked if she could watch; I
replied, "No problem."

In about 10 minutes t"Angel" was ready ("Hey - you told me I was
going to get to wait an hour!").  We adjourned to the front alcove, where
I dropped my drawers and climbed up onto the table.  I decided I would
feel more comfortable without my shirt - somehow being naked felt somewhat
less embarrassing in a clinical setting.  

"Angel" marked the piercing's entrance and exit holes, further back than
I expected but correct I see now.  I tried to clear my mind.  "Angel"
decided against using clamps.  I found myself surprisingly lacking
in nervousness, and the thought of the pain really didn't scare
me at first, but then when she told me to take deep breaths ("When you
exhale I'll go ahead with it."), there was that moment of raw panic and
I thought, "I can stop this right now," but I didn't, and exhaled.  

The piercing took about 2 seconds or so.  I could feel the needle passing
through, a very strange sensation.  The jewelry insertion was hardly
noticeable.  When the procedure was done I saw that I was bleeding quite
a bit.  She wrapped me up in tissue and a rubber glove.  She detailed the
recommended cleaning regimine - twice a day, soak, push back and forth
with diluted soap, rinse, continue for up to six months and don't
touch it with dirty hands!  No swimming AT ALL.

Sporting the rubber glove I reclothed and thanked "Angel" and Elaine 2
numerous times, and wandered off...I was a bit wasted the rest of the day,
though it didn't really seem like a rush or high, just a stuporous
disbelief.

I washed the piercing as prescribed, and changed gloves - I was provided
with a good supply.  I also picked up some unlubricated condoms which worked
well in lieu of the glove the next day at work, where I walked
gingerly but was generally ok.

I bled a fair amount the first night, less the second day, and on day 4 
did not require a dressing.  Now I find that it actually hurt less the
day it was performed than it does when I occassionally sit down wrong
or get an erection, which wakes me up in the middle of the night. I cannot
sleep on my stomach yet, and I do wake up at night to adjust the barbell
position.

The barbell is about 1/8" to 1/4" longer than the width of the piercing
most of the time.  It is especially painful when it pulls to one side, but
I can tell it is steadily getting better.

I would say (and "Angel" suggested this reaction is common) that the
Ampallang was and continues to be less painful than either nipple
piercing.  The piercing took longer but it hurt less.  

I wonder how much increased sensation I will get (the nipple piercings are
wonderful in this respect!).  I'm not really worried about WHEN I'll be
able to use it again, since I haven't really used it in a number of years...
Though I'll probably immediately meet some woman and fall madly in lust
and everything will be fine until...I know that one of the women I have a
crush on st the moment finds the idea intriguing - we happened to discuss
the matter impersonally a while back; she was disagreeing with a woman who
said it was "Gross" ("No, I heard it can feel quite good.")  And yes, I
have since proven that the equiptment is still functional!


3k.  Foreskin Piercing  -----------------------------
     by Pierre Honeyman (pierre@amisk.cs.ualberta.ca)
     Edited by Anne Greenblatt

I decided to get my foreskin pierced for several reasons.  I was considering
an Ampallang, but I thought my foreskin might get in the way, so I decided
to pierce it instead.  I had seen drawings of several such piercings and
I thought it could be an attractive piercing in itself.  I was never
worried about the pain factor as I didn't find the area that pain-responsive.

Once my mind was made up I proceeded to find a piercer here in
Edmonton.  I called a few friends and got some suggestions, and I decided
on an initial visit to Larry at Joeyy and Bear.  I had heard of good
experiences with him.

During the initial appointment we discussed the piercings I wanted (septum
and two foreskin).  When we discussed the foreskin piercings, Larry
brought up aspects I had not thought of - for instance, I would have to
plan the piercings to avoid any veins visible with a flashlight.

We made an appointment for the piercings, and I went home to look for
suitable piercing locations.  I studied the areas several times over the
next week, and marked the locations the night before I was to get pierced.

I wasn't too nervous until I arrived at the shop, and then I became very
excited.  Larry and I talked for a little bit, and he described the
procedures completely.  Relaxing music played in the background which
established a sothing atmosphere.  I decided to get the foreskin piercings
first, since I thought they would hurt the least.  I showed him where I
wanted the piercings and he checked the areas himself.  He showed me the
equiptment and explined the procedure again, as well as how he wanted me
to breathe throughout the procedure.  He had me take a few deep breaths at
a speed he liked and I found the method very relaxing and helpful in
controlling the pain.  He clamped the area and I resumed breathing, and
after a few breaths he said he would push the needle after the next breath.
I felt the him press the needle against my skin as I inhaled, and then
he pushed the needle through as I exhaled.  I looked down at the needle - I
had felt no pain at all, and was very surprised.  He inserted the ring
without closing it, until he had performed the second piercing.  The
second piercing hurt, but it was still nothing, really.  It hurts more to
play with a fiesty cat than get my foreskin pierced!  Once both rings were
in he adjusted the jewelry and popped in the beads.  

The endorphins kicked in and I was surprised since I hadn't felt them when
I had my nipple pierced previously.  I got fressed, shaking, and sat down
again to ready myself for the septum piercing.  Larry asked me if I felt
well enough to continue, and I replied affirmatively.  He discussed the
septum piercing procedure, and said he prefers to perform them with the
customer lying down.  He said that I may feel to vulnerable laying down,
and that he could pierce me sitting up if I prefered.  I told him to go
ahead as he prefered, and he reclined the chair until I was flat with my
head towards him, upside down.  It was unnerving, but not overwhelmingly
so.  I was a bit afraid about the piercing since I thought it would hurt a
lot.  He prepared the equiptment and had me start breathing as before.  He
placed a needle receiving tube on one side and the needle on the other. 
At this point we were briefly interupted by a friend of mine who had
stopped by.  I asked him to wait in the foyer and we  got back to the
business at hand.  Again, there was no pain and I was very surprised.

After the ring was in place, Larry instructed me on healing and aftercare.
He recommended Baciguent ointment and Hibitane for cleansing.

Healing the foreskin piercings was no problem at all.  Initially, cleaning
the inside of my foreskin was dificult due to the swelling.  The swelling
was gone after about a week.  I discovered that during healing briefs were
much more comfortable than my usual boxer shorts.  The briefs held my
penis more securely and there wasless bouncing against my leg.

To clean the foreskin piercings, I first cleaned away the dried discharge
(crusties) with a wet cotton swab. Then I washed both sides of the
piercings with diluted Hibitane (1/3 to 2/3 water), again using a cotton
swab.  I left the solution in place for three minutes, then rinsed
thoroughly.  After rinsing I applied Baciguent ointment, which I used for
10 days, 5 days on, 2 days off, 5 days on.  The Hibitane I used for 2
weeks. It's been 6 weeks now and I haven't had any discharge for 2 weeks.  
I can rotate the rings at any time.

So far I haven't encountered any difficulties with my piercings.  I have
not had sex yet so I cannot say how they will affect sex.  I am
able to retract my foreskin without problems and the rings fold back
nicely against my penis.  I was able to masturbate after 2 days.

I enjoy my foreskin rings for the amusement value.  I can make them jingle
when I'm naked and I like the sound; naturally I want bells now!  For me
they are definitely serving the purpose I got them for, which is aesthtic.
I don't know if there will be other benefits of the rings since they don't
really add to sensation, although I have received some very interesting
suggestions that I will follow up on later.  They'll make a handy leash
for B/D scenes, I'm sure! 


3l.  Frenum with Intact Foreskin --------------------------
     by  cgneil@amoco.com (clive neil)

I think there ough to be a paragraph in the FAQ about frenums with a
foreskin. Which other pierce offers such a difficult task in placement.
A foreskin can change so much between flacid and erect. I can't think
of another pierce where the skin involved can move so much.

I can fill you in on a few things. I had a frenum two weeks ago (and
three weeks ago - more later). I am also 100% intact (uncircumstised).

My piercing is about 3/4" down from the head about level with the head
on the top so I can put on a loop after healing. I had it done 12ga with
a 5/8" barbell.

Before the piercing my foreskin would be in a variety of positions from
not covering the head at all to most of the way over. This hasn't changed.
Most of the time the barbell is on the outside sort of anchoring the
foreskin back but sometimes I have to go in and find it. I'd prefer it
to stay exposed for air circulation but it is fun to unroll my foreskin
to look for the barbell.

Cleaning is easy and was completely painless for me from day one. Since
the skin is loose I can push the barbell one way or the other to expose
both side of the bar for cleaning. So far not too many crusties.

So in fact I think the only disadvantage in having a foreskin and a
frenum is in positioning it. How do you know where the flacid skin will
be whilst erect. I wanted the piercing to be centred and horizontal
whilst erect. I had thought about this before going to get it done.
When I went in I spent quite a while with my piercer trying to position
it. We pulled the skin moved the ink dots and agreed on a position. I
was still a bit dubious but whatthehell. Afterwards I went home and
checked the erect position. As I feared it was off to one side and
squewed. I went out to see a band and thought about it some more. I
decided that it would probably bug me for years so took it out. A week
later I did some homework. I got hard and drew a grid on my cock. One
line down the exact centre, one each side on the egdes of the front
ridge and a couple of horizontal lines. Then I went down to the piercer
and we tried again. More endorphines etc - good value - two hits - one
pierce - I now understand play piercing.

The second time was perfect. It is exactly where I wanted it to be. The
initial healing has been good. No pain, easy cleaning and not much redness.
Unfortunately my girldfriend is about 6750 miles away so I haven't fully
tested it yet but on a couple of solo missions it felt great.
  

3m. Ampallang Piercing #2  -----------------------------
    by amabee@utias.utoronto.ca (Adam Adam)

Thanks to everyone who gave me advice last week about choosing between the 
frenum, ampallang, and PA.  Of course, I ignored most of your advice and 
went for the amp  :-)

I had it done by Tee, on Church St. in Toronto.  I have nothing to say
about her but good..

I managed to convince VioSpazz, with whom I have been talking in e-mail
for a couple of months, to lend me some moral support.  Actually, it didn't
take much persuading.  We had never met in Real Life before, so meeting for the 
first time at a piercer's, and dropping my pants within a half hour, was a 
bit weird.  It worked out well, though.  She was wonderfully supportive, 
distracted me with conversation when I needed to be, and held my hand the 
whole time.  :)

Tee spent quite a while making absolutely sure that I wanted an amp, 
because this is my first metal (case of beer! - no, wait a minute, wrong 
newsgroup) - I've never even had an ear pierced.  When she was convinced, 
I chose the size of balls for my barbell, and we got down to business. 
She cleaned things like crazy, spent quite a bit of time locating the
cavernosa and double-checking, then marked the placement for me to check.  She
doesn't like to pierce through the urethra, because of the chance of scar 
tissue bridging across it, so she marked a little higher up than I had
pictured.  No matter, it still looked good, so... on with the forceps.  At that
point, your faithful narrator decided it was time to stop watching.

It stung a little when she moved the clamps a couple of times, which made
me flinch a bit, making me wonder how much I'd jump when I was actually 
pierced.  She relaxed the clamps a bit for me, them told me she was almost 
done.  Yeah, right, I was thinking.  Everything but the *real* pain.  She 
asked if I was ready, and if I wanted any warning.  I made sure I had only 
two of Vio's fingers in my hand, so that I wouldn't break anything, and 
kinda hum'd and ha'd about getting warned.  Tee said, nah, you don't need 
any warning.  Then...

Yow.  Two or three seconds of yow.  I'm afraid I made a bit of a racket 
before I got control of my vocal cords.  The pain was about as intense as 
the time I got stitches in my hand, but, fortunately, it didn't last
nearly as long this time.  And putting the barbell in just stung a bit.

Eventually, I psyched myself up enough to look.  Wow.  It looked pretty 
cool, even though I was in denial about actually having metal through my 
penis.

Tee cleaned everything up, wrapped me up, and taped a glove over everything
to contain the blood.  Then I realized that the endorphin rush that
everyone talks about just wasn't materializing.  Not that I needed it -
things were just smarting at that point - but it might have been fun to 
be more than just a bit shaky (and feeling obnoxious).

So it went pretty well.  I even felt up to driving home afterwards (with a 
manual transmission!), it hurt so little.  Just a small nagging reminder
of what I'd just had done to such an... important organ  :)

It's just as well that I got pierced below the waist, because despite not
intending to let any of my friends know (they'd FREAK), I have this insane 
urge to show it off.  I'm kinda proud of my metal.   So far, though, only 
three people other than myself have seen it.

Anyway, hats off to Tee for professionalism, bedside manner, and concern
for my well-being.  And, certainly, a *huge* hug goes out to VioSpazz, without 
whose support I don't think I could have either chosen to do this, or 
actually gone through with it.


--
                              * Ardvark *
                            Anne Greenblatt
               Piercing FAQ Manager for rec.arts.bodyart
          > Proprietor of Piercing Exquisite, Richmond, VA <
                NEW ADDRESS - ardvark@richmond.infi.net