by Julie Sung
This is the story of how I got my navel ring. But it is more than how I got a hole (or actually two) on my stomach. It is meant to pass on the priceless lessons I learnt that Saturday night in Shih-Men-Ting. The following are a few things you must know in order to ensure a safe piercing. Getting a navel ring, or any other kind of body piercing is something that should not be done on the spur of the moment. But since I was so eager to get my piercing that very day, I settled for a shop where the piercer had dirt under his fingernails and wore no gloves. My reckless behavior could have led to major problems. Although I was lucky enough to have survived the experience without any harm, I could have easily contracted a serious disease such as liver cancer or suffered from a severe infection. So don’t make the same mistake I did. Do not compromise your health for a silly whim. Remember that the piercer must be wearing gloves and the needle he uses should be in a sealed sterile package, which he opens in front of you just before the piercing and destroys immediately afterwards. If you doubt the sterility of a piercer’s instruments or procedure at any time during your piercing experience, please speak up! Ignoring such fundamental sanitation issues may result in nasty infections, diseases, or even death!! Another important aspect is the price. Do not let the owners intimidate you into believing everything they say. Keep in mind that these people are professional liars. Prices vary anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to a few thousand. Since jewelry made of stainless steel will be the easiest to clean and the least prone to infection or adverse reaction, it is wise to start with them. However, one has to doubt the authenticity of stainless steel jewelry that costs too little, no matter what the piercer tells you. But don’t let that drive you into choosing the most expensive one either. I would say a little over a thousand would be reasonable. Then again, I am not an authority on body jewelry, so I would advise you to use your common sense and natural intuition. Or better yet, ask around or do some research. Do not rush to the first person that claims to be able to provide the service, because there are many people out there who would do and say anything just to get money out of your pocket. Many of them are not professional piercers and have little experience. I found out that the piercer of one shop used to sell ice-cream cones only a year ago! Before you commit to a certain shop, ask the piercer if they pierce by gun or by hand. Getting pierced with a piercing gun is very unhealthy. A piercing gun inflicts blunt trauma force to the body which increases the chances of infection and an unpleasant healing process. ALL piercings should be performed with a hollow, surgical steel tribevel needle (I learned this on the internet). This will alleviate the problem of “blowout” (having a volcano-like build-up of flesh around the exit hole of your piercing) and decrease chances of infection. Those who do not know the proper process of body piercing may fall victim to unscrupulous, amateur piercers. This is what a professional piercer would do: first, tightly clamp the flesh of the piercing area. Then, when the needle is in line, slide the needle through and insert one end of the starter jewelry into the back of the needle, then in one continuous motion, slide the needle all the way through and leave the jewelry in the piercing. So if the piercer claims to pierce with a gun or directly with the jewelry, without a needle, get out of there! After you are lucky enough to find a clean, professional, trustworthy place, aftercare procedures are important too. Even if you were pierced in a decent place, you could still suffer from infection if you do not take proper care of your piercing, which is in fact a wound. After I had gotten my navel ring, my piercer bragged that I could go swimming if I wanted to. I was not naive enough to believe him. Luckily I had an experienced cousin, who instructed me on proper care of a piercing. You should avoid the area from coming into contact with water until the soreness goes away. The area should be disinfected daily with a special cleaning antiseptic for piercings. Do not clean it with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide! They will aggravate the wound. After a few weeks to a few months (depending on the piercing) your piercing will be fully healed, and you will be ready to upgrade your style from starter jewelry to something a little more fancy. Do not let conniving salespeople talk you into starting a piercing with elaborate jewelry, as they will often do since they cost more. Do not let your vanity lead you into it either. It is better to take it slow than suffer from the agonizing pain of an infection. I know how hard finding a decent, honest place may be but don’t give up. Hopefully, my experience will help those of you who are thinking about getting body piercings to avoid the many traps. Do not settle for an inferior place no matter how badly you want it. If you can’t find a place that meets the criteria above, then you shouldn’t get it done. After all, staying healthy and alive is more important than getting an ornament on your body. #Volume 7 Issue 1 a
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Authors
The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
|