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I wanted to get my naval pierced for awhile. I kept bugging my Mom to allow me to do it. Since I am 15, i couldnt get it done without having a parent with me. Well, finally she said yes. I was so happy. I decided to get it done at Totem Tatto. I heard it was really sterile and clean. Saftey was the main concern for me, as well as my mother. i didnt want a nasty infection. We got info over the phone and I needed to bring ID with me such as my birth certificate and social security number. Me and my mother headed to Totem on 6/7/00. there was no turning back. well we could have, but i would have never forgiven myself. I waited so long for that day and finally it was here. When we got there we had to wait for about 45 minutes. the waiting was the worst part. a girl went in ahead of me to get it done and she came back out alive. if i would have heard screaming and crying i would have headed straight back out that door. it was my turn. Ruth the lady who did my piercing was extremly nice and helpful. she helped me feel more comfortable, less anxious and i liked the clean atmosphere. first she cleaned my belly with some different substances. they were cold and they tickeld. next, it was time to make the dot with the marker of where the ring would be pierced. out of everything, this took the most time. it took about 20 minutes to finally get it in the right spot, she wanted it to be perfect and of course so did i. i accidently touched my stomach so she had to clean it all over again and re- mark me. this whole process involved standing, laying, and having close examination of my belly which would usually make me a little uncomfortable. finally she got the dot in place where she was sure she had it right. she kept changing her gloves if she would accidently hit something. a good sign . the tray of instruments didnt scare me as much as i thought they would. i picked out my ring i wanted, but was only given a limited number of choices. i decided on a silver hoop with a hematite colored ball. simple but it would do the trick. i thought i would have been provided with more choices. I layed down on the table and she took a pair of lightweight clamps and clamed them on to my naval. this didnt hurt me at all, i couldnt even feel them. others told me that they really hurt. they didnt look at all like the torture devices i imagined them to be. she got the needle and it was about the size of a sewing needle. it was thinner than i expected and didnt really scare me. I layed there, waiting for the pain, not as nervous however as i thought i would be. only excited. as she started to put it through, i felt a small pinch. then she slid it through, until it came out the other side. i of course wasnt able to watch this, nor would i have wanted to. it didnt hurt at all. it was a small pinch like 2 seconds. the rest was just the earing sliding through and this was nothing, almost a cool sensation. she grabbed for what my mom said looked like a cork and held it there while she quickly slid the ring in. i didnt feel that at all. but when i looked down i saw two metal ends of the hoops there in my belly button. it was a joy i couldnt express in words! she had to connect the ball to these ends which i didnt feel either. it didnt bleed at all and i was finished. i got up and looked at it in the mirror. i loved it. it wasnt sore at all right after i got it finished, nor red or anything. just a small white circle there around it like a small swelling from being newly pierced. she gave me a card with instructions on the care for it and told me to call if i had any questions. its august now and i've had it a little over two months. the only problems i have experienced is the hoop seeming to want to lean towards the right too far. but that is something normal that can happen i suppose, maybe by your jeans pushing it over and training it. i just have to work with it and push it back over the other way. then its good as new. also, there was and still is some redness and oozing of gross stuff. but its not infection, just a normal part of the healing process. its not as sore as i thought it would be and its healing more and more every day to the point i forget its even there. it will still be a couple more months yet till i can change it and i cant wait. i want to get a jewled bannana barbell. something with a pretty stone. it was all worth it and if i had to do it again, i would. a thousand times over.

Submitted by: mrcactus@sunlink.net.

Experience Added 08/21/2000