I had been wanting to get my belly button pierced for a long time. I mean a REALLY long time. I started asking my parents if I could get it done when I was about 10. They kept saying no so the summer after I turned 15 I was fed up. I wanted the piercing more than ever, and my parents were still saying I would have to wait until I'm 18.
Well, that summer I was going on a school trip to Italy. Perfect timing! Well for me at least, but definately not for my parents. Because I would be going on the trip without them. So of course the first thing that popped into my head was "hey! that would be the perfect chance to finally get my belly button pierced! and it would be so cool to say that i got it done in italy..." So our trip went, and I spent the first few days asking around in the various cities we went to where a good piercing studio was. I didn't get many good recommendations in the beginning. Needless to say that by the fourth day I was getting pretty bummed out. But finally I got lucky. When we got to Venice our class went to a metal-making shop before we had free time. There was this REALLY cute guy who worked there, he was probably about 18. He had his lip pierced and I asked him if he had gotten it done locally. He said yeah and then gave me directions to a great piercing place in the middle of the cit y. I spent about an hour trying to find the place, but I was still very excited by the time I got there. I got kinda nervous sitting while they got stuff ready for me. This heavily tattooed man with a whole bunch of piercings came out and asked my my name. I told him and then he proceeded to explain all the things he was going to do. He said that everything was sterile and he showed me the 14 gauge needle and some other instruments. Then I picked out a plain steel ring with a captive bead to put in my new piercing. He told me to breathe in on the count of three and that way it would not hurt as much. So he counted down and when he got to three I sucked in my breath really hard. It was over before I knew it, and I hadn't felt a thing. I watched as he threaded the ring through the needle and easily slipped the bead in (since then I've learned its much harder than it looks!!).
The chaperones on my trip weren't too happy with me though. They found out through one of my "friends" that I had gotten it done and they called my parents. My Dad flew from the US to come meet me, but he ended up staying with me in Rome for a little while and we had a great time. Don't get me wrong, my parents were not too happy either, but they blamed the incident on my apparent depression and took the piercing as an act of self-mutilation. But I managed to get out of the whole thing unpunsihed and with my piercing still there, which was the most important thing as far as I was concerned. Even though I got kicked off the trip half way through I don't regret getting it pierced at all. I love it and it was totally worth every bit of trouble.
I took good care of it and it healed fine. I had an allergic reaction to a titanium ring (weird i know, titanium of all things) but that healed. Since then I've stretched it myself twice, first to a 12g and its now at a 10g. There is less variety in body jewelry that way, but I think most of the jewelry for navel piercings are tacky anyway so I like the 10g a lot. I also have 6 holes in my left ear and 4 in my right. I did all of the piercings in my ears myself, and I have never had any problem with them. But I'm not saying go do piercings at home. Since I've done them I have learned that it can be dangerous and that you should have a professional do your piercings for you. I want an industrial in my right ear, and I know a place that is going to do it for me. I'm also going to get my lip pierced (hopefully soon)if I can convince my parents of that one, which will probably take some time. Their current comments on that are if I get it done then I will not be able to drive, b ut I think I will be able to wear them down. Anyway, my whole experience was great, and I highly suggest going for it if any of you want a navel piercing! But I would say get a barbell while its healing because it would pull on the piercing less and would not tend to heal to the side. Good luck with everybody's piercings!!! Get something pierced, its beautiful!
