Throughout last year I'd been contemplating getting my belly button pierced and eventually scrapped the idea completely. However, the last few days of 2012 I was getting that niggling feeling again of wanting to get it done and that little voice in my head was encouraging me to just do it.
On New Year's Eve I was deliberating and finally solidified my decision. Telling myself that I'll be 21 this year and I feel if I don't do it now I never will.
However I did not time it very well at all! After talking myself into it, I tried to get booked in on New Year's Day and of course it was closed for the holidays! I'd also forgot where the piercing shop was haha!
I then tried again on the 2nd of January and the member of staff who usually does the piercings wasn't in! I was then told to come back the next day. Fast forward to today and third time lucky! I finally got it done!
I went in to Sunderland Body Art for my belly button piercing as I was already familiar with them from getting my ears and ear cartilage piercings done years ago so felt more at ease going there than somewhere I hadn't been before.
I'd entered the building, went upstairs to the reception and they asked what I was after and handed me a form to fill out beforehand. The form asked questions such as "have you had alcohol in the past 24 hours?" "are you prone to fainting and dizziness?" etc. They ask for payment upfront which is what I did. I was amazed it came to £20 with the belly bar included! I'd thought it would much more expensive than that.
Before they did the piercing, they had to check over my belly button to make sure it was okay to do it. I assume it was for checking the size, enough skin around it and to see if it was an inner or outer belly button, that sort of thing. Once I was given the green light and I was ready to go!
I followed Charlie, the guy who was doing my piercing, to another room where he marked my stomach with a marker so he knew where to pierce and then I was shown the selection of belly bars that I could have and then lay on the bench to do the clamping and the piercing and put the bar through the skin.
I must admit I was rather proud of myself because I didn't flinch or scream or cry! haha!
The best way I can describe of how it feels for those who are thinking of getting it done is like someone with really sharp nails his holding the skin around the top part of your belly button and digging their nails into it. That's the best possible way I can describe it haha! It may also depend on your pain threshold too and how hyped up you are for getting it done. After it was done my stomach felt like I'd done a stomach work out, like that dull ache you feel after doing loads of sit ups but apart from that I felt ok.
Once it was done, they tell you about the aftercare, how to look after it and the items you need are sold back at the reception. Mine cost £2 which I thought was pretty reasonable.
Overall I am thrilled to bits to have finally psyched myself up to do it and I couldn't be happier with it!
