let me preface this by saying: do not email me about pain, caring, recommendations or anything related to the above on. I wrote the following to bmezine in response to the people being generally stupid:
First off, ALL PAIN IS RELATIVE. Please please PLEASE stop posting “does xyz hurt” because what hurts for one person does not necessarily mean pain for others. While yes, you may want to get a general ‘feeling’ what one person says is painful someone else may say is not and lastly, please keep in mind that for most, the pain is during the ANTICIPATION of the bodmod not the bodmod itself.
Secondly, please stop asking about care instructions about xyz mod. If you are experiencing problems with a piercing or tattoo, take your ass down to your tattoo shop or call your doctor. While I will not discount there are not any professionals here, not ONE person in this community is going to be qualified to make a diagnosis of your ‘issue’ via text. Your professional tattoo/piercer or a doctor can make that judgment call. Please keep in mind your health is at risk here and should not be taken lightly at ANY rate.
amendment to secondly: Any FIRST rate shop will give you instructions on care for your bodmod. You should leave the shop not only with your receipt from your purchase but you should have a slip of paper or the url to their website with the information on care and feeding of your bodmod. Also remember that most shops DIFFER on their approach to healing out both tattoos and piercings and to make sure there are no issues, follow your shops instructions TO THE LETTER. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa.
Thirdly, please take the time to consider what you are doing. You will have scarring (for the most part) from piercing and for the sake of the argument, the tattoo is forever. Someone posted about getting a band tattoo, which is fine. But I will warn you in saying that my taste in bands have changed significantly in the last 15 years and while the bands I love when I was in high school, I still adore now, but there are others that have moved into the higher ranks. All six of my tattoos have some significance to them and I have them for that purpose. #7 which I’m getting in a few weeks is the same way. This is a permanent change. I do not want crap tattoos drooping when I’m 80 and unless you plan on killing yourself before your 40, you should think about what you are choosing. wisely.
Fourthly, if you are not willing to take care of your piercing/tattoos or have issues with the lifestyle, do not get them done. PERIOD. If you are worried about job prospects or what have you, piercing and tattooing is NOT for you OR simply get pieces that can be covered. This is a no brainer. Don’t get facial piercings up the wazoo and then wonder why you can’t get a suite and tie job.
Fifthly, “coolness” or “trendy” factor is nihilistic. By this I mean that what you think is cutting edge, is well, not. People were piercing the shit out of themselves when I was in high school (I graduated in 1990) and even the generation before me was doing the same thing. You are not being “edgy” or “alternative” by getting tattooed or pierced. Like the rest of us, you are merely sheep. This is NOT new thinking. As much as you think as you are different, you are not. Welcome to reality.
Lastly, please take the time to read over rec.arts.bodyarts faq. I have found that this guide has provided not only the most reliable, most referred faq but the most exhaustive list of answers to almost ALL of the questions in concentration to bodmods. A quick google search found this location: http://www.cs.uu.nl/wais/html/na-dir/bodyart/.html
Bookmark it, read it, have sex with it, it’s your choice.
Finally, bodmod is a personal choice. Upon taking everything that has been said, remember this is YOUR body and you are the one who has to deal with the issues if something gets infected, migrates or what have you. Please refer only to professionals and to experienced people in making this decisions. Also realise that there will be many who will not agree with your choice of what you are doing to your body and you must be willing to have a think skin when it comes to non-bodmod people looking at you weirdly.
you can view my gallery of bodmods here: http://www.modgirl.net/gallery/tattoos.
Also note that if you comment in the gallery, i am not notified of your comments! I would prefer that you would email me them directly. thanks.
what i currently have done:
tattoos:
- eye of ra on my right ankle: circa 1994
- “marietta” on upper right arm: done july 2001
- tribal butterfly on my lower back: done july 2001
- one of a kind tribal on left calf: done august 2001
- kanji for free on my upper back: done april 2003
- celtic circle of life on upper thigh: done may 2003
- DEATH on upper left arm: started july 2003
piercings:
(I do not count normal ear lobe piercings or the five times i had my upper cartilage pierced in this countdown. this also does not include gauge downs either. i am also missing belly piercing #3, as I don’t remember when I got that done)
- left nostril pierced (still open), done spring 1992
- bellybutton pierced (#1), winter 1995
- left nipple pierced, summer 1996
- belly button pierced (#2), summer 1996
- right nipple pierced, winter 1997
- tongue pierced, done july 1997
- belly button pierced (#4 and #5), july 2001
- eyebrow pierced, done august 2001
- industrial, done july 2003