After writing about surface piercings in general, I thought I should include my experience.
On July 15, 2006, I got both of my wrists pierced at the Clinton, Md. sister shop of Mystic Piercing & Tattooing.
I had done my fair share of research on surface piercings when I fell in love with the idea of wrist piercings. Since high school I had worn thin, colored plastic bracelets that never came off. I saw wrist piercings as the body modification step up.
After about three months of mental and monetary preparation (wrist piercings = $45 each), I called and made an appointment with Ben, the piercing artist.
On the phone with Ben, I could tell he was excited. He informed me he was experienced and would take care of me and my piercings.
After the piercings he informed me I was his first wrist piercing, which left me a little insecure but happy nonetheless.
Cleaning my wrists was the hardest part. It was quite painful and took anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes to clean them properly.
Also, I quickly found out the wrist if a VERY mobile location and is also a high impact area. At least once a week I would hit a wrist hard enough to bring me to tears.
It was the beginning of the end.
After three months my right wrist piercing began to reject and grow an infection pocket. The far right hole began to expand and push up the surface bar. It was removed the weekend before Halloween.
With the right one gone, I put all my energy and TLC into the left wrist. Shortly, it too got an infection pocket between the two holes and started to reject.
Ben instructed me through regiments of peroxide treatment and then cutting back to washing it. After several attempts, he called it and the second piercing was removed New Year’s Eve 2006.
After they were both removed, I felt I should have:
- Visited different shops and talked with different piercing artists before deciding.
- Thought more about the mobility of my wrists.
- Thought more about the location. The piercings should have been further up my arm, instead of where the wrist rotates.
- Started out with just one wrist piercing.
Overall I was so happy to have the experience and body modification for as long as I did. I honestly enjoyed people’s reaction and questions.
I work in the campus bookstore and a co-worker overheard some students talking about the chick with her wrists pierced that works at the bookstore!
It’s always entertaining to see and hear the impact your life and body has on other people. Could be why body modifications are so popular?!
It may not be permanent like a tattoo, but the experience can be as rewarding.
