With all the talk in the body modification community to do with age, I'd have to admit that I used get very defensive when people say young teens don't know what they are doing. I myself being 16, have had 12 piercings, and have an upper back piece. But, its only been recently that I realized, at a young age, many people are quick to make mistakes, myself being a prime example.
At A Glance Author michelle Contact [email protected] IAM xoitoyx When N/A I had my first piercing the day I started high school, the studio itself was not a bad choice, and I did spend the time looking for a reputable one, but the aftercare was outdated, and the piercing ended up getting infected and was removed in 6 months. At 13 years old, I had no idea that I was doing anything wrong, and so I decided I would try a septum piercing for my 14th birthday.
I had friends at this particular studio, and although I had my mom's permission, they didn't bother looking at ID or asking for her to come sign or anything. I was just happy that I was getting my septum pierced. It is, thank god, still here and I've had many compliments on the placement and such, but the studio was careless when it came to many things. Again, I was 14, and I was just happy that I was now an "individual." I felt grown up. I felt enlightened. I like the feeling of being pierced, and the attention that I got. I didn't even put into consideration the fact that the shop could have gotten into big trouble, and if they over look such big details like ID, they may have overlooked something else crucial, putting me in danger.
I then met a guy who was piercing in town and we became good friends. I've always looked old for my age, and he never asked for ID or anything. He just assumed I was over 16 (the limit in Canada). No one in town was looking for many piercings which at the time seemed "exotic" so I let him experiment on me. I was young and unemployed, so the sole reason for my agreeing was because I would be getting them for cheap.
He pierced my rook just fine, although it got torn at a show and was later removed. But, he pierced my nipple (when I was 15, the first big mistake) at 14g, which was the second mistake, because the size of my breasts (I was and still am very overdeveloped) caused the 14g CBR to migrate within two weeks. I am lucky it caused no damage, as I was observant and knew what to look out for.
My second botched piercing with him was a transverse lobe. It was done incorrect with inappropriate jewelry, and had to be removed before I even left the studio. I was left with a sore, swollen, bruised ear.
It was at this point that I started to realize how bad some of the choices I was making were. I wanted to grow up so fast that I was putting myself in danger. Sure, I was getting attention, and I was different then anyone else at school, but I was left with scars and memories of horrible procedures.
It was around the time of this realization, that I discovered BME. I began writing experience to warn other teenagers not to make these mistakes, and through IAM I met a wonderful piercer in Toronto. I have since gotten pierced by him three times, and been happy with all three. The studio is very reputable, and I trust him with my body.
It's easy to get offended when people say teenagers make bad choices, but thinking back, many of us do. It's simple to be pierced somewhere because of the fact that they don't ID, or that they give you a good deal, but its not as easy dealing with infections, or scars from poor quality piercings and permenant, bad tattoos.
I've seen friends deal with bad tattoos because they couldn't wait until they were 18 or didn't want to pay the full price. It's shocking to me because they will spend $200 on shoes that will last a year or two max, but a tattoo is there for the rest of your life. I've seen the scars and complications from poor self-piercings and mutilations. I've read and reviewed the experiences. Its not worth it.
If you are a teenager, and your parents wont let you get pierced or tattooed, or you don't have the money, don't find another way, wait. You have plenty of time to grow up. Don't be left with mistakes to deal with possibly for the rest of your life. Use the time to find a good piercer, and do your research. Experience is a good teacher, especially in my case, but you can easily save yourself from going through some of the things I did.