I've had my septum pierced for around 5 months now, in fact I've even written another EXPERIENCE about the piercing process here on BME. Unfortunately for myself I have been unemployed for the same time period. I always found it rather odd when I'd go out that the people I would talk to seemed to focus in on the septum ring, but generally ignored my 00 gauge plugs and my lip ring. I'm not exactly just another face in the crowd... at least I hope not. It's not so much that the ring stands out or doesn't suit my face... it's just a rather rare piercing from what I've seen around Victoria and Vancouver Island in general. I've met a few people but they too seem to be unemployed or making money other ways, or it's a very old piercing and they don't even wear jewelry in it. So it seems not many people around here have pierced their septum... either that or everyone that has pierced it bought out the entire st ock of septum retainers on Vancouver Island.
At A Glance Author prettyemopoet Contact [email protected] IAM prettyemopoet When It just happened Location Victoria BC
I recently started looking for work again and sadly received little or no interest from any potential employers, presumably as soon as they noticed the septum ring, but I could be wrong. No interest at all, no phones calls or anything unless it was a store selling body jewelry. And to my disbelief and woe... the aforementioned body jewelry shops did not stock septum retainers. Yes I've seen them online... but like I said... I've been unemployed for 8 months and I live in my father's basement. There's also the issue that standard sized retainers are too long to flip inside my nose and standard sized jewelry is just too bulky for my dainty features... but like hell I'm taking out my septum ring... it's like a piece of me. I feel naked without it. So, as a last effort to get myself a job and keep my beloved piercing, I made myself a septum retainer. The idea came to me when I discovered I had an abundance of 14 gauge curved barbells that I rarely, if ever, wore. They were origi nally purchased for my septum but didn't fit properly and just looked funny. I just looked at it and thought, "Well that looks bendable". So I cleaned one off in rubbing alcohol and fetched a pair of pliers, and with that I set to work. The pliers had a little circular shaped indentation on the side (I'm not too technical I don't know what it's really called) so I popped the barbell in there and closed them up tight... I heard a clink sound as my new retainer hit the floor... I was almost afraid to look at it. It ended up almost a 'V' shape... but a little more curved on the bottom. It wasn't exactly a delicate process, not that anyone expects anything delicate from me. So I cleaned it off again with more rubbing alcohol and a quick coat of bactine and tested it out. To my surprise it fit... and it curved up exactly into my nose and so that it isn't visible at all. Needless to say this made me very happy and excited, my family can account for my unusually bouncy nature.
The next day I went out applying for jobs in the rain... and the difference was amazing. Managers talked to me instead of watching me to make sure I didn't steal anything. Even some of the customer service cashiers helped me out, I guess they realized I was a sweetheart. Everyone seemed kinder and more helpful. I've attributed this to the fact that approximately 30% of the high school girls near my place have lip rings or labrets, but not much else pierced. But the biggest difference was the difference in me...
I felt so special. Like I knew something no one else did. I had something they couldn't see. And that's a feeling I've been craving for a long time. But it's also a feeling I couldn't afford to get with the price tag attached to other kinds of hidden piercings and tattoos. I even tried some self done scarification to get that feeling... which unfortunately ended in a bunch of ugly scratches on my ankle and not much else (those scratches healed up okay and didn't leave scars after I pampered my poor ankle for a few weeks). So hopefully the many resumes I dropped off yesterday will give me a job. I plan on trying my septum deception again when I go visit my boyfriend and look for work up island from here. So maybe one day my employer will be okay with me wearing my cbr in my septum... hell maybe I'll be able to afford a proper retainer in time, or eventually find a job that doesn't care about my modifications or even embraces them. But until then I'll be content with my secret septum, wearing the retainer when I have to and wearing my pretty cbr when I want it to be seen. Yes I'll be content... at least until my first paycheck and I can guarantee more secret modifications will result of that... I'll keep you posted.