Friday 31 July 2015

Teen Wisdom: Piercings

Upon hitting adolescence, there are numerous things, both considered 'good' and 'bad', that are bound to attract your attention, which is at its greatest while you discover your identity on the road to adulthood: the luring power of deviant articles such as alcohol and drugs, clothes, popularity, tattoos and piercings. All of these said things contribute to establishing your very own identity - which has evolved considerably since you began to determine your preferences all the way back in your toddler years, yet this time independence has granted you more freedom to help you decide what adds up to making you who you are.

Therefore, it can only be expected that you want to dabble in different things, some as a short-lived phase while others might stay close to you for a lifetime. Yet, as all teenagers learn at one point, one of the greatest privileges of being young is that we are pretty much fearless when it comes to experimenting with our interests - and, if we use it to our advantage, that can provide plenty of exhilarating memories that can define a special period in our lives!

As a sixteen year old, I'm firmly based in the adolescence camp and shall remain so until I hit my twenties in a few years' time (though I secretly think that this cannot be possible; it only feels like five minutes ago since I spent many joyful hours playing with my Bratz dolls!). I definitely regard this as a positive because I've been granted opportunities to develop my passions, in addition to finding out what represents me - through my clothes, make-up, jewellery and, to a certain extent, piercings.

Oh yeah, how could I forget about that one? By 'a certain extent', my translation is that I'm not covered head-to-toe in studs which would not only cost me a year's worth of pocket money to purchase, but I would quite possibly not be allowed to walk within a two mile radius of my piercing-detesting school - not ideal for one who is less than a year away from sitting her GCSE exams!

Still, rules which, despite their presence, always exist for the purpose of being broken (by both students and teachers), so I'm never going to let a few words stop me from expressing myself - a quality which I believe all teenagers should have the right to develop wherever they are.

As a result of my beliefs, I didn't think twice about getting my cartilage pierced on Monday which, like both of the piercings on my lobes, I had greatly considered for a long while. Because of this, I really appreciated being able to get the piercing as I knew 100% that I wanted it; I was certainly not getting it out of pressure or lust, which has a funny way of messing with your emotions during your least clear-minded moments. Walking into a shop and requesting a piercing as soon as the idea pops into your head is a method that I don't recommend because regret could possibly be the greatest source of pain (especially if the piercing happens to go dramatically wrong), in addition to enduring a potentially agonising method of getting whatever part of your body pierced.

Besides, if you want to keep your parents in the loop as to which body parts are going to be saying hello to a fine, small hole, I doubt that you'll be given permission to go over the top with your piercings - as was the case with my parents. My mum and dad aren't overly keen on facial piercings, which I completely understand because they have never really been my kind of thing, while anything that they had never really heard of - e.g. 'tragus' is not a word that is not particularly used in my house - was off limits. And you know what? I was fine with their opinions. If they didn't express their support for me, what was the whole point in creating an uproar over a tiny, insignificant hole in my body?

Anyway, cartilage piercings are quite mainstream which, in my opinion, translates as 'normal' to most people, so I didn't particularly think that persuading my parents to let me get it done was overly hard, especially as numerous students at my school have proudly been showing off theirs for months - including my fellow prefects who are supposed to be living up to the near-impossible image of a goodie-two-shoes. Despite the popularity of the piercing at school, this didn't influence my desire to get one at all: I simply liked it. Enough said. If I want something, it would have to take a tremendous amount for my preferences to be influenced by those of others, though the fact that many others had the same piercing made me feel less like a criminal for yearning to get it - even at school, I always stick to the rules, so I was slightly on edge with regard to going against it for once!

Enough on school rules and my being a 'bad, bad girl' for once in my life - though I will recommend to all those interested in cartilage piercings to make an effort to hide their ears whilst at school so that your experiences with the naughty little word called 'trouble' is kept to an absolute minimum. Obviously! And, if you freak out at the prospect of tying your hair up in P.E., simply leave a bit of your hair loose so that you can tug it over your ears: problem solved!

What you may want to know now is, if you are going to get your cartilage pierced, where you can get the procedure done. As both of my lobe piercings had been done at Claire's, I decided to get my cartilage pierced there because I have never had any problems there, despite their use of a piercing gun attracting negativity on the internet. One of my original fears was that the piercing gun could shatter the bone in your cartilage, which would result in serious damage, but I've learnt that you ought to listen to your own instincts, rather than those of people who have probably never received a piercing at Claire's - otherwise, how will you be able to make your own decisions in life without relying on your independence? Although Claire's worked perfectly fine for me, it might not be the ideal choice for you, so I would advise that you ask your friends for reputable parlors which offer cartilage piercings. If not possible, Google it - try to find a parlor's Facebook page or reviews so that you can somewhat get a glimpse into the service you might receive. Just don't turn up to a piercing studio without being aware of its reputation; as with all people, you deserve the best possible service, so ensure that you are guaranteed to receive it!

As for the procedure itself, I can only provide a description of getting my cartilage pierced via a piercing gun, which can be only used on ears. The other method, which involves a needle, is likely to be more painful, but is recognised as hygienic and safe as long as whoever is piercing you knows exactly what they are doing. When I got my cartilage pierced several days ago, my piercer put on a disposable apron and a pair of gloves, along with cleaning the area of my ear that I wanted pierced, before she showed me the sterile earring that she would put into the sterilised piercing gun - I knew that everything was absolutely hygienic and that I was not receiving a compromised service. And the piercing itself? Like all, it hurt but it felt more like a pinch than anything else; within minutes, my piercing reduced to a gentle throb, which had literally disappeared by the time I arrived home about an hour later. Though, if I'm truly honest, receiving a free lollypop - which helps bring one's blood sugar levels up after experiencing a 'shock' to the system - probably made me feel much better!

If you're really worried about fainting, make sure that you have somebody accompanying you. In my case, Mum came with me (though there was absolutely no way I would have gotten to Claire's by walking 13 miles on a main road!), but at least having somebody who lift me off the floor if I collapsed calmed my nerves. A bit. Seriously, eat a biscuit or some fruit before visiting a piercing studio so that your blood sugar levels don't suddenly plummet when you get your piercing done - that really helps!

Now that you've accomplished the most important matter - getting your piercing - what do you do next? Cartilage piercings must be worn in the ear for at least a year in order to ensure that the hole does not close up, which would be very irritating after going through the hassle of caring for it, but you can swap your original stud for another earring within eight to twelve weeks of getting the piercing. My tips are dead simple: clean the pierced area several times a day, preferably when you wake up in the morning, after you come home from school and before you go to bed. As tempting as it might be to know that it is there, don't touch your piercing unless you've washed your hands - cartilage piercings require more delicacy than your lobes, so make sure that you are treating it with kindness!

Oh, and who could forget? Sleeping on the side with your pierced cartilage is a right pain just after you've got it pierced; I felt like a right fool for forgetting this golden rule when bedtime came around on Monday night, but one slight snuggle on my right side provided enough pain to remind me to stay off it! Unlike some things, there are absolutely no excuses: you have to avoid sleeping completely on your piercing until it settles a bit more, which can take from weeks to months. At the moment, I can slightly rest on my right side, but only if my hair has been crimped (which considerably thickens it) and I do so very gently. Still, progress is progress - as is favouring vanity over practicality (and precious beauty sleep)!

And that is pretty much all that I can tell you about cartilage piercings. Personally, I find them cool, pretty and feminine; having one simply makes me me, which is a mission that I aim to fulfil as an experimental teen - and so should you!

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