August 12, 2005 6:17 PM BST
Hi june
Tricky one. Maybe wait till you get the job becasue if you get your ears piereced, as you probably know, you need to wait a month or so before you can take the studs out (as far as I remember).
It's pretty painless and I think you are right Claires is a good, trustworthy place to go.
Make sure you clean them every day like you are told to, and don't be tempted to take them out too soon! I did and got into problems with swelling and infections etc. Sorted itself out OK in the end though.
I had mine done a couple of years ago and now don't wear them very often but think that the holes are pretty much permanent now - I don't think they'd heal up now however long I went without them. That's not the case for quite a long time though. You need to keep using them quite regularly - I used to sleep in them often azt one stage if I didn't want to wear them at work. Having said that I was amazed at how tolerant my boss was - I worked in quite a conservative office environment and he was relaxed about it.
I don't think you have to be David Beckham to do it these days even ifg it's not that common. Just wear small and subtle ones as a guy and something prettier as your femme self. I wouldn't want to go back to clip-ons with the pinching and lack of choice etc.
Have fun,
Liv
August 12, 2005 6:21 PM BST
With respect to Allice, I don't personally think it's vital to go somewhere where they use needles - those tend to be specialist piercing places that do all sorts of more unusual requests.. 99 per cent of girls get their ears done with 'guns' as far as I know. Also in my experience I believe the piercing places tend to put in rings that are less small and subtle than the studs from the guns.
Liv
August 23, 2005 1:31 PM BST
Thanks to everyone that made comments on this thread.
And yes I will be getting them done. Even better Belinda (my tv partner) has agreed to get hers done as well. Most places locally use the gun and not the needle and all are licensed by the council. Now just have to get round to going into the city to get it done.
Once again thanks for the advice.
June
August 5, 2005 4:33 PM BST
Hi June
GO FOR IT GIRL! I had my done when I was still going out in boy clothes (occasionally), I don't think it's at all unusual these days for men to have both ears pierced, and who the hell bloody cares anyway. I've always wanted mine done, those clip-ons are unbearable, and it's another adornment to play with; a girl can't have too many!
And it really doesn't hurt, so don't worry about that. You have to leave your studs in for several weeks as you probably know, so just get some plain ones for androgyny's sake.
xx
August 5, 2005 5:00 PM BST
OH GOD! NAVAL PIERCING?!?!? JUST LIKE EYEBROWS AND TONGUES AND.....YUCK!!!!!
One time a student did a presentation on the history of body piercing, and had some explicit photos. It was the first time every I screamed in a class. Yes, I am squeamish about that for some reason.
I had my left ear pierced back in 1983 and wore an earring for a number of years. I don't remember why I took it out. My wife did think I should wait to get it repierced until AFTER I get that elusive fulltime teaching gig. I must agree with her.
August 5, 2005 5:52 PM BST
A female student of mine came up to me wearing a belly shirt. Her naval piercing was right in my face. I looked right at her and said "You really did that!"
Sorry, it just makes me soooooooooooooo SQUEAMISH!!!!!! AAAAAAHH!!!!!!!
And this is coming from a person who loves Pasolini's last film "Salo."
I am a mess, aren't I?
August 5, 2005 8:34 PM BST
Hi June-
I say do whatever preserves the wa in your home. However one good thing about piercings is...they're not permanent. Lots and lots of men of all ages have pierced ears these days. Young rocker, even business and professional types (yes younger ones but some older guys, too), bikers and all in between. If you get it done and your wife just goes totally ballistic or if you don't like them, you can take them out and they will close up completely in a day or so with only the tiniest of scars that you would need a magnifying glass to see.
That said, I have a piercing in each ear and a third one in my left ear and I may get more. I also got my navel pierced about a month ago. (Will you still speak to me, Meredith? Please?) Yes, it hurt for about a minute when it was being done and was a tiny bit sore for about 3 or 4 days but now I hardly notice it. Fortunately for me I have a wife whose attitude is, "Hey, it's your body." Of course I did talk it over with her and as long as it isn't permanent, like tatoos or hormones, then she's okay with it.
So anyway, in my usual long winded way, I say go for it girl. It really doesn't hurt any worse than a pinch on your earlobe might, you have to clean it a few times a day for several weeks but the hassle is minor. Oh and while I'm going on and on and on, you can get adapters that will allow you to convert nearly any pierced type earrings to clamp types. Once you do it though, the earring is ruined for being used as a pierced type.
Hugs...Joni
August 5, 2005 11:47 PM BST
Hi June-
Cool! Go for it girl. And if it makes any difference, I work in a fairly conservative environment and no one has made a big deal of my piercings. A couple of people have asked but I just answered with an offhand remark, basically that I did it because I felt like it and that was that. Of course I try to avoid shoulder touching chandelier style earrings at work, usually it's just little gold studs.<lol>
Oh, and no I don't go around flashing my belly button at work.<lol>
Hugs...Joni
August 6, 2005 12:03 AM BST
Joni, girls, pierce whatever you like. That's your choice.
I'm not known as the Pyscho Ninja for nothing, especially when you consider all the bodily harm I have inflicted on myself (three in the past week).
Next to my fear of heights - which is weird because I love to fly - that makes me squirm.
Enjoy. Safely.
Still, some of the piercings I've seen.....OH, WOW!!!!!
Meredith the Suddenly Sedate Psycho Ninja
August 6, 2005 12:18 AM BST
Hey Meredith, I'm flashing my belly button at you right now!
Just teasing, hon, hope I didn't put an image in your head you can't get rid of!<lol>
Hope you're doing okay.
Lots of hugs...Joni
August 6, 2005 5:23 AM BST
Joni, you know I love you............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let's find a way to speak on the phone
Actually, I want that with all of you
August 6, 2005 3:30 PM BST
Meredith, that would be cool...and so would a worldwide conference call.<g>
Shoot me an email Meredith and we'll trade telly numbers.
Hugs...Joni
August 6, 2005 4:41 PM BST
Whoops, sorry June, didn't mean to hijack the thread. Threads do have a tendency to do that, though, thanks for keeping us on track.
So do they have Claire's in the UK? That's where I got my ears done. And good for you for deciding to do it, it's totally a personal choice, of course, but I think there's lots more earrings out there for pierced ears.
Hugs...Joni
August 6, 2005 5:05 PM BST
Hi June, that's okay, I figured you were teasing but it's true we do tend to wander off the track a lot.<lol> Like trying to herd cats.
I love Claire's, even though most of their stuff is for younger (way younger) girls I still find some fun and interesting things there and I've had all three ear piercings done there and never had a bit of trouble.
Hugs...Joni
August 6, 2005 5:36 PM BST
And I like them for their bracelets, especially bangles which they stock in larger diameters that are a lot easier to get on. I almost always find at least two or three pair of earrings when I'm there, too.
Hugs...Joni
August 6, 2005 10:17 PM BST
Thank you, Laura, I'll see if I can find one and check it out. While I do like their bling, occasionally I do try for a more mature look. I do so! I do! Stop laffing you guys!
Hugs...Joni
August 8, 2005 7:24 PM BST
Hi Christina-
Yeah, having work rules against jewelry or working around people who would rag on you for having them makes it double hard. One trick I've heard of is to use clear monofilament fishing line, the heaviest you can find in place of the earrings. If you know someone who owns a nylon string guitar, the diameter of the B string is just about right. You heat up one end with a lighter (don't use a match, it'll leave soot) and flatten it against someting like a knife blade. It doesn't have to be very big. Then you cut it off just long enough to go through your earlobe plus a teensy bit more and melt that end till it forms a little ball small enough to go through your ear but big enough so it won't fall out.
It's not like it would be totally invisible but it would be less noticeable than a stud. Of course you want to be very careful that everything is absolutely clean and use some kind of antiseptic on them. Getting an infection would be a real pain.
My feeling about things like piercings is only do it if you're going to be totally comfortable with it and don't do it just cause other people have done it. But you know that.<g>
Hugs...Joni