Day Six

It's been a total of six days since I first got my eyebrow pierced, and I suppose you're wondering how I feel about it? Whether I regret it? Whether others resent it? So on and so forth. You're asking the simple question: has it been an issue in any way?

Well, let me answer all of those questions and more. First and foremost, the piercing's healing process has been spic-and-span. Haven't even endured the slightest issue thus far. In fact, I've been lucky in this regard. Whilst others can have piercings which continue to bleed and pour puss, mine has still yet to. Even when my brow was first pierced, the piercer (Erin McMahon @ 'Adrenaline' here in Vancouver) said that it indeed bled very little. And even now, I have yet to come across any fresh and/or crusty-dried liquids. Additionally, my brow hardly even swelled.

Having continued the daily cleaning routine (sea-salts and anti-bacterial soap) and continuing to sleep on my back, my piercing has been completely hassle free. My only reminder thus far that it's even in my body (aside from looking at myself in the mirror), is the consistent itch. It started doing this on Tuesday and is obviously a good sign. My piercing is healing not only properly, but at an extremely fast rate. In other words, it's been free sailing.

Impressions:

Ahh yes, the ancient old question. How do others react to a shiny piece of stainless-steel stuck in your face?

Reactions obviously vary from person to person, but the general impression from older people is clear: "bloody adolescent kids". Yup, I'm afraid you'll get that quite often. The fact that my hair is getting reasonably long certainly doesn't help with that image. It's the same old story though. As expected, it doesn't raise too much of a stir with the younger crowd, but the older crowd clearly cannot understand why you'd do this to your body. And what makes the latter strange is the fact that Vancouver is a city which is very strong on the promotion of the so-called 'body art'. Take it from me - Vancouver is full of people sporting body art. Piercings are by no means a rarity, nor are tattoo's. And yet still, some people are baffled.

And for the sake of entertainment, I've got some fine examples of my personal experiences to share. First and foremost though, I must explain that my hair-bangs are quite long. They pretty much cover my forehead, so these experiences are based upon a piercing that is only partially visible.... Oh noes!

One of the more entertaining ventures when was I last visited Safeway. I could see - from the corner of my eye - a woman in a lineup across from me was staring at me... When I turned to look at her, she looked away real fast. I could tell... And when I went up to Safeway customer-service counter to get a pack of Cigarettes (for the old man, naturally), I noticed one of the guys at the counter staring at it. And so it goes on. After a short while, it's easy to tell who's staring at it based upon their reaction when you look back at them. It's kind of humorous actually.

And because the barbell is silver, when you're walking towards a sunny area, the light cannot help but sparkle off the silver. People catch a glimpse of that....and it's like, "what the fuck is that?". And lastly, if a younger kid (let's say 13 years of age) catches glimpse of it, they stare at it in absolute shock and awe.

And of course, this all leads to the final question of: why does one involve themselves in body art? Well of course, everyone's inspiration is different. Some do it to be bold, some to be unique, some to be rebellious and some evidently do it because they have an affection for art. Or perhaps, it's a combination of the above. For myself? I won't lie, I do like the fact that it further gives me an identity. It's something that makes me, me. But of course, I do indeed have a keen appreciation for art and that's exactly what I see my piercing as.

Regrets? Nada. None.

Future Body Art?

You betcha ya. As soon as I got back from Adrenaline this past Saturday, I was already looking on the net for my next piercing. Yep, that's how it is. Addiction.

What's next? Probably an ear piercing of some sort; either an industrial cartilage piercing or a outer-conch cartilage piercing. The trouble with these particular piercings is that they have a long healing process: six months to a year. But I'll probably get one of the two next time around.

Other piercings which I have considered, but have been leary of, have been piercing of the lip and/or tongue. Given the damage these particular items can possibly do the oral region, I am greatly fearful. My mouth is already a world of hurt: chipped away teeth; low enamel levels; receding gums. If my gums were in better shape I wouldn't think twice about getting either.

Tattoo? I think will, albeit long down the road. Already have a few idea, but I ain't spilling the beans just yet!