Don’t judge a book by its cover
I’m not gonna lie. People always stare. Before they even ask me anything, they see my face and already make up their minds about me just because of the metal, but piercings are not just for looks, at least not for me. They have become something deeper over time.
I have two tongue piercings, a nose piercing, a belly piercing, and ear piercings, and yeah, some of them hurt more than others. People always ask which one was the worst to get, and honestly, the tongue ones were the hardest at first. Not just the piercing part, but afterwards: eating felt weird, talking felt weird, everything felt swollen and off, but at the same time it was worth it because it felt like I did something brave, like I pushed myself through it.
My nose piercing was not as bad as I thought it would be. It was a sharp, quick pain and then it was over, but my eyes watered like crazy, which is kind of embarrassing but also funny after. My ears I have had pierced for a long time so those just feel normal now, like part of me.
The belly button piercing was a different kind of pain, not super bad, but uncomfortable in a way that is hard to explain, more like pressure than a sharp pain. As for healing, that one took longer. You have to be careful with clothes or the piercing gets irritated really easily.
Piercing is not just about the pain; it hurts for a moment or for a few days, but after that it is more about how it makes you feel. For me, it makes me feel more like myself. When I look in the mirror, I see something I chose, something I went through and kept, and that matters more than people think.
Some people say it is too much or they judge, but they do not understand. It is not for them; it is for me. It is kind of a comfort in a way, like when everything else feels out of control, at least I have this part of me that I decided on.
Each one also has a memory, like where I was, who I was with, and how I felt the day I got the piercing. My first tongue piercing I was nervous but excited, and my second one I was calmer because I knew what to expect and it made me feel stronger in a way.
So, yeah, piercings hurt, but not forever, and the feeling after lasts longer than the pain. For me that is what makes it worth it, even if people judge or do not understand, because at the end of the day, it is my body and this is how I feel comfortable in it.