Like tattoos, piercings are not cheap.
Piercing body parts safely requires complicated equipment, skill, talent, training, and whole lot of practice. Think of piercers the same way you should tattoo artists — craftier work comes at a higher price.
It's also worth paying upwards of $60 to ensure you don't get infected or, even worse, that needle doesn't go in crooked.
We will not recommend a piercer to you if your goal is to save money.
Cheap piercers, point blank, are not safe. We're just looking out for you.
Once you get one piercing, you're probably going to want more.
Having heightened control of the way your face looks and building an understanding of your own physical limits is borderline addicting. The adrenaline rush in the moments just before getting punctured isn't so bad, either.
You're also going to get asked, "Did that hurt?" Every. Single. Day.
Of course they did — people who ask that know but want to be ensured that they, too, could one day do it.
Your face might not be anatomically suited for certain piercings, and that just plain sucks.
Unbeknownst to many, some kinds of piercings (especially the septum and most parts of the ear) require a specific anatomy in order for the body to avoid rejection —that's when the body forcibly removes your jewelry for you against your wishes.
That's why booking consultations for more complicated piercings is always a good idea.
If you have multiple, noticeable facial piercings, people might treat you a little differently than they do others.
Conservatives of a certain generation might avoid looking you in the face because they're a little uncomfortable.
They're not used to seeing so many shiny things on someone's face. It might make you feel a little lesser than, but they'll adjust.
Some of them will be a lot more straightforward with their disdain for your face holes, though.
When in my conservative home state of Texas, I'll often get the passive-aggressive yet well meaning, "You'd be SO much prettier without all that… stuff."
But on rarer occasions, I'll get told without hesitation that my multiple nose rings are just ugly. I don't talk to those people much.
Other people, on the complete opposite hand, are very attracted to piercings — and will let you know.
Prepare for a lot of Tinder messages and unsolicited Instagram DMs.
In fact, people you barely know might tell you about all the sexy things they want to do *because* of your piercings, entirely unprompted.
Once in a bar, an attractive yet dodgy stranger told me, out of nowhere, that he'd like to… how do I put this… perform oral sex acts ON MY NOSE. That's a real thing that happened. Yes.
Those same people will assume you have piercings in other ~NSFW~ places.
Wonder where they got that idea. (Porn. It was porn.)
Or that because you have a couple rings and studs in your face, that you're automatically more sexual.
In modern, western cultures, piercings are directly linked to rebellion from mainstream society. For women, sex and sexuality have been seen as taboo — therefore, in the minds of some, sex *is* rebellion for women. And that rebellion circles right back to, you guessed it, piercings.
While I'm on the subject, prepare to feel like your entire dating scope has narrowed a little bit.
Some people just aren't into piercings, and that's OK! It might feel like you're missing out on a few dating opportunities, but you shouldn't let it hold you back from getting the body modifications you've always wanted!
As they say, there are plenty of other fish in the sea — ones who like your face regardless of the metal in it (and not in an inappropriate way, either).
But worry not, piercings have plenty of upsides. They'll make you a surefire trendsetter, for one.
If you're the first of your friend group to foray into getting pierced, don't be too surprised if a couple follow suit.
And while the stigma surrounding them fades, employers seem to care about them less and less.
Definitely remain wary if you work in a conservative environment, though.
Side note: In the winter, your face is going to get REALLY cold with all that metal in there.
And when allergies roll around in spring time, piercings can get REAL messy and/or irritated.
Especially the ones in your nose — Snot City, population: 1.
People might think you're picking your nose all the time when you're actually adjusting your nose rings.
They'll make wearing makeup slightly difficult at times.
Products will get ALL over them, and you'll have to oh so carefully clean them off every single time you do your makeup. It's a small task but still annoying when you're trying not to mess up a job well done.
But they're worth it if you want 'em — and parting with them if necessary will be utterly heartbreaking.
Even the ones you don't particularly like all that much. They're a part of your face and therefore your brand. But shit happens and sometimes you have to take them out for healing or job purposes.
Parting is such sweet sorrow.
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