My very first experience with body piercing was at Sacred Heart. It's a tattoo parlor located on the third floor of an old converted house across the street from Starbucks. My friends were there for moral support and tattoos.
However, the three of us combined did not have the wits to realize that the girl was using a gun for the piercing. It was quite painful, with a little bit of blood and a tear, but everything seemed alright.
It wasn't until I lost that hole and had to get it repierced did I realize how terrible Sacred Heart's technique was. The second piercing was done somewhere else, with a needle. It felt much more gentle and much less painful. I healed within days, with no cellular debris or whatnot to clean. This was in stark contrast to my experience the first time.
The moral of the story is, no matter where you are piercing, be it navel, nose, tongue, or other hidden parts, listen to your body. You know when someone has done a good job or not by how your body responds.
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