Getting a Head Start...

Every year I make a list of things I want to do the following year. This year I have created a board on my Pinterest where I pin the things I want to do.

I've been thinking a lot about piercings versus tattoos lately, and as someone with four tattoos, two of which account for quite large portions of my body, I have avoided getting pierced for well over five years. I find myself drawn to the opinion that although tattoos hurt more and take way longer, they are infinitely more permanent than piercings; which is why I like them. But there is something about piercings which appeals to me. Maybe it's the simplicity of them; definitely the aesthetic quality.

For the last 2 months or more I've been looking at all kinds of ear piercings. I can't have facial piercings because of archery, and I'm not ballsy enough for any other bodily adornment. Ears it was. The question was, what part of the ear? The whole world and her auntie has a Tragus, Helix and Industrial. A "Forward Helix" would only get bumped by the arms of my glasses, and a Rook is too fiddly.

I decided a Conch was the way to go. So, I pinned a bunch of conch piercings onto my "2014 Plans" board, and decided it was going to be the start of my 2014 Bucket List. I've also created a board where I will post my own pictures of the thing I plan to do, when they're done.

Then last week I decided to get a head start on my list, so after I did my Christmas shopping on Tuesday, I headed for Wildcat Ink on the top floor of St Stephens Green Shopping Centre, took a deep breath, filled up the paperwork (just as you would with a tattoo) and paid €36 to have my conch pierced.

The girl who pierced me was Sorcha and she was pretty sound about my being a bit nervous, having heard me say to the girl who served me behind the counter that I was "shitting it but gonna sack up and do it". She showed me the barbell, which was sealed up in a hygienic package and the single-use needle. I almost bottled it, right there, I wont lie!! Sorcha cleaned my ear with anti-bacterial wipes, marked the positioning with a marker-pen and I gave it a look-see. I decided I wanted it lower down and she adjusted it accordingly, and then it was time to get down to the business at hand. A few deep breaths, a quick push, and a yelp (yes I was a baby) and it was done! In all honesty, the worst part of it was having the needle give way to the barbell... that was sucky.

It's now almost a fortnight since I got it done and I'm in love with it! It will take 3-6 months for it to heal up fully but I'm absolutely thrilled I went through with it. My 2014 list is well and truly underway. I've been minding it like a child, washing it with saline solution twice a day, taking Arnica for the bruising and supplementing Zinc and Glucosamine Sulfate. Zinc and Arnica were listed as useful things to take on the aftercare sheet, and Glucosamine is used to keep cartilage healthy, so it cant hurt to take that. When I'm in the shower, I've been washing it with a tiny blob of antibacterial soap and rinsing it well. So far its healing great and doesn't hurt unless its bumped quite badly.

All in all, I'm glad I went to Wildcat and went through with it. If you wanna check them out, click HERE for their website, HERE for their Facebook and HERE for their Twitter. They have some very talented artists, I've had tattoos done by Kris, and one of their past artists, Mark. As for piercing, you wont find a cleaner or more friendly place in Dublin.

What do you make of my new Conch?
Let me know!!