h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Took the plunge yesterday and had my navel pierced. Oh the things we do to please our mates! Made sure I chose somewhere really well recommended and I was very impressed with how thorough the piercer was. This morning, it looks good - no trace of redness, although I think I want to keep it covered yet awhile.

Oh my poor Zarquhon

I DO NOT BELIEVE IT!!!!!!!!!!

WHY?

HOW?

The things one does for lurve!

I do hope that it was not too sore.



AR1

Hi AR1!

Well, Merlin was keen. I know I have a nicely shaped belly button. I was curious. I know that if I don't like it I can always take it out and the hole will close up. It's discreet. I'm not about to have anything else pierced (nose, eyebrow, lip, tongue , etc).

It was not pain-free and the woman who did me told me it would hurt a little. I felt a pain and a pull as it was done. It's now covered in a dressing, just to keep it clean a while. I was told I could take it off this morning. I pulled it off to clean it with the Savlon wound wash, and I was amazed how well it's doing. Not a trace of redness - it looks healed already. It was a bit tender to touch, so it's obviously not and I intend to do all the care routine I was told about.

How? I chose the stone. She took the whole thing to be sterilized. She painted my navel with iodine. She stood me up and measured my navel and put a mark where the hole would be. She re-checked for straighness. I lay on a table. She clamped the flap of skin so it would not move. She put some numbing liquid on. I closed my eyes. I felt a pain and a stretch as she made the hole. I felt another stretch as she put the shaft in (I said, 'Ouch'). She sprayed it again and put a dressing over it. She told me how to take care of it and sold me some liquid. Voilå! (still haven't worked out how to get the proper accent using just keys).

Hope you are feeling much better. It's little 's birthday today.

ok this sounds silly to me getting yourself pierced because of another not because you want to... or have i missed something here?

I believe piercing is a form of abuse to the body and shouldn't be done ... but each to their own ... sorry just have a strong opinion their

Oh, I wouldn't have had it done if I hadn't wanted to, opti. I had thought about it for a number of years, but didn't have the push to do it.

I can remember when I had my ears pierced many years ago, it was my husband who was the impetus there too. Previously, I had been totally against it. We discussed it over a number of months. After I had had them done, I was really happy with them. I love wearing earrings and I've got some really pretty ones.

I can understand people not wanting to be pierced. I remember how I felt initially.

As you will probably have seen above, I wouldn't consider having anything else done.

I think it's unattractive to have a lot of piercings. Other people may disagree. I know someone with a nose piercing who looks really attractive with a small precious stone one. I know someone else who has one who doesn't look attractive with it.

Wandering off topic slightly, I can remember going to Tanzania and seeing people with pierced ears who had them weighted to make quite big holes in them, so that the ear-lobes were really stretched. I have a vivid memory of a man with a can of pineapple jam in his ear! I desperately wanted to take a photo of him, but was shy (I was 19 at the time) and we had been told that we *must* not take pictures without permission as it was considered highly discourteous. I always wondered how he got the pineapple jam out or whether it was a full tin. I can't imagine it would have been full, as it would have been too heavy.

There were also people with pierced bottom lips and plates fixed to them to stretch the lip. I always wondered how they ate properly and thought that they probably didn't kiss each other!

There's a bit in "Robin Williams:Live on Broadway" about that.

"Go home with a plate in each lip. Tell your mom it's also a CD player. Take out the bottom plate and jump rope with your lip. Watch your Granma go 'S**********t!'"

Now, don't you think it's time to discuss a Prince Albert with Merlin?