Piercings or tattoos, anyone?

With my new nostril piercing I knew what wouldn happen so I wore compression underwear and extraordinarily loose cargo shorts. The piercing was delightfully painful and the ‘burn’ lasted until the next morning.

I didn’t find the tat painful at all. Closing in on two weeks, now; no pain at all.

Oh, gawd, I think highly of people who have tats and piercings! Not trash, at all!!!

My belief is that people who have masses of tats and piercings are much more ‘body aware’ than vanilla bods.

We went back on Friday (I saw a bong that I liked and two splendorific literary t-shirts) and I saw one awesome industrial ear piercing. I’m thinking about that now.

Oh, no... I do touch the remaining 25%!

No, not at all. I started this thread and, if you look at my initial post, you’ll see that I didn’t ask anything specific to genitals (why must genital be capitalized?).

Someone else brought up female genital piercings, I think, and I don’t find any shame in discussing genitalia. It is my belief that far too many people find their own genitalia ‘ugly’ or ‘gross’ or ‘inadequate’ in some manner and that’s what I find shameful.

I did post a thread concerning genitalia in a sexuality forum, but no one replied!

You just enjoy being provocative.

No, that is not true. Not at all.

I am chock-full of curiosity. So, inquisitive beyond the pale, sometimes, but never as a provocateur.

I, too, enjoy The Velvet Underground

Mmm... did I make a VU reference?

My ex-wife has a genuine aversion to the very thought of (drug trigger coming)

Looks as if no one else is going to come foreword and confess to any body alterations. Maybe we are a select few!

Stating as a matter of fact. Not pointing fingers. Hey, I get it. I am bipolar too.

I have 5 tattoos. I need to get another one on my left shoulder to cover a crappy one up! Would love to get Jason Bonham to sign my arm by his dad`s Led Zeppelin symbol, his as well but didn`t leave enough room. As Fred Sanford says, you big dummy!

I have five tats but they’re huge. My back is covered and I just call it one big tat. I’ve had many many piercings but my body doesn’t heal well with piercings so they’d get infected or close up. I do want many more tats, working on a whole sleeve. And I love the feeling. I’ve fell asleep during a session before but that all depends on which part of the body it’s on. Ribs?? Screw that. That’s supposed to be the most painful.

Edit: forgot to specify .... back is covered, a star on the back of my neck that my sister and I got, a horrid lower back one, and both wrists, and right shoulder. So I guess 6. My ears are pierced three times each and my nose. Navel still done but I took it out. Nipples done twice, took them out. Tongue, also took out. Many many lip piercings that I had to remove because it was hurting my teeth or it closed up on me.

Shooting smack? Hmm. I was referring more to the alternative lifestyles aspect.

I don`t have any tattoos but I have several piercings and would like to get more. I would also love to get a tattoo someday.

I find ‘large’ portions of skin inked and multiple piercings just lovely. I think of folks like yourself as so much more - ah, what’s the word - so much more body attuned (and, no, I don’t mean attuned to your body) and brave.

Brave. Yes. I should have used that word before. I don’t think that most people realize the amount of aftercare needed for ink and piercings. And I find it an honor to have others share their bodies by allowing me to view their body tapestries. There is a body-positive perception, too, that upsets the most prevalent notion of shame.

Good for you. Great for you!

Sorry, but are you suggesting, “as a matter of fact,” that I am lying?

This post has nothing to do with my mental illnesses - certainly nothing to do with being bipolar.

Please see my PM.

I was 9, maybe 10?, years old when I first saw VU. Long story... hometown girl, best friend, goes to NY for ballet, is snagged by model agency, hanging out at The Factory at the age of 14.

Two weeks in May of 1968 - the Columbia riots, too - were life-changing. 1968, itself, was life-changing.

Yes, out of the closet, now, I can say that I lived, at least underground, an exciting alt-lifestyle. And I finally stopped apologizing.

I am going to have more work done soon, I have a general idea what I want.
I am very into traditional nautical tattoos and that's what my 4 tattoos are now.
I have The Barnegat Lighthouse tattooed on my forearm in the traditional style
and now I want to do an entire nautical scene working off of the lighthouse.
I want to wrap the whole thing around my arm so it creates a forearm half sleeve.
I can't wait to get started but I have had so many expenses lately that I keep putting
it off. It will come together soon though.

I don't have any tats, but I want one and if I can get through the pain then I def want more.

As for piercings, my ears were pierced at a very young age, but they closed up and have been reopened a few times, currently not, but other than that--no.

You will get through the pain, it is not as bad as you might think.
If you get one you will want more, they are fun and addictive.

I have 6/7 tatts, I got my first when I was 18 but couldn't hack the pain so I didn't get no more until a few years ago, I don't know if other the years they got better equipment but don't really feel much pain now whenever I have one, maybe I just got tougher skin from the age!
I had a few piercings but my body never seems to cope with it, ends up swelling and then having to be removed so I gave up trying in late teens with that!

I can't say how many piercings are still open as I have only the labia jewelry in... Two lobes, one industrial, one tragus, one monroe, one bottom lip, belly, and inner labia. Some I've had to pierce more than once. Why have I done so many I just don't know...I'm absolutely TERRIFIED of getting pierced! And yet....all those piercings! The labia hurt the least and the bottom lip hurt the most (bad piercer, dull needle). I'd like to redo the monroe because I thought it was very pretty, but lip piercings are most prone to infection and I had a lot of issues with the lip piercings.

I have nine tattoos. Definitely not afraid of tattoos, and I definitely want more. Not feeling up to listing them all.

I used to have my eyebrow, nose, ears, and upper & lower lips pierced. Now just my ears are pierced. There's still a hole where my lip piercings used to be, but they're long since closed up.

Both of my upper arms are tatted, one with native American imagery and the other is a dragon. One calfans ankle each have a tribal sun and my other bottom half of my leg is a tribal design.

I have one on my arm, it wasn't really painful.