This is somewhat of an ambiguous writing prompt. I’m not sure if it’s asking if I agree with them on an ethical level or if it’s asking about any tattoos and piercings that I have. I’ll do both and cover both bases.
First of all, let me take you on a body modification tour of myself. At the tender age of 11 (well I disagree it was a tender age, I wish I’d been younger) I had my first piercings in my ears. At 14 I convinced my mum to let me have a second hole in my ears, my dream was to rock the one stud, one hoop look… Oh yeah! However, because of my stupid school’s rules about absolutely no jewellery, and my ear’s relatively slow healing skills, those second holes closed up and I was a bit gutted.
At 18 I decided to pierce my own nose. It was a boring Friday evening, it seemed simple enough. I got the needle through the first couple of layers of skin, but couldn’t pop it all the way through. Turns out it’s quite hard to pierce one’s own nose. The following week, I went and had my nose pierced professionally and have been in love with the little chunk of metal in my schnoz ever since. Well apart from when I have a cold.
Also at 18, as a treat for finishing school and passing my driving test, I stretched my ears for the first time. I’m now at a 12.00mm gauge in my ears (just about big enough to fit my little finger through). My stretched ears are of endless interest to my nephew.
At 22 I got my first tattoo. It was using some money from my grandad which was meant for “something that would last and that I’d always wanted”, in my head that obviously meant a tattoo. I have a small Chinese symbol on my left arm, it says mum. I love it.
A couple of years ago, while out for the day with some friends in Oxford, I got my tragus pierced on a whim. I fall more in love with this piercing every day and desperately want my other tragus done, so I match. This was my first cartilage peircing though, and the most painful to get done and healed of anything I’ve had.
The latest addition was my new tattoo that arrived on New Years day this year. A quill on my right wrist to celebrate publishing year. It is the design of the guy who did it in Camden and it is completely beautiful. I love it.
So to summarise, it pretty much goes without saying that I’m relatively for tattoos and piercings. I’d be the hippoest of all hypocrites if I said I was against them!!!
Lex xx
Lexisms 