So I got my nose pierced over the weekend in Austin.  I got it done at Affinity Body Piercing on 6th Street.  I had wanted to do this for a few years and had checked them out a month ago when I was in Austin for a hair show.  I was impressed by their professionalism and knowledge just over the phone.  That's why I chose to go there when I finally did the deed.  

Victor Vandoren is the gentleman who shoved his finger up my nose and then later stabbed it with a very sterile piece of metal.  It was all very magical, I assure you.  They had a lovely selection of jewelry, the studio was clean, and everyone had that look that says "I know my shit."   They showed me their sterilization process as well as their maintenance records on their machinery.    They also provided me with extensive and accurate information on the piercing, including what to expect and after care.

All in all, I paid $75 bucks for the jewelry and the piercing and I feel like I got what I paid for.  I mean that in a good way.  The nose stud he used was by NeoMetal.  It was titanium with a flat back like you would see on a labret stud.  It also didn't have threads.  Just kind of popped and locked into the post.

So after the paperwork, and the tour, and the sterilization process, he marked my nose and then had me lay down on the table.  Then he cleaned out my left nostril.   To have your nose picked by someone else is a strange sensation.  Afterwards the world smelled of soap. :)  Next came a sterile plastic tube which was inserted into my nose to give the needle and nose something to stabilize against.  Then I took a breath, let it out, and in went the needle.

Now, I've had piercings before.  I've got my earlobes done with three holes in each, and my eyebrow pierced.  All of these were bearable.  If I had to make a scale of pain, I'd say the cartilage ear piercing was the most painful/annoying and my eyebrow was the least painful.   Getting my nose pierced was somewhere in the middle.

Ok. Needle is in.  That's when things get kind of fuzzy because it happened pretty fast.  But the next thing I knew, the post was in and the needle was being pulled out, then the back was on and I was pierced! :D  I was sore for about ten minutes if that.  All I'm doing for aftercare is not touching it.  NO TOUCHIE!!  All it gets is a saline bath twice a day.  That's it.  According to my piercer, my body will handle the rest if I stay out of the way.  It's pretty touch to not poke at it but I'm doing my best.  I want this piercing to heal well and heal quickly.

Today, one day later, no problems.  I'm not even sore.  I thought I would be but nope.  No tenderness, no redness.  I am very pleased with the experience thus far. ^__^