Once I landed on the jewelry, it was time to get down to business. Harris looked at where my skin naturally falls when I'm comfortably standing and made a tiny mark where the piercing will sit. Then, he had me lie down on my back and placed a clamp around my navel to keep everything lined up. It felt a little tight but didn't hurt.
If you are like me and got your first ear piercing at a young age at your local Claire's or mall kiosk, you probably have a horror story about the piercing gun. I personally had a gun get stuck midpiercing (*shivers*). The more sophisticated piercers of today use a hollow needle, done by hand. "The needle seems a little scary, but it's healthier on the tissue and allows us to get more precise with the piercing," Harris said. "It's also used to connect to the jewelry and guide it in. The gun pierces you with the jewelry by forcing it through the tissue."
