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The anxiety you feel and the stories you hear before getting your first body piercing are much worse than the actual piercing process itself. While it DOES hurt, it's not so bad that you can't live through it. If you are really set on having it done, there are a few things that will help to ease your mind (and nerves).

-Stop listening to the horror stories! Whether it is your mother trying to scare you into changing your mind, or your friends just razzing you, listening to the stories is only going to tie a knot in your stomach and make it that much harder to walk through the door of the piercing parlor.

-Research piercings. If you're unsure or concerned about how it's done, you can go in and ask the piercing artist ahead of time, and they'll explain it all to you. They might even let you watch a piercing being done. You can also look up body piercing on the internet to find out about any risks and dangers regarding the type of piercing you want. It will comfort you to know just how rare it is for anything really disasterous to occur during a piercing (since your mother has probably already given dire warnings that your whole body will swell up or limbs will fall off).

-Take a friend with you who has already had piercings done (preferably a nice, honest friend). Having someone to talk to while you wait eases the tension, plus you'll have someone standing by if you need a hand to hold or an arm to squeeze while you are getting the piercing.

-If needles and sharp objects really make you queasy, don't watch while the piercing artist works (though, if this is the case, what are you doing poking holes in your body anyway?). However, if this doesn't bother you, it can be reassuring to have the piercing artist explain step by step what they are doing as they do it.

-Most importantly, wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing. Once the piercing is over with, and the pain has subsided, you don't want anything rubbing against the tender area. Girls especially-if you've just pierced your belly button, be very careful getting back in the car and putting on your seatbelt (in my own experience, having a brand new belly button ring pressed on or caught on a seatbelt is the epitomy of pain).

Your first body piercing experience can be fun and exciting, even the beginning of an addiction, if you take a few steps towards relaxing yourself. The first time is always the worst and most difficult to get through, but it doesn't have to be torture!

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