Lannie Gets Her Ears Pierced

6 October 2001

I finally got my ears pierced. Big deal. Well, it is kind of a big deal, to me. Here's why, and some encouragement for those of you who may also be contemplating doing the same.

Why did I get my ears pierced? So I can wear cute earings, of course! Oh, I've got some pretty cute clip-ons, but it's been hard to find them, and it seems to be getting harder and harder all the time. When one of my favorite earings gets lost or broken, it is frustrating to try to replace it. Besides, I've been wearing the clip-ons for long enough stretches that they're starting to hurt and damage my earlobes.

I'd been seriously toying with the idea of doing it for several weeks. Today was a free Saturday, so I decided this was the day to do it. I dressed casually in jeans, a blue sweater top, and my short auburn wig, and off the the mall I went.

I've been going out dressed for quite a while, and there's very little that intimidates me any more. I get read all the time, but that doesn't particularly bother me. I just smile at people, and they smile back, and they're always very nice to me. (Sometimes I think it may be the same way they are nice to insane people, but I'll take it.) But I had to admit that this intimidated me, walking up to a clerk--most likely a cute young Genetic Girl--and asking to get my ears pierced. Oh well, it's actually kind of interesting to feel that old nervous tingle again!

I went to the Great Mall of Milpitas ("Le Grand Mal" as my friend likes to call it). First I walked the entire mall and checked out the places offering "Free Ear Piercing (with purchase of studs)". I found these signs at a few jewelry kiosks in the main aisle, and a couple of accessory stores. I stalled by dropping into Charlette Russe and buying a sparkly blue sweater ($7) and a cute halter top with a cowl collar ($3). Finally as I passed Claire's accessories, I glanced at their piercing station in the front window. A customer was in the high chair chatting with the operator--a cute young GG, as I had anticipated. I noticed that the customer had a series of piercings in her eyebrows and nose, as well as ears, so I thought, "Here's somebody that knows her piercings!" This seemed like a good choice for my procedure. I stalled a bit more, walked by a few more times, checked out one other place for the third time, and finally got up the courage to go in to Claire's.

By the time I got inside, the multiply-pierced customer was gone and the piercing operator was no longer at the station. I went up to the counter and asked the cute, 20-something-ish girl, "Is your ear piercing person here?" She said, "That's me, step right over here," leading me to the high chair in the front window. "Are you a little nervous?" she asked. "A little," I admitted. "Don't worry, it really doesn't hurt much at all," she reassured me. "Oh, I'm not worried about the pain," I said, "I'm nervous about how I'm going to explain it at work on Monday!" She gave me a double take and went silent.. I think that was when she frist realized I was a trannie. But she was extremely nice, and professional, and it was over in about 2 minutes. We chatted a little about how different piercings hurt more or less. She said she didn't even notice ear piercings any more, that she even lets new girls practice on her. At one point, she had 10 holes per ear! For me, it didn't hurt at all, it was just a quick, slightly noticeable pinch.

That's about all there was to it, from a practical viewpoint. I picked out a copule of sets of pierced earings to give me something to look forward to, and checked out. I received a bottle of antiseptic lotion with care instructions, I should swab the ears and and rotate the studs 3 times a day for 6 weeks.. egads! Somebody had told me I would only need to do that for 10 days! Oh well. And it said to leave the studs in continously for 5 months, lest the holes heal up. Okay, I can do that. At least I can start wearing some cute earings (posts, not wire) after the 6 weeks are up.

Psychologically, there's more going on for me. This is the first relatively indellible body modification I've made to support my gender transition. There were earlier milestones that held similar weight for me, of course: the first time I shaved my legs, when I shaved my entire body, when I had the nerve to wear short sleeve shirts to work exposing my shaved arms, when I grew my fingernails out. But all of these changes could be easily reversed. The ear piercing would be with me for while, and wearing the studs would certainly (?? at least I assumed) draw some attention. If not at work, most definately from my parents!

.. It's two days later, Monday evening. I have to say, when I dressed in "guy mode" this morning, I liked the look of the studs! That was a pleasant surprise. I should have done this years ago! At work, only a couple of people mentioned it at all. One fellow asked about it, and commented that he had one ear pierced but he had let it heal up. And the receptionist noticed, and told me it looked good. So all that worry was for nothing--as usual.

That's my story so far. I'll see my parents at Thanksgiving, so maybe there will be a post-script to this story then. In any case, starting next year, look for some really cute earings in my new pix!

Luv,
Lannie
10/2001

Update: March 2002 - Check this out!