No anesthetic or anything?
No, nothing like that.
If you see a little bit of blood,
don’t freak out, that’s normal.
You’re going to probably scream.
****!
Son of a ****!
So, today we’re going to be exploring the piercing.
It’s kind of strange thing, if you ask me.
However, I’m not opposed to strange things.
I’m willing to try anything once.
Alright, piercing.
[Find Piercing]
OK. Five, five.
I’m seeing really high numbers coming in for the piercings.
So, I just stumbled upon Forever Ink Bar and Tattoo Shop.
The fact that it is at a bar is a little bit concerning.
“Don’t drink alcohol or caffeine before or right after your piercing.
This can cause blood thinning
and lead to excessive bleeding,
bruising around the piercing site, and extra pain.”
It seems like a bit of a flawed business model,
the drinking and the piercing.
“I came in for a piercing,
ended up bleeding, and piercing turned black and blue!
They didn’t even care!”
“If I could give this place less than one star, I would.”
“From the very beginning, this guy was an ****.
I should’ve never let him pierce me.”
“Go at own risk,”
which is what I’m planning on doing.
I also haven’t really fully decided what I want pierced.
I know that I want it to be either the nipple,
the belly button, or the tongue.
So, also I was doing a little research,
and it actually turns out that
they were once closed by the Health Department
for “inking and drinking.”
So, I guess it’s not just me that finds it surprising
that it’s an establishment that offers both alcohol and piercings
and tattoos,
but also the city even went as far as shutting this place down.
What can I get for you today?
I was thinking a margarita, if that’s cool?
“She made me a margarita which literally tasted like armpits,
I kid you not.”
-How is it? Good? -Very good. Thank you.
-So, I came in for a piercing. -What are we doing?
So, I guess I wanted to ask you what you think.
I could do anywhere besides the penis.
Like, around it, you could do something.
Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t know if I’m quite there yet, I guess.
So, I was kind of swaying between the tongue,
the nipple,
and the belly button.
The tongue, the healing process is a little complicated.
For about two weeks, it’s going to be very uncomfortable.
The nipple is very, very simple.
It’s a little painful to get it.
Have you had any kind of crazy run-ins with anyone over the years?
Oh yeah. People, sometimes they get dizzy
and they get lightheaded right after the piercing.
But that day, the girl’s like, “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine, I’m fine,
I’m good, I’m good.”
She just busted her head on the door.
The people standing there were like, “Oh, we got to call the ambulance.”
The ambulance comes, she gets up,
she’s like, “No, I’m good, I’m good.”
Well, let’s see what happens to me.
I’m just on the fence.
Should we flip a coin right now?
Let's do it.
Heads is the nipple.
Heads, nipples.
-Alright, tails is the belly button? -Yep.
Alright.
Heads!
It’s the nipple.
Alright. The nipple won.
To the nipple.
[Don’t Think It Drink It or Ink It]
So, I was thinking of getting my nipple pierced.
Alright, sounds good.
First you got to sign this release form for me.
-Alright? -Cool.
Alright, you ready?
-I’m ready. -Then come on in.
Cool, thank you.
After two margaritas and a shot of rum,
I was definitely ready to proceed with the nipple piercing.
You’re getting your right nipple or your left nipple?
I guess there’s only two options.
So...
I guess this one is the left nipple.
This one’s the right nipple.
Right.
Just do where the heart is, so right here.
Have a seat right there,
and we’re ready to go.
As I sat in the chair, nipples exposed,
I couldn’t stop thinking about the reviews.
“He didn’t even mark the skin before piercing.
I didn’t realize it was crooked until I went home.”
“After examining the work the next day, I became furious.”
You’re going to do some breathing exercises.
In through your nose, out through your mouth,
a couple of times.
“They don’t pay attention to what they are doing at all!”
“His hand was heavy.
He kept being distracted
by everything else happening in the shop.”
I’m going to grab your nipple with a clamp.
No anesthetic or anything?
No, nothing like that.
Remember, I told you, breath in with me?
“His hand was heavy.”
“Ended up bleeding, and piercing turned black and blue.”
Now this time, do it, but hold your breath, OK?
So, I guess coming into here,
I noticed some people had a few complaints.
Where? Where did you go? Where did you hear this?
Oh, just on the reviews online.
-About our shop? -Yeah.
I mean...
In terms of someone saying--
Sorry, let me just see, real quick.
What? I’m being ambushed right now?
-Am I being ambushed? -No, you’re not being ambushed, no.
Can you give me one second?
-Yeah, yeah, yeah. For sure. -I wasn’t aware that you guys
were going ask all these questions.
I don’t want you to feel like I’m ambushing you.
No, I just feel like-- I wasn't aware.
The internet is the Wild West, and people just say whatever they want
and it doesn’t have to be true.
It’s literally an opportunity for you to speak on your business.
So, for example, someone said...
some of these were done crooked, incorrectly.
There’s millions of people, man.
We can’t focus just on the negative people.
Someone mentioned that it seemed like
the guy was distracted on everything else that was happening in the shop.
Do you feel that way right now?
I don’t. I’m just reading what I saw online,
just for you to basically, you know--
I think I’ve got to pierce your nipple.
Let’s just pierce the nipple. Yeah, sorry about that.
- Alright. - Cool.
But then maybe we’ll touch on one more, once I get it done.
Yeah.
I’m pretty **** scared, by the way.
You’re going to probably scream.
If you see a little bit of blood, don’t freak out, that’s normal.
Alright.
Now do it and hold your breath. Alright?
Hold your breath.
****!
-Son of a ****. -Let go, let go.
Like I told you, you’re going to see a little bit of blood.
-OK. -Don’t freak out.
I mean, honestly though, I know I’m pressing you for these reviews
and all that stuff,
but working with you so far has been very chill.
-Cool. -I must say.
So, I read somewhere that this shut down for a little while.
Do you want to just sum up that story?
This happened a few months ago.
We were doing a workshop in the bar area,
so we called it “Ink and Drink.”
As a result, did that actually-- They shut it down for a minute?
The Health Department came in. They were like, “You can’t do that.”
Honestly, I think you did an incredible job
on this nipple piercing.
Not that I know about nipple piercings,
but just if I had to say, it looks like it’s been a...
very successful nipple piercing.
I mean, I can say now, I would give it you know a...
a high review.
Well above, definitely above a-- I’ll figure it out.
Thank you so much for chatting with me about it.
Sorry if you thought I was ambushing you.
-I promise I wasn’t. -No, no, no, that’s fine. That’s fine.
You also did really well.
The bar was welcoming, but the piercing was uncomfortable,
and not just for my nipple.
However, I can only blame myself for this,
as I brought up the reviews while my nipple was mid clamp.
The needle going through my nipple
was even more painful than I had anticipated,
but that’s no major surprise,
and luckily Rick had some helpful breathing techniques
that he shared with me.
As far as the healing goes,
it looks great, and I’m pretty sure it’s not infected.
However, at times I did suspect I was heading down that route.
Nonetheless, I too came out the other side,
like the needle through my nipple,
and it is now a part of who I am.
[3 Stars]
Do most people get both done, or one?
Guys usually do one.
-One? -Yes. Women do two.
Should I question the gender roles and do both?
Nah.