Black Hole Body Piercing – Piercing the Navel

When Oliver asked me if I was interested in writing an article for his publication, I was pretty excited. I'm not much of a writer, but I do like to talk.  In the upcoming months, I will be sharing some interesting information about body piercing that I’ve obtained over the past seventeen years.

In 1991, I was getting a divorce from my high school sweetheart, and was looking for something fun and daring to distract me from this tedious process.  Out of the blue one day, I ran into a hot Goth girl (after all, it was the 90’s) and she had something I had never seen before: her belly button was pierced--S-E-X-Y!  She wore a cute petite ring through the piercing, and I immediately knew that I had to have one, too!  I headed for San Francisco, which at the time housed the closest piercing studio to me.  I found a place in the Castro District, hopped up on the piercing table and let it be done!  It was hardly a pinch, and now I was sexy too--hot shit to be exact! 

After it was done, my piercer went over the aftercare, telling me to, “Wash the area with a surgical-grade prep soap, and stay out of bodies of water until it’s healed.”  Whoa, wait a minute- no lakes, no rivers, and no hot tubs until it’s healed?!  Well shit, I thought, there goes my summer.  At least I looked hot with my new navel ring, and it would be healed in time to show off next summer. 

Like me at the time, most people don’t know that a navel piercing takes about six to nine months to heal.  Staying out of lakes, rivers, and hot tubs is crucial during the healing period, due to excessive amounts of bacteria in these bodies of water.  If you get pierced in the spring or summer, like I did, it puts a really big damper on any summer fun-- especially here in the Truckee Meadows.  Aftercare has changed a bit too since my piercing experience.  At Black Hole, I suggest washing the piercing once daily with a mild anti-bacterial liquid soap and additional soaks with a non-iodized sea salt solution (saline) twice a day.  This step is essential for any piercing during the healing process. 

If you have been thinking of having a navel piercing done, fall or winter are the best times of the year to get it pierced. It’ll be healed by summer, so you can enjoy all of your favorite water activities! 

Got a question?  Email me at Blackhole912@sbcglobal.net. 

Angela Watson, the owner of Black Hole Body Piercing, has been piercing for over seventeen years.  When she’s not kicking ass at the shop, she’s taking care of her kids and searching for the perfect cupcake.  Black Hole is an all female full-service piercing studio, located at 912 South Virginia Street in Reno.  Established in 1994, it has been voted “best place to get pierced” in Reno for fourteen consecutive years. For shop hours or directions call 775-329-6010.

Black Hole Body Piercing Turns 15!

This December 4, Black Hole Body Piercing, Reno’s award-winning piercing studio, celebrates its 15th anniversary year in business.  Starting next month, owner Angela Watson will contribute a series of articles to RTT that will help inform the general public about everything they always wanted to know about piercing—but were afraid to ask.  “A lot of people have questions about piercings,” explains Watson, a married mother of two who started piercing about 19 years ago.  “They want to know what to expect when they come in for the first time.  We’re here to answer their questions.”

Located in an inviting converted Arts & Crafts style bungalow on South Virginia next door to Bar USA, visitors are greeted to an immaculate reception area.  The orange and wood toned interior is warmly decorated and awash in natural light.  Customers can peruse the various glass display cases, choosing from a variety of jewelry made of horn, bone, wood, stainless steel, titanium, gold and glass.  Black Hole is the only shop in the region that doesn’t offer tattooing in the same building. Black Hole employs an all female staff of five--all of whom must complete a 2 year apprenticeship before they can do procedures on clients.  “As a whole, about 50% of piercers are female,” notes Watson.  “Some of the industry’s best are women.”

If a customer has never been pierced before, Watson gives them the skinny.  “It all hurts a little, but we try to make the piercing experience as comfortable as possible. New piercings and stretchings have to be done with a recommended list of appropriate, non porous materials.  Customers need to eat before they come in for a piercing.  We do not pierce drunken people. We don’t piercing anyone under 14, per our shop standard ethics.  Why? You get your twelve-year-old’s navel pierced; she’s going to stop caring for it over the 6-9 months healing term, resulting in infection.  A good portion of our clientele is between the ages of 15-25.  If you’re under 18, you’ll need to bring a copy of your birth certificate, a picture ID and your accompanying parent must present their picture ID.”

“There are a lot of things we won’t do.  We don’t do implants. We do not do sub dermal anchors. We don’t do vampire bites.  Body modification, which we also don’t do, can get pretty wild. We stay very family friendly here. No branding or scarification.”

Black Hole’s 15^th Anniversary bash will take place in January at Roller Kingdom, with appearances by DJ Tiger Bunny, a Double Dutch performance by The Tight Ropes and a Roller Derby halftime event.  A diaper drive to collect free diapers and clothing will benefit Casa La Vida, a home for low income teenage mothers. The theme will be “Staying Alive: A Toast to the Future.” The Reno Chapter of the Little Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will do collection and support. Tickets, required for entry, are available in advance at the Black Hole.  For more info call 775-329-6010.

Black Hole Body Piercing

912 S. Virginia – Open 7 days – 11-8. Fri. and Sat. 11-9

Oliver X