When it comes to intimate procedures, like piercing or tattooing, you probably want a professional who’s going to handle the procedure with care. That’s what Ari, known on TikTok as @bigcatari, was hoping for, but instead, she claims got a “rude-ass piercer” in the viral clip.
@bigcatari I’m trusting you with wounding my body be nice #dermal #piercers #lasvegas #piercing #healthadepopit #fyp ♬ original sound – ari
The video opens with overlay text that reads, “Watch me get an exciting experienced ruined by a rude a$$ piercer.” Ari can be seen laying down in the chair and expectantly smiling, looking upwards.
“You’re doing great sweetie,” someone can be heard saying off-camera. Presumably, it’s Ari’s friend who is recording the piercing.
The overlay text then reads, “I was laughing and then…no warning?” as the piercer sticks the piercing needle into Ari’s chest. She gasps and grimaces as the piercer moves the piece of metal around in her flesh. The piercer then places a tissue on the entrance wound while saying, “Don’t be mad at me, you wanted it,” before taking a pair of blunt-tip scissors to the affected area.
Another text overlay comes up where Ari explains that she wasn’t “mad” but “uncomfortable.” The man then begins fidgeting with the piercing again and takes it out of Ari’s chest, and sets it back in again, stretching her skin out in the process.
“So rough with me??” she writes. “Is it supposed to look like..not flat?” She adds in another text overlay, referring to her sternum piercing.
Folks who saw the video had mixed reactions. Many sympathized with Ari and agreed that they thought the piercer’s tableside manner and the way he handled putting the stud in her sternum were done way too roughly. Others shared their own experiences with sternum piercings, urging Ari to regularly clean hers and warning her that their own “rejected,” which occurs quite commonly according to recipient experiences.
One user said, “how’s it healing now? that whole thing seemed… incorrect.”
One commenter claimed to be a piercer and warned, “Piercer here; that’s not how it’s supposed to look.”
A third commented on the piercer’s manner: “Yeah no he needs to go re-evaluate his manner and behavior with customers embarrassing.”
One user empathized, “This hurt me just watching. He was so rough with u omg”
Another said, “He didn’t even pierce that correctly yikes. Hope it doesn’t reject.”
In addition to commenters who said they were professional piercers claiming that the man’s work in the video looked suspect, there were also tons of folks who thought that he was “deflecting” with his defensive comments.
Ari urged folks to stop leaving negative reviews of the piercing shop and said that she just wished he was kinder to her during the procedure.
“Right like I was uncomfy, not mad, he probably sensed that and didn’t want to feel the shame so he got defensive,” she said.
WebMD writes that sternum piercings require a bit more care than piercings on other areas of the body: “Because of how much skin is affected by these long rod piercings, a sternum piercing may take longer to heal than an eyebrow or ear piercing. However, it should be fully healed after about 6 to 12 weeks.”
Regular cleaning and maintenance, like any piercing, is paramount in minimizing the chances of piercing rejection.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Ari on TikTok and the purported shop where she received the piercing, Diversity Tattoo Vegas, via email.
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