[thetribe]

A bunch of people that I know have it done and I often consider it myself. You can get it pierced at either a 14 gauge or a 16. I would say that most places pierce at the standard 14, which as you said, is the same size as your belly button. The length varies between 1-2 inches depending on your ear. When they pierce it they pay use one a little bit bigger than what you need to allow for swelling but just ask them. It will give you a general idea what you need; bigger or smaller related to the one that you already have. They don't burn any cartilage, it's just a piercing. SOME studios will pierce the two separate holes and have you put two separate pieces of jewelry into them before you put the industrial bar in a few weeks after, once it has healed. I don't imagine it to hurt TOO bad, going through thick cartilage is kind of hard to do but most people are professional and know how to get it through as quick and easy as possible.

I have 2 tattoos, 5 different things total, and I don't think that they hurt very bad at all. The second one down on my spine was right on a vertabrae and it was the worst but there are far more painful things in the world.

Piercings aren't bad though, if you want it then you should get it. What amount of pain they DO come with only lasts for a very short while and you then have an awesome piercing that you can keep for as long as you want.