Tongue web; once on my own, once with a professional

At A Glance Author nancy Contact nancy@bme.anon Artist Brandon Studio Artistic Skin Designs Inc Location Bloomington, IN (812) 824-4652

i have wanted to get my tongue pierced since i was 15, but my parents have always told me that if i were ever to become pierced or tatooed, they wouldn't pay for my college education... so it never got pierced, the traditional way, atleast. i wanted a piercing in my mouth that my parents could not see, so i opted to have my tongue web pierced.

i was in a strange mood about a month-and-a-half ago, so i decided "hey, instead of going and actually paying to get it done, why don't i do it myself." so i went to the BME site to read up on the matter... not any really good help in the department of sterilization, needle size, or placement, but i felt comfortable in my own judgement. i found a large needle for leather darning, and i looked at it... it looked big enough to make a nice hole, the only thing i didn't have was jewelry to put in the hole. i decided that i would worry about that part later, though. i sat down at my computer chair, took a deep breath, and shoved the needle through as i exhaled. no big deal.

i called my boyfirend and told him to run to skinquake and buy me a "14 gague ring with 2 balls on the end" he asked why, and i said, " 'cause i just pierced my tongue!" he didn't sound too happy. he said he would go and be at my dorm in a while. as i waited for him, i pondered what my roomate would think if she walked in... she did, and she didn't notice that i had a huge needle sticking through my tongue with a broken off pencil eraser stuck on the sharp end, to keep it from poking me. my boyfriend showed up about an hour later, with his eyebrow pierced. he said that he "got mad at me for not telling him what i was doing, so he got pierced without me." *side note*the piercer at skinquake did a real shitty job on his eyebrow, she used a curved barbel and put it WAY too deep in his skin... don't go to her, she's not very good... more about her later*

we tried for about 2 hours to put that damn ring in my tongue, but i wouldn't go in... finally we decided to go to the chick who did my boyfriend's eyebrow. she said that she "didn't do tongue web piercings because you need surgical equiptment" and that i "hould take the needle out and have it done professionally in about 3 weeks." well i was bummed, but i did as i was told. i played hockey that night, my tongue got red and my speach was impared, but it was fine the next day.

****PART 2****

my tongue healed up, and my boyfriend's eyebrow piercing fell out at a RAGE concert (shitty job by the piercer) so we decided that we would get professionally pierced at ARTISTIC SKIN DESIGNS. a guy named BRANDON had told my boyfriend that since skinquake had done such a shitty job, he would re-pierce him for free, he just had to buy a new barbel. so on december 13, we drove to the studio. when we got therewo say Brandon, and he remembered my boyfriend. they picked out jewelry for the eyebrow piercing, and Brandon told us about how a curved barbel shouldn't have been used, and how it shouldn't have fallen out.

when they got everything settled, we asked if they did tongue web piercings. brandon said he did, and that he had even had his done, but he didn't like it, because it always ached, but he would do it for me. i told him that i had tried to do it before. he asked what kind of needle i used, and what i stearilized it with. i told him, and he said that i would have been better off pissing on the needle, because it is sterile to your own body, and listerine or alcohol doesn't kill anything but household germs,it dosen't kill hepatitas b, or anything like that, the stuff you should be really worried about.

after that bit of wisdom, he took my jewelry from the previous try and put it in a sterilizing soak. he then pierced my boyfriend's eyebrow (it looked much better)and called me in (i opted not to watch my boyfirend's piercing, i didn't want to scare myself... i tend to get all worked up over really small things). Brandon gave me some listerine to gargle with and he prepared everything. i wated him put on rubber gloves, open all the sterile packages and place them on a sterile surface, bend the needle into a curve without kinking the needle (for my comfort of course)and lubricate the needle and the jewelry (dry stuff sticks to wet stuff) he told me to lie back and open my mouth. he marked the spot on my tongue after placing forecepts (i think) on my tongue web to look for viens. he then told me to take a deep breath, and he put the needle up to the skin, then he told me to exhale slowly, and he pushed the needle through... no biggie... the only part that was the least bit uncomfortable was the pinching sensation of him pulling the needle and ring through the hole, but it wasn't bad at all. i'm serious... NO PAIN!!!

he gave me some listerine and told me to gargle. then he told me he was going to take a picture of it. he did, and now i'm at the top of his portfolio! the piercing was free because he took the picture of it, and he said since i brought my own jewelry he wasn't down anything but a 60 cent needle. he gave me some glyoxide since i am allergic to fake sugar (which is found in almost all mouthwashes) but said that listerine (diluted) would do the exact same thing. he told me to rinse my mouth after anything touched it, and to make sure to swish out any organic matter.

well its been 24 hours, and all is well. it is a bit tender, and i have to think while chewing, but it is great. i love having someting in my mouth... its neet, it feels like it belongs. cheesy i know, but as i told my boyfriend, "its like having a friend in my mouth i can play with!" he thinks im nuts sometimes, but the piercing is really great, and so is he!