I've been getting pierced for less than a year and my tongue frenulum is already #6 on my list of piercings. I first saw a picture of a tongue webbing piercing at Alien & Co. when I was there with a friend of mine who ws getting some work done on a rather huge-ass tatto project that he is just now done with. At the time I thought it really cool but I didn't think I would ever get it done anytime soon seeing as how I hadn't yet gotten my eyebrow pierced, a piercing I've wanted since I was 15, but couldn't get on account of my job at the current time. Well, a little while later I quit my job and got my eyebrow done by Dave who is a very competent piercer who I feel extremely comfortable with and have developed a relationship with by me always accompanying my friend when he gets his tattoo worked on. Dave also pierced my helix which was a very positive experience. Currently I am lucky enough to have a great job that I enjoy with an extremely casual dress code.
At A Glance Author volkai Contact volkai@bme.anon Artist "Crazy" Dave Ellison Studio Alien & Co. Location Sioux Falls, SD Well, about a month after having my eyebrow done my friend (Mr. Tattoo) and I were hanging out and talking on a Monday and I had planned to get the piercing that Friday when I got paid. It just so happened that parents were gone on vacation for the next couple days and I had a couple days off work then, so it occured to me that Tuesday would be a far more practical time to do it because I'd like to hide this one from my parents and my job requires that I talk a lot so I would need time for the swelling to go down. I told my friend this and he had the following day off as well so we made plans to go Alien and Co. on Tuesday.
For some reason I really don't like making appointments for piercings so we figured we'd head over to Alien at around noon after we both had lunch (be sure to eat before getting any oral piercing, for obvious reasons). Alien & Co. is a about a half an hour from where I live we got there at about 1 and talked to Dave and he said he could get me in at around 2 p.m. that day which sounded great to me. Since Alien & Co. is a really cool place with cool employees and regular customers so we decided to just stay there and hang out and look at jewelry and pictures. I had no idea as to what kind of jewelry I wanted to have put in so I debated it for a long time. I considered purple and deep blue niobium CBR's, and a stainless cbr and some others. Finally at around 2 o'clock Dave came over to me to have me pick out the jewelry and fill out the paperwork. I had finally decided on this oil-slick finished niobium CBR but Dave said he didn't have it in 14 ga. So he proceeded to showed me everything else he had that would work I chose this blue and green candy-cane striped 14ga CBR. I can't remember the material it is made of because I was so excited at the time I chose it. It just so happend it was one Dave had had forever and couldn't get rid off so he took $10 of the price of the piercing! That is just how cool Crazy Dave is. My tongue webbing was now only going to cost me $40!!
On to the piercing. Dave sat me down in the chair and explained EVERYTHING I'd need to know about taking care of my piercing. Dave always makes you feel at ease before he does a piercing but to tell you the truth I'm usually more excited than nervous before my piercings, that is, until about two seconds before the piercing takes place. Dave requested the assistance of his the main tattoo artist at Alien, Gary, to hold my tongue out of the way with a long pair of forceps while Dave performed the piercing.
Ok, so here we go, all the tools are ready and Gary has a good hold of my tongue, not painfully. .. . .yet. Dave asks if I'm ready in the same manner as always and proceeds to pierce. I'm going to say right now it hurt far more than I expected it too. The needle itself wasn't so bad, but inserting the jewelry was a bitch. I can't remember all the tools he used but know there was a needle, a receiving tube, Gary's forceps, a pliers, maybe more, an insertion taper?. Anyway, it's hard to tell exactly what the heck is going on so I felt really weird while all this was going on. I think I was trying to move my tongue a lot and didn't know it because about halfway throught the procedure Gary had a REALLY serious grip on my tongue which hurt pretty bad. Gary could tell I was in pain and told me to relax which I finally did and before I knew it it was over. Dave offered me a popsicle which I readily accepted. He handed me the popsicle but I was still pretty shaken up and high on endorphins so I could do much more than fumble around with so Dave removed wrapper for me and I was in business. I can't begin to tell you how good it felt to put that sweet, cold, popsicle on my tongue. Dave then asked me if I wanted to chill out on the couch and regain my bearings before paying and heading out the door. I went and sat for a good five minutes and then went to pay. I tipped Dave $5 and thanked him and home.
Afterwards I went to the drug store and got some Gly-oxide (?) and sea salt to take care of it and went home. I absolutely love this piercing and it looks really cool. Plus, there's there fact that practically no one has this same piercing around these parts. Well, it's been two days since I got pierced and the healing is going great. The swelling has gone down considerably and I and I can talk just fine and my parents don't know! My girlfriend can't wait until it's healed so she can flick it with her tongue.
Happy Piercing!
Volkai