Just like everyone else, I've had my tongue pierced. This is how I started getting into real body modifications and, 23 piercings and some retiring later, I ended up the person I am today. I got interested in this piercing when a boyfriend of mine came back to my old school with his tongue pierced. At first, it interested me, but I didn't think much about it. Soon, though, it was a nagging thought that was always on my mind, until I decided that it would be my 18th birthday present to me. It ended up being the day after my 18th birthday, because I wasn't allowed out (had to stay because relatives were over). So, the day after, I meet up with a friend and she drives me to Scranton to Marc's Tattooing.
At A Glance Author Graham Contact Graham@bme.anon When Two years ago Artist Neil Husbar Studio Marc's Tattooing Location Scranton, PA To make a long story short, we got a little lost, since I had never been to Marc's before and I was trying to get to Marc's West Side Tattooing, which was closed. But, after deciding to return home, we saw the huge ass billboard for Marc's Tattooing in the Sinawa Plaza. So, we drove up there. Now, since this was my first real body modification (I had only been allowed ear piercings with guns before this, eww) I was quite nervous. I knew I wanted this piercing, but I knew my parents weren't going to be too extremely happy with it, even though I was, so that helped to make me even more nervous.
We walked in, and I headed over to look at the jewelry display case. It ended up that Neil asked me if he could help me, because I wasn't being too assertive and going up to the desk myself. I told him what I wanted done; he got me the papers to fill out and said it'd be a few minutes because there was someone ahead of me. So, he pierced them, cleaned up and got ready and my friend and I sat in the lobby on one of the nice, big and comfy couches that they have.
Neil came out, told me he was all ready to do the piercing and told me to come on back with him. I stood up, still very nervous, but forced myself to walk back there with him. I knew I wanted this piercing. He sat me down, had me wash my mouth out with Listerine and told me to stick my tongue out so he could check it out. He checked for a good placing of the tongue piercing, looking at the top and bottom of my tongue to check for veins and anything else that would impede the piercing procedure. Finding and marking a good spot took only a minute or two, after which Neil had me extend my tongue as far as I could, dried it off, clamped it and got the needle ready. My friend turned away at this point, as she hates needles, although she still loves going with me to get piercings. Neil got the needle ready, I got ready for pain, and he told me to take a deep breath and pushed it through as I exhaled. The pain, I felt a little prick from the tip of the needle, a little pressure as the needle went through, but the pain itself was pretty much nonexistent.
That was it. I had my tongue piercing. Only problem, I hadn't eaten enough before the piercing, so, when I went to stand up and check it out, I got light headed and had to sit down in a chair for a few minutes. Neil got an ice pack for me and helped me out very well. After five minutes or so, I was ready to stand and walk out to pay, even though I was a little woozy still from the piercing. Neil went over the aftercare with me again while I paid and my friend and I were out of there. I was the happiest light headed person in the world, because I had a new piercing and loved it.
Afterwards, we went to Friendly's for some ice water and ice cream to help with my tongue swelling. Although I wasn't able to finish most my ice cream, both helped very well in cutting down the swelling of my tongue. Next obstacle to overcome, living through telling my parents that I had just gotten my tongue pierced. I waited for a few hours after I got home to do this, telling my mom first, as she was the only one home. She didn't say much, she's never been big on my piercings, but she won't stop me, because it's my body. She wasn't the one I was worried about, though. Next, my dad came home from work. This is where I was worried that he might get extremely mad and force me to remove it or something. It went better than I thought, although he wasn't happy at all. He just did one of his silent treatments that told me he was mad. But, at least he let me keep it. Since then, and the many piercings that have followed, my parents have come to live with the fact that I will be m odified, whether they like it or not.
Healing this piercing was very easy. I washed my mouth out with diluted Listerine (eventually moving to a more piercing friendly mouthwash, although I do not remember what it was at this very moment), rinsed with salt water mix and made sure to baby it for the first few weeks. I was back to eating solid foods within two days and back to normal within a week. I didn't even have much of a problem with a speech impediment from the piercing.
After the first month had gone by I changed quickly to a shorter bar, as the long one I had was bothering me a little bit. That's how easy it was to get. I've now had this piercing for over two years and love it, especially with its new Misfits barbell. Only thing, though, I might have to remove it because tongue splitting is becoming more and more appealing to me, but that won't be for a while down the road, and another experience totally.