Fast forward 12 years - after getting my ears pierced for the first time - I made a spur of the moment decision. I wanted to get my tongue pierced. I'd thought about it for a while and liked the look of it so I called up the local studio (which is actually a beauty salon which also does piercing) and they said I could get an appointment straight away.
At A Glance Author Shelly Contact Shelly@bme.anon When A year ago Artist didnt get her name Studio if you ask i'll let you know (i dont want to get sued) Location Newcastle I'm assuming the actual procedure went well, it was uncomfortable holding my tongue out but the pain was minimal considering the size of the needle they are ramming through your tongue - it just fell like alot of hard pressure. After the procedure, the piercer gave me the aftercare spiel and I was on my way. My tongue was swollen within an hour and stayed that way. Ice didn't help even thought thats what I was reduced to living on because anything else was too painful to eat. After 4 days I figured something was wrong because the swelling still showed no signs of subsiding and I was caring for it exactly as I had been told. My tongue was swollen to the point where I had deep teeth marks all over my tongue and I couldn't move it all. I continued to deal with it for 2 more days until the 7th day after turning the top ball (which I was told to do every day) I tried to turn the bottom ball. Because of the swelling and pain I couldn't lift my tongue so I was relying on my sense o f touch and all I could feel was the underside of my tongue. and NO!! I hadnt swallowed the ball .... because of all the swelling the bottom ball had been pushed up against the wound on the bottom of my tongue and my tongue had closed up over the bottom ball. I could feel the ball through the flesh and it actually still twirled when I turned the top of the bar. After COMPLETELY FREAKING OUT, and trying to push it back through, I finally called the doctor. After 6 local anesthetics injected into my poor sore, swollen tongue, he cut the bar out. Within 2 minutes (seriously) the hole had closed up. For the next week my tongue remained swollen and even after the swelling went down I still coundn't lift up my tongue or move it (***while you are sitting there reading this move your tongue around your mouth, stick it in, out and up and down. I didn't have movement like that for 3 months after the piercing***) it was probably the single most scariest thing that has ever happened to me. I thought I'd never be able to touch the roof of my mouth again.< p> Fortunately and eventually my tongue healed and is now completely healed. About 6 months after the piercing my mother met a girl who had a bad experience with a tongue piercing too ... somehow it hit a nerve and now she cant control her saliva glands on one side of her mouth which means she constantly dribbles. That made me realize how lucky I was that my problem corrected itself and I had no permenent damage.
This experience put me off body piercing for a long time. It took me 2 years to get up the courage to get my ears pierced a second time (seriously I had to work up to that because I was worried something would go wrong) but this time I went to another studio 2 hours away from where I live. The lady who pierced my ears was lovely and I told her about what happened with my tongue. I explained the angle it was pierced on and the size of the bar and she said that it was pierced on far to much of an angle and the bar was way to short. She said those two things combined were a recipe for disaster.
I'm not writing this to tell people not to experiment with body piercing - far from it. The staff at the studio where I got my ears pierced a second time were so great that I've just got my navel pierced with them. I just want people to really research the studios they are going too. I made the mistake of going to the studio I went to because it was the only one in town. I'm not saying the studio was unclean or unlicensed but I do believe my piercer was a little inexperienced. I don't recommend that anyone I know go there but I'm sure they have has heaps of piercing success stories. Its not a piercing I'd get done again, it dosen't appeal to me anymore and I cant really have facial piercing with my work but if it is your thing make sure you go somewhere reputable, and above all trust your piercer.