I have wanted to get my tongue pierced since I saw a friend of a friend who had one when I was 14 years old. I was too young then and my mother didn't like the idea at all. Even when I was 18 and could get it done she begged me not to. She was worried about infection. I have done my research and with any piercing as long as you are on top of your aftercare and maintenance you will usually have no problem. Recently my want had returned five fold and I was itching to get another piercing. I had not had one since I had gotten my conch pierced when I was 16. It has since been retired due to hair getting around it all the time and it just annoyed me too much.
At A Glance Author Jenn Contact rocklovegrrl@cbgb.net When A month ago Artist Pat Studio Atomic Tatto and Piercing on the Drag Location Austin, TX I was recently walking around the Drag with a girlfriend of mine who had her nostril pierced. She wanted to get a screw to change out for her ring and so we stopped in at Atomic. I had been thinking about getting my nostril done as well but we hadn't intended to stop there so I hadn't brought the money with me. She left with her new nostril screw and I left dreaming even more of acquiring a new piercing.
I thought on it for another week and it nearly drove me crazy. The next Sunday evening I returned to Atomic with my friend and my son, River, in tow. I had told my mother and boyfriend that I was either getting my nostril or my tongue done but in my mind if I was getting anything that night I was getting my tongue. I had wanted it so much longer than the nose ring and this was the time. I walked in and my friend and I were the only ones there except for the piercing artist, Pat. I looked at jewelry and asked many questions that I already had the answers to because of my own personal research. Basically I was wasting time and getting my nerve up. I finally told him to set up; I was going to do it.
I handed over my ID and read & signed all of the required papers. After that he had me step behind the counter and lift my tongue so he could wrap a paper towel around it and check the underside. He said it looked good so I sat down in the chair as he began setting out all of his supplies.
He was very clean and sterile throughout the entire process. The needle was brand new opened right in front of me and he changed his gloves a couple of times after handling things that others would touch too. He gave me a very small cup of Listerine to swish with. The 30 seconds seemed like forever but I think the tingle and slight burn of the Listerine helped take the edge off of the needle pushing through.
He dried my tongue again and made the mark on it. He brought the clamps out and this was when my heart began to speed up a little bit. I told him that I was a bit worried about the reflex reaction to pull my tongue back into my mouth after he stuck the needle through but he assured me he was way faster then that. He clamped down on my tongue, which for me was not that uncomfortable because I have a long tongue. I closed my eyes and just thought about how awesome it was going to be to finally have this lovely little piece of metal in my mouth. He told me to take a deep breath in and let it out, then take another and hold it. I had to let the second one out and take a third but I held it and he pressed the needle through my tongue. I let out a bit of a grunting noise as it went through but before I knew it the jewelry was through and my tongue was back in my mouth.
He went over aftercare and gave me tips for dealing with the aching and swelling. Ice and Ibuprofen were both so great for ache and swelling. These things mostly occurred when I woke up in the morning. One tip he gave me was not to suck on the ice because it would draw more blood into the tongue and cause more swelling. I had a slight lisp for the first week but it is gone now. Aftercare is very simple and I have had no problems with it. I went back exactly two weeks after I had it pierced and got a shorter barbell put and now I am so in love with it. I don't know why I didn't get it didn't get it done before. My mother has eve gotten used to it and kind of likes it now.
If you are reading this debating getting your tongue pierced or are putting it off for fear it will hurt, don't. The tiny bit of pain is, in my opinion, worth it. It was like a hard pinch to me and as I wrote earlier the Listerine's effects took a bit of the edge off. I love my tongue ring and will probably get my nostril done in the near future, but that, is another story.