She'll Hate Me in Three Days

At A Glance Author Tserisa Supalla Contact tser@snail-mail.net Artist Jessie the Piercer Studio 21st Century Studio of Tattoo Location Portland, OR

I was 17 when I first found out about the 21st Century Studio of Tattoo in Portland Oregon. My mother teaches classes at a park and rec center, generally for preschool age kids. One day, a mother of a little girl in her class bent over, revealing that hidden under her long hair was a gorgeous tattoo of a fairy.

My mom, knowing that I was extremely interested in body modification, immediately asked where she had gotten it done. She said that her husband, Dymond at 21st Century Studio of Tattoo (http://www.21stcenturytattoo.com) had done it.

For my 18th birthday, my mom agreed to pay for a tongue piercing (first non-ear piercing), and asked Dymond's wife where it would be best to get pierced. Her answer? Why 21st Century Studio of Tattoo of course! ;}

My birthday is in September, and I went to get my piercing done on October 1st. I had been preparing my mouth for the piercing with a tongue scraper to get it it's absolute cleanest and bacteria-free.

We finally found our way through the complex Portland streets and found the studio... it was huge, with flash art covering massive walls and in huge books all over the studio. Every tattoo and piercing room was closed and private. Everything was extremely clean.

My piercer for my tongue was Jessie. Called Jessie the Piercer because there was also a tattoo artist there named Jesse. She took my information and health history, photocopied my ID, and got all the paperwork done first, supplying me with a large stack of aftercare papers. All this made me feel very good about the studio, because of my years of research, I knew that this wonderful, professional approach was great.

She led me into the piercing room, which had a dentist-type chair and various pieces of art on the walls, all completely sterile. She explained the whole process to me in detail, although in my mind I had the procedure memorized. She handed me a small cup of listerine to swish with and I did, then realized she was staring at me.

"You can spit it out now...," she said. I did so. "You're quite the trooper." Actually, I hadn't felt much at all, but it certainly tasted nasty.

Next she had me stick my tongue out and swabbed it down with a sterile piece of gauze. She told me to stick it out all the way... she told me again, then she asked me to lift my tongue.

"Ah, you're what we call tongue-tied," she said. My heart sank for a second, I was worried I couldn't get the piercing. I knew what tongue-tied meant (tongue web connected near the tip of the tongue) but I had never equated it to me.

Luckily she continued to explain that she would have to pierce it at an angle, with the lower ball of the barbell farther forward than the top one, and with the lower ball slightly to the side. She swabbed my tongue again, then set on the clamp, which wasn't uncomfortable as most people say it had been for them. She marked my tongue with a pen (this was the only point I had against them, because it wasn't a one-use marker, but I let it slide for the overall sterilility and openness of the place), told me to take a deep breath and on the outbreath, stuck through the needle.

I barely felt a pinch. I don't remember feeling pain at all. I expected something at least as bad as an ear piercing but it wasn't that bad at all.

Then I began to drool, as people with their tongues hanging out with needles stuck through them are apt to do. I glanced down, since I could feel it on my hands, and Jessie said, "Don't worry, it's not blood." I figured it wasn't (and new about the drool), but I didn't really want it all over me. Heh. She gave me a paper towel.

Then the jewelry went in... no pain there either. All in all, a completely painless pierce. Much better than going to the doctor for a shot (*wince* particularly of epinephrine, anyone who's had that can agree).

So, all done. I was allowed to pull my tongue back in and Jessie went over the aftercare again and showed me the papers. I didn't get a little adreneline or endorphins rush like a lot of people do but I was distracted by the fact that I had JUST HAD MY FIRST NON-EAR PIERCING. Woohoo!

I grabbed my stuff and nearly bounced outside, where my mom was waiting for me. She was talking to a youngish woman about something then turned when I came out. She was DEFINITELY more nervous about the whole thing than me (and has been for my subsequent piercings as well), and asked, "Well?"

I stuck out my tongue. My mom looked ready to faint. The chick she was talking to grinned.

Jessie came out, having cleaned up and washed her hands, and once again went over the aftercare instructions. Two things about them stuck in my head; the type of mouthwash to use, and the fact I shouldn't eat dairy products until it was healed.

The mouthwash reccomendation was a great one; Tom's of Maine. I still use it as a regular mouthwash to this day. It's free of saccharin and alcohol, has a pleasant, refreshing taste, and is all natural. I rinsed religiously after anything foreign that entered my mouth and after "every impure thought" -- for a while. As I tend to do, I slack off towards the end of aftercare. ((Do not attempt that at home.))

The other thing was about dairy products. She warned me to stay away from all of them since they were full of bacteria and perfect cultures for bacteria and could lead to thrush. Now, on one hand this would be very easy for me -- I don't drink milk or use it on my cereal (I use rice milk), don't eat ice cream (I eat "Rice Dream"), etc. But there is one dairy product that is always my downfall -- cheeeeeeeeeese.

Jessie also mentioned what to do for pain. Ibuprofen for pain and swelling and suck on ice. The woman my mom had been talking to jumped in with the fact that slurpees and their equivelants were a godsend.

Then Jessie grinned and said, "She's going to hate me in three days."

I was too happy to care.

The rest of that day, the piercing felt awkward, but no pain. I did have a slurpee (but only because I love them anyway and this was a great excuse hehehe).

The next day, I woke up and to my utter surprise... no pain. No swelling. HAHAHA! Thank you Great Dragon!

I had read so much and been with so many friends who's tongues had swollen and dented like playdough, with excrutiating pain and inability to talk or eat. Well, the after effects of tongue piercing were not with me that morning.

I went shopping to Natures, a grocery store that has all sorts of organic, natural and vegetarian food. I showed my tongue ring to the lady advertising Tom's of Maine toothpaste to explain why I was interested. She thought it was so spiffin' kewl and informed me that for her next (50th) birthday, she was planning on getting a piercing. Later during the shopping I ordered a large vegetarian sandwich (minus the cheese *sob*) with a whole bunch of crunchy vegetables and chewy sticky bread... and ate it. Ha!

My only problem over the next few days was the length of the barbell. Since my tongue didn't swell it was in the way all the time. Other than the difficulty of manuevering around it, I ate completely normally. No pain, no swelling ever happened.

Two weeks later I got my barbell switched to a shorter one (thank the Great Dragon) and grinned all the while. I certainly didn't hate my piercer... I loved her. *grins* As a side note, she had some incredible piercings and a tribal scalp tattoo.

I went back once because my barbell became stripped and they replaced it for free.

Needless to say, I love the studio and have been back for my other piercings... maybe I'll write about those sometime too. *grin*

(PS: I did eat cheese during the healing process. I couldn't help it.)

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