I'm usually pretty impregnable when it comes to taking pain. I've gone through 20-something piercings and 7 tattoos so far with little discomfort, but whoever told you getting your tongue pierced was a simple, quick, and painless procedure obviously hasn't experienced it horizontally. I know everyone experiences pain at their own level, but pain isn't the word for what I felt!
At A Glance Author Daluzhunal When Three months ago Studio Whole Addiction Location Coral Springs, FL I had this crazy idea one day to try something new that I hadn't seen anyone else have in person yet. I thought about getting my ass cheeks pierced, but then I remembered watching that Jackass Steve-O already attempt that. Just Kidding! But I was really fascinated with the idea of a horizontal tongue piercing. Since I already had it in the center, I thought what the hell, it can't hurt much more than that. How analphabetic do I now know I am!
So I figured if I'm going to go out like a soldier and go through with it, I'd stop and grab a bite to lunch that I'd know I'd miss for a few days. I went to Char-Hut and ordered the biggest cheeseburger I'd ever ate and was psyched! After I went home, called a local piercing place, and asked if they did horizontal tongue piercings. I was told they did and it was about $50, so I totally was all for it. I brushed the teeth of any cheeseburger particles I'd be envious of later, and headed on over to Whole Addiction with my mom. She agreed to sign for me (I love ya mom!) and proceeded to tell me how nuts I was and that this was the last body modification for a while.
With all the papers signed, which pretty much says if you die, it's not our fault, I went into the back piercing room and was so damn anxious, it was pathetic. I sat down in this large dentist chair and was told just to relax. Relax? The fool was going to stick a huge needle through my tongue and I was to relax? I tried but I was just way too high-strung. The guy doing the piercing was all pierced himself so I was feeling pretty safe.
He gave me some mouth wash to gargle with and I knew I couldn't wuss out in front of him, so I proceeded. Done gargling, I spit it back into a cup, still nervous as hell. The guy got out his sharpie, told me to stick out my tongue, and looked as if he was getting educated on the subject. He must have looked at my tongue for a good 10 minutes which freaked me out. My tongue was getting a complex here! He laughed a little and told me I totally had a weird tongue. What's he know? Haha anyways, with my tongue marked, he went to look for a long enough barbell. Three or four times he left and came back, trying to find the right barbell for my "weird tongue."
I was ready to just tell him to give me the damn needle and I'd do it myself, but he came back and showed me the perfect barbell. He got out the new needle from the packaging, laid it on the counter and cleaned it just to be safe. Minutes later, he's standing it front of me just holding out my tongue as if he finds pleasure in this. Syck man! He took out my other tongue ring just so it'd be easier to pierce. Then I felt it! This guy was sticking a long needle horizontally through my tongue and I wasn't so psyched anymore. I remember getting the center one done and it took about 10 seconds altogether. It took a few MINUTES for this horizontal one with all the muscles and what not. I'll be honest when I say I teared a little bit! When the needle was finally through all the way, he inserted the barbell, tightened it, and gave me more mouth wash to gargle with.
I bled a very small amount and he continued on with the after-care instructions and all that. He told me it was perfectly normal for bleeding the next few days, and that this would take a little longer to heal than the vertical way does. I was cool with that because it wasn't hurting so much yet. I thanked him and was on my way to show some friends what I had decided to do that day. I was told I was nuts but what the hell, I enjoyed it.
The next few days were horrible. I had to take pain killers, and I'm not fond of taking pills at all. From where the barbell went through, to the tip of my tongue, was completely black and blue. It totally looked unhealthy and I'm sure if I went to the doctors, he would have told me to take it out and probably gave me a shot or something. But after a few days of hell, the discoloration went away and so did some of the pain. As long as I didn't think about it, it didn't hurt.
Those few days of healing were the worst, and I probably lost about 5 lbs! But after about a week I was back to eating everything I loved, just very slowly and carefully now. You seriously have to learn how to eat all over again, how to chew without your teeth hitting the barbell. And talking is extremely hard for a while, but your friends will find it quite amusing. You're tongue cannot curl so try to speak without curling it and see how much of an ass you sound like!
It's been about 2 or 3 months now and my tongue healed perfectly. I still think of how bad it hurt, but it's worth it. People are amazed by it just as much as I am. It's definitely one of the craziest things I've ever seen and I'm stoked that I actually went through with it. Although I wouldn't recommend it because it hurts like woah, if you're brave enough, go for it! It's definitely something to make people look twice.