I guess it started when I got the standard 14-gauge center tongue piercing when I was 19. I eventually stretched it up to 10 because I found the larger gauge more comfortable. Then I became completely obsessed with the idea of yet another tongue piercing, maybe even an additional pair.
At A Glance Author spikey Contact spikey@bme.anon IAM SpikeyAnnie When N/A Might I add that I am an avid self-piercer, and that these endeavors were all on my own. I tried venoms, twice. I could never get the right angle and the barbells hit my molars, which made me nervous, so that idea went out the window.
Then I tried a second tongue piercing behind my existing one, and after three weeks of discomfort and scar tissue, I took it out. I was about ready to give up.
Then this past October I decided to get a second tongue piercing behind the one I had, only this time I would have it done professionally at Planet Three, rather than attempting it myself. I guess I figured my piercer could maybe work some sort of magic that would make this one a keeper. Well, I was sort of right- it did last longer than the other piercings I'd attempted, but still less than a year.
Anyway, Adrian decided to pierce it at a slightly sideways angle on the bottom so that it wouldn't hit my tongue web. This was fine by me, but eventually it became a problem. I had this piercing until the beginning of this month, when I finally decided I'd had enough.
What happened? Well, about two weeks after the piercing I noticed a lump of scar tissue developing around the bottom hole that was also growing into my tongue web. I mean, this was no hypertrophic scar, this thing had a life of its own! It was absolutely ridiculous and about the size of the end of the barbell itself.
I then noticed that it caused a twinge in my tongue web whenever I stuck my tongue out. This alarmed me; I had fears of being tongue-tied or something horrible. So I switched out the jewelry for a shorter barbell, thinking this would help. I also began putting glyoxide on the bottom part of my tongue, which was gross and a little uncomfortable, but it seemed to be doing the trick.
At this point, it was winter, and I finally felt like I had this scar tissue thing under control. Still, the piercing felt cumbersome, like it was limiting movement of my tongue.
I resolved to get even shorter jewelry (down to 1/2") and stuck with it, figuring I just had to get used to it. Although I never got that shorter barbell, I did hit a point where I was comfortable with the piercing again, and it seemed like it was there to stay.
Then all of a sudden at the end of April, the scar tissue flared up again, I think because of stress. I just couldn't keep it down, no matter what I did.
Finally I decided it wasn't worth fighting with this thing anymore so I took it out once and for all. Now I'm back down to one piercing and I'm going to accept the fact that I was not meant to have more than one. And anyway, I think it's become sort of a "classic" look.
My problem now, and I guess what I'm warning people about, is that just because you can't see any scar tissue near an abandoned piercing, doesn't mean that it's not there. In other words, if I hold my tongue between my thumb and index finger and feel around near the area where it was pierced, I can feel a ton of scar tissue buildup.
I'm not really sure what to do about it. I kind of feel like it's limiting the mobility of my tongue and sometimes it hurts. I have a feeling my body will eventually break it down over time, but in the meantime, it's a big pain in the ass.
So my warning to people is that even tongue piercings can affect you in the long run. You need to think these things through. Scar tissue sucks, so think about what you want and do it, but if it really doesn't work out after what, the fifth time, maybe you should reconsider. Of course there is the old Gauntlet motto, "If you can pinch it, you can pierce it" but that doesn't mean it will be comfortable or that it won't leave you with a ridiculous amount of scarring.
Oh yeah- if you get your tongue pierced, please be careful with your barbell. Keep in mind that if it is too long, it could push against your front teeth and damage them. This happened to me and by the time I noticed it, my bottom right front tooth had "drifted" forward due to gum erosion. This is no price to pay for a piercing. Of course now I wear a 1/2" long barbell in there and have no problems whatsoever, but I see a lot of people with 7/8" jewelry in their tongues and I can tell it will be problematic. Sure, it's fun to play with, but it's not fun to deal with messing up your teeth!
I guess to an extent I'm playing devil's advocate. I know a lot of dentists out there tend to exaggerate the risks of a tongue piercing, but the fact remains that you have a piece of metal in your mouth, and metal can wear away gum tissue and break teeth. I think back to when I first had my center tongue piercing and how I had a 7/8" barbell just like everyone else; I'm appalled at how often I clicked that thing around and ran it over my front teeth. Sometimes I'm genuinely surprised I have any teeth at all.
So take it from me, as someone who's had her fair share of dental trauma (braces twice, wisdom teeth pulled); a broken tooth or a worn-down gum might be fixable, but it will cost a hell of a lot of money and it will never be the same. Not to mention, you make all us pierced folk look irresponsible! If a piercing gets in the way of your everyday life and severely restricts movement or just seems impractical, please reconsider!