For years I have been obsessed with the thought of getting my tongue pierced, but to be completely frank - I'm a total wimp. I had my belly button done a few years ago and was devastated when it got infected and I had to take it out.
At A Glance Author Sal Contact Sal@bme.anon When A month ago Artist the guy with the glasses !! Studio Under the Skin Location Aldershot, Hampshire (UK) Whenever I'd been out drinking and got chatting to someone with a tongue piercing I'd always end up spending ages questioning them about it - "does it hurt? really? what really????" and saying to everyone I'd love to have it done... but...
So anyway, my friend had her nose pierced a while back and decided that she wanted her tragus done next. So I said I quite fancied that too and that I'd go with her.
The night before, actually the whole week before, all I could think of was that I should stop being chicken and get the tongue done as it's what I really wanted. So I mentioned it to my friend and said I might just ask the piercer about aftercare etc.
So we got there and I was being a chicken so my friend goes "my friend wants to know about tongue piercing!!" The guy explained the aftercare and said it was easy. Then he said, ok brave one I'll go get you the form!!!
Uh oh, that was it, no backing out now!! So he led my friend off for her tragus and then took me into another room to numb me up! The numbing was the worst bit, because it tasted like crap and it stung!! I was sooo nervous sitting in the waiting room, and I got talking to a girl getting her belly button done.
However, once I actually got into the room, and my tongue was numbed up, I stopped feeling nervous. The butterflies went and I just felt really excited.
Then my friend came round the corner and stayed in the room while it was being done. She was winking at me and mouthing "you'll be fine, love you... etc" at me, which helped.
The guy came in, told me to spit (which I managed to get pretty much everywhere but the sink!!) then he marked up my tongue, put a bit of kitchen towel against my chin (no clamping) and picked up the needle. As soon as I saw the needle I shut my eyes (as I did when I had my belly button done). The next thing I felt "something" in my tongue. It wasn't painful, (my friend told me how it was done after...) the needle went through so quick and then he put the barbell in to the tube that the needle leaves in, whips out the tube and then puts on the ball. Once the barbell was in, I could feel it and it was uncomfortable, but not especially painful. Then he screwed on the ball and told me to rinse a few times with the water by the sink. It bled a bit so it took me a couple of rinses to get going.
After that I went to Macdonalds and bought a giant icy diet coke - ordering that was fun!!!
I had a huge adrenalin rush after that. I was hyperactive for about 10 hours afterwards because I was so pleased that I did it!
My friend just kept saying, i'm so proud of you, you were so brave... but it didn't feel that way - once in there it wasn't that scary!
A week of mashed potato, soup, ice cream and getting my assistant to take all my phone calls at work later, I was back on the solid food.
The worst bit is days 2 - 5. It hurts to talk to much and solid food is a no go! And a downer was going to see Al Green and not being able to sing along and having to email the people that sit next to me at work, because I couldn't speak too well.
A month on and it's all good. I hardly lisp at all and I love looking at it and surprisingly I don't play with it that much, apart from sticking it out a lot!!
I still haven't got the bar changed though. It's pierced at an angle because of my weird tongue! so i'm not convinced it needs changing to be honest. But I'm going back to see the piercer tomorrow to check.
My advice to anyone thinking about it??? Do it! If you can hack a week of liquid food and ice cream (and talking as little as possible) then you can handle a tongue ring. Research the aftercare and don't be alarmed if your tongue goes yellow - it's normal!!
I still can't believe I had the guts to do it, but I'm soooo glad that I did.