About four years ago, the day I'd been waiting for finally arrived: my eighteenth birthday. Finally, I could get pierced professionally, instead of jabbing myself with safety pins (and getting some nasty infections in the process...learn from me people, leave piercing to the professionals!). I began researching BME a few months before the "event." I looked through hundreds of photos and read tons of experiences, and finally found the perfect piercing for me: a vertical labret.
At A Glance Author Saritinha Contact Saritinha@bme.anon IAM Saritinha When Five years ago Artist Nate? Studio I don't remember Location Virginia Beach, VA I planned to spend all day with my best friend and end it with my beautiful piercing. I was feeling somewhat guilty, since I knew my parents weren't comfortable with body modification and especially abhorred facial piercings, so as I was walking out the door, I blurted out, "Hey mom, guess what? I'm getting a vertical labret!" As I explained what it looked like, a look of horror spread across her face, and when I finished she informed me that she couldn't look at me if I did it. "So please, please don't." Honestly, this hurt my feelings (yes, I know, I was once very sensitive...), and basically killed my buzz. Since I didn't want to see that look of horror on her face every time I walked into a room, I decided to forgo getting a vertical labret.
Great. Then I had to think of something else, preferably something my mother wouldn't have to look at. However, I didn't want to just settle for the standard easy-to-hide piercings; navel or tongue. I wanted something...something more unique, more me. I spent a lot of time driving around with my friend thinking about all the pictures I'd seen on BME. I remembered seeing double tongue piercings, also known as "venom" piercings or "snakebites." Yes!! That's what I wanted!!
I drove to Pembroke mall, to the studio I'd picked out earlier (which no longer exists, by the way), and realized I'd found my buzz again. I explained what I wanted to the woman behind the counter, showed her my ID, filled out the requisite release form, and paid. The piercer was busy, so my friend and I sat down on a bench in the store, while butterflies settled in my stomach. Soon we were in the piercing room. I'm pretty sure the piercer's name was Nate. I remember that he was very friendly, and put me at ease. My friend joked around with him as he examined my tongue. He took a really long time marking the placement, and at one point I thought he wouldn't do it. He said I had more blood vessels than usual in my tongue, and since I wanted two, it was hard for him to safely make them even.
Finally, he was ready. I looked at the markings, and approved, although they were a little closer to the front of my mouth than I'd imagined. He asked if I had a preference as to which he did first, I said no, nearly ready to pass out from excitement at this point. Deep breath, first needle in, surprisingly little pain. Deep breath, second needle in, a little more pain, but nothing more than a pinch, really. He used very long barbells, since he said my tongue would swell quite a bit (boy, was he right). He explained aftercare, I tipped him, he took a picture for his portfolio, and we were on our way.
I was completely psyched. I think we stopped at the food court to grab a cup of ice for me to crunch on before leaving. We stopped at the store to buy plain Listerine, I dropped my friend off, and I went home to face my parents. My tongue had already started to swell. I think my mom was just relieved to see nothing sticking out of my face, and probably a little happy that I cared enough about her opinion to change what I wanted. By the time I went to bed, the swelling was ridiculous. It was worse the next day, and I could hardly eat anything. I was so sick from not eating by the time Monday came around, my mother actually let me stay home from school.
Eventually the swelling went down. I swished with plain Listerine religiously, and my piercings were healed without incident. I have a slight chip in one of my front teeth from playing with the long barbells, but the only person to have ever noticed is my dentist. I eventually switched the long barbells out for shorter, much more comfortable ones (which I should have done right after they healed). Over the years, I've swallowed five or six plastic balls, since they get stripped and fall out when I'm eating sometimes.
I lived through the time period(s) when tongue piercings got a horrible name in the media, resisted all the people telling me to remove them (including my ex-husband, he swore they would give me cancer), and still have them today. Of all the piercings I've had and taken out, these are among my favorites. I've grown super attached to them, and whenever I have to take them out, be it for dentistry or job interviews, my whole mouth feels odd, and I feel like I can't speak correctly. It just doesn't feel right, and I put them back in as soon as humanly possible. I guess I just don't feel like myself without them anymore. Funny, now that I think about it, the piercings have lasted longer than the friendship with the girl I got them pierced with, and even my marriage. Oh, and by the way, my parents have slowly begun to accept my tattoos and piercings. Still haven't gotten that vertical labret yet...but someday...