Since I was fourteen years old, I have been dreaming and wishing and hoping to get my tongue pierced. I would go to the mall and stare dreamily at the barbells in the cases at Hot Topic and Spencer's. I would question my friends constantly about where they got pierced, what they went through, and if they were glad they had done it. Since I am a big wuss and my threshold for pain is VERY low, I especially asked about how much it hurt.
At A Glance Author Alithium Contact Alithium@bme.anon When It just happened Artist I don't remember his name... Studio Halo Location Tucson, Arizona Finally, I turned eighteen and the ONLY thing I could think about was getting that barbell through my tongue. I literally started having dreams about it not long before my birthday in February 2001. So on February 13, 2001, I decided to take the plunge and get it done.
I cashed my birthday money checks and headed straight to Halo. The shop was busy, so I had a long wait ahead of me. About forty-five minutes to an hour after I arrived at the shop, I was taken into the piercing suite. I dutifully stuck out my tongue and suddenly my dreams were all but dashed: my tongue may be too short. I nearly burst into tears. The piercer said he would look and mark and clamp and see if it was possible.
Well the thought of NOT finally having a hole in my tongue made me very very very nervous. I got all stressed and fidgety. I could not keep my little tongue still! He said he had a policy of trying three times before giving up. He tried to clamp me three times and then announced that he simply couldn't do it. I left the shop in agony. My dreams were shattered and there was no hole in my tongue.
I practiced keeping my tongue still for months. I would stick it out in front of the mirror and hold it still as long as possible. My friend Timothy got his tongue pierced in June 2001 and said he did a mystery meditation, in which he focused on everything BUT his tongue. I decided THAT was my course of action; push all my thoughts AWAY from the fact that I was going to have a sharp piece of metal jabbed through my tongue.
I asked my best friend Will for a tongue piercing for Christmas.
Two days ago (December 15, 2001), he showed up at my house and said, "Get dressed, you're getting your Christmas present today."
We stopped to eat and then headed to Halo. They looked at my tongue and said it may be too short but they could try. I chose a 12 ga. barbell. I sat in the waiting area for about ten minutes tops before I was taken into the suite.
There was no big show this time. Just drying, marking, and clamping. The piercer then placed the needle under my tongue. I closed my eyes and began to think of other things... my hands, my feet, my nose... the chair I was sitting on, the suite itself, Will sitting in the corner. He said, "Okay, we'll do this on three. Ready? One, two three." And BAM, all of a sudden there was a hollow needle through my tongue! I hardly felt the initial pierce. He slipped the barbell in, slipped the needle out, and screwed the ball on. That was all!! There was NO pain whatsoever. Just slight pressure. It hurt me more when I bit my tongue! I couldn't believe that in a few short seconds, I had what I had wanted for the last five years!!
He told me to look in the mirror and I did. He explained how to take care of it, what I could not consume, the whole nine yards. He then asked if I had any questions. I sure did. Sitting on the chair, I thought I was fine but as the seconds passed, my stomach was getting more and more upset with me and my head getting lighter and lighter.
"What do I do if I puke?"
He laid me back in the chair, all the way back, and had me close my eyes. I took some deep breaths and he started putting the chair back into a sitting position. When I opened my eyes, I was fine. I stood up and looked in the mirror again. And again. And one more time! I couldn't believe I had that little silver ball sitting on my tongue!!
Even more of a shock to me, of course, was the fact that there was NO pain when the needle went through my tongue. Now, two days later, of course, it's sore and swollen. But at the time, there was nothing but slight discomfort.
I would definitely do it again. I presume it will be worth it... but right now, it's just swollen and sore!