Well, ok, so I'm really 17 but I don't feel like going back and changing it. Honesty is overrated.
At A Glance Author Mephe Contact Mephe_@hotmail.com When A week ago Artist Pierre Studio Black Sun Location Montreal Last weekend I went my school's student-organized senior trip to Montreal. Needless to say, this was a drinking trip, as the age requirement is 18 there and 21 here at home, in Boston. My boyfriend and I aren't really into the whole drinking scene, but we went anyway, hoping to enjoy the actual city itself and at the very least, a little privacy in a room together and for me, the opportunity to speak some French. These former hopes were kind of dashed when our tour-guide rattled off a detailed list of every bar or club within a 100-mile radius, but ommitted any mention of museums or galleries. Oh, well.
Since, at a few months shy of 18, I wasn't *exactly* of age for a piercing in the US at the time, I had planned ahead of time to get my tongue web pierced in Montreal. Ideally I wanted a horizontal clitoral hood ring (and still do), but even in Canada you have to be 18. No big deal, because I've been dying to get my tongue web done anyway. So my boyfriend, who had just decided he wanted to get plugs, and I set out toward Black Sun on Saint Denis. (I had previously researched every piercing studio in Montreal, and these guys seemed to know their stuff. Also, very helpful in asking completely random questions I'd e-mailed to them earlier even though I'd not let on at all that I was a potential customer. In fact, at the time, I wasn't.)
We arrived, and were absolutely stunned at how beautiful the place was. It was piercer/piercee heaven- an absolute needle spa. We took our shoes off at the door, as instructed, and entered into a tasteful and immaculate waiting room, complete with circular couch and fish tank. We were greeted by Pierre's apprentice. His name escapes me now, but he was the sweetest, most helpful person in the world. I asked every question that came to mind, since Pierre was getting some lunch, and the apprentice couldn't have offered more thorough answers.
Pierre came back from lunch, and out came the needles! Well, razors. My boyfriend wanted to go first because he was getting 4 ga. incisions and he didn't want to lose his nerve. Pierre did a wonderful job with those and was very patient with us while we decided on a gauge size. Also, no blood! None! I've seen pictures of ear scalpeling procedures, and I was pretty impressed.
I was next, and I found myself very surprised not to be experiencing my usual nerves and jitters. I've had four needled pierces so far: two lobes, my conch and my daith, so maybe I just got used to the whole thing. There was a little bit of trouble picking out jewelry, since Pierre was all out of 14 ga. CBRs in the appropriate diameter. I took a 12 ga. instead, which was not exactly what I wanted on an aesthetic level. Also, the ball is too big for my tastes and too bright a silver as well- I think I was envisioning something like hematite, but maybe that wouldn't have been a good choice for an oral piercing anyway.
Before he got started, Pierre warned me that tongue web piercings are notoriously difficult to manage, due to the awkward angle and limited maneuverability. I kind of said, "ok!" since there was little else I could say- after all, I still wanted the piercing. So, no clamps, just a needle in my mouth. Poor Pierre, trying to tame my wild tongue. There was a lot of poking with the sharp needle before he finally said "perfect. hold it," and jammed the needle through. For the first time, I didn't realize I had been pierced through pain or pressure. Only by observing the behavior of the three others in the room was I able to figure it out. Since Pierre had decided to pierce me at a 14 ga. and then insert a 12 ga. CBR, I got to sit and relax for awhile with a needle and cork in my mouth. In my experience, I had always thought that it was the industry standard to pierce a gauge larger, but Pierre and apprentice explained that piercing smaller and then stretching up increased tension and decreased bleeding. This was more relevant in the case of my boyfriend's incisions, but it seemed to apply to mine as well. Besides, I liked getting to relax a little before the potentially long and difficult process of jewelry insertion and bead screwage-onage.
In not too long it was time for the afore-mentioned potentially difficult process of jewelry insertion and bead screwage-onage. It was actually not that bad, just a lot of tugging and prodding in a tender area, but by the furrowed brows around the room it must have made for a pretty good show. It really didn't take long at all, but when Pierre was done everyone breathed a huge sigh and I was left there kind of like, "what?"
Pierre announced that he was very happy with my new tongue-web ring. I was led through aftercare, etc. (one interesting thing to note is that I was instructed NOT to suck on ice or eat other foods that would alter the temperature of my mouth during healing, since the body needs heat to heal) and as I explored my new piercing with my tongue I noticed that it rested pretty far up on my bottom teeth. I asked Pierre about that and he seemed pretty alarmed that it was touching my teeth; evidently he hadn't realized that it did, but he said that it should be ok.
For the rest of the day there was absolutely no pain- none at all. The morning after I woke up with sore glands and tongue, accompanied by a tiny bit of swelling. By the next day the swelling was gone but my tongue was still a little sore. Now, three days later, virtually all pain and swelling are completely gone. What a well-done piercing! Unfortunately, the ring and bead do rest on my teeth/gums and are kind of annoying. Depending on how well I get used to it, I may opt to switch to a smaller CBR, since I don't want my gums receding or anything. I should also note that I've been back home since Sunday, and although the piercing is sometimes visible as a flash of metal when I'm talking normally (which came as a scary surprise, since I hadn't anticipated that at all), I've been careful around my parents, kind of shielding my lower jaw from them with my tongue, and they haven't seemed to notice. Due to my new way of talking, however, I've developed a little lisp. I'm told it' s cute.
Over all, I have nothing to offer but rave reviews. Black Sun is by far the cleanest, friendliest, well-informed piercing place I could ever have dreamed of, let alone visited. I should not that I am not prone to exaggeration either- this place is magnificent. Both my tongue web and my boyfriend's new 4 gauge plugs (scalpeled from virgin lobes) are well on their way to being beautifully healed, and are already painless. My experience at Black Sun has rendered my local favorite piercing studio pale in comparison. Although I still favor the Garage over Tribal Ways, and will probably get my nostril piercing done there, I hope I'll be able to make a trip up to Montreal sometime soon for my horizontal hood piercing. This place is so amazing, it's definitely worth waiting for.
If you are in the area, head on over to Black Sun on Saint Denis just to check it out and ask some questions. Their website and address are both easy to find, as is their phone number. This is definitely a place I would recommend to anyone, and they are also willing to answer any piercing questions that you e-mail to them.