Well, where should I start? I have wanted my tongue pierced for quite a while now but always thought you couldn't unless you were 18 so I didn't think anything of it. Instead, I just looked at all the cute belly, eyebrow, and nose rings that I longed for. My mom had agreed to let me get my belly button pierced a few years ago, but as I started thinking more about it, I realized that because of my wheelchair and the fact that I'm sitting all the time, they most likely wouldn't heal right.
At A Glance Author Nicole Contact Nicole@bme.anon IAM GoPlayInTraffic When It just happened Artist Austin Studio Intricate Decor Location Mt. Pleasant, MI So I started looking at other kinds of piercings on BME and came across the tongue piercings. The thought crossed my mind again to get it pierced, but I again pushed it to the back of my mind because I thought there was no way my mom was going to let me get it done. But I was wrong.
In early December, I went up to my mom and we started talking about piercings and such, and at the time she had told me the answer was no. I know, I know, typical mother's answer. But the gears started turning in my head, and the thought of getting a tongue piercing grew on me more and more. So I started looking up information and finding out as much as I could, using BME as my main resource. Then I presented it to my mom in a large packet. It took a couple of weeks but she finally gave in and said she'd let me for my 17th birthday (which was February 11th).
A couple of weeks later she decided she wanted me to get something done with my ears first, so we went and did that (the experience is posted on BME under the ears section, titled "Standard Cartilage--Didn't Hurt a Bit". A couple of weeks later it was my birthday and my mom told me that we were going to go get pierced the following Saturday (the 15th of February) We hadn't worked out any of the details yet but that didn't really matter to me; I was just happy that I was going to get pierced after waiting for so long...and soon!
The day finally came and I was a bit nervous. My mom and I were going with a couple of friends out to eat and to get pierced. We ended up going to Applebee's to eat, where I had a large, delicious steak, knowing full well that it would be the last steak I'd be eating for a while. Unfortunately I was unable to finish my meal, which is unlike me, especially if I'm eating steak. I'm thinking that it was just nerves or something.
When all of us were finished, we went across the street to Intricate Decor and went inside. We waited about 20 minutes, looking at the tattoo flash and body jewelry before the line at the piercing counter slowed down a bit. We went up to the counter and Austin (who I later found out was going to be piercing me) asked me what I wanted. I told him my tongue and handed him my I.D as well as my moms so he could do what he needed to with them. He went across the room for a second to make sure my type of identification would be all right, and came back a minute later, saying that everything was fine and that he'd be with us in a minute.
He then went back and got all of his supplies ready, and after about 10 minutes or so called us in to the next room, that he was ready to pierce me. We went in there and I gave my mom the digital camera to take pictures and my mom's friend stayed in the room with me.
I was a bundle of nerves and other people that have gone to the studio have warned me about another piercer there, saying that he was quite serious and never made any jokes, so I was pleased to find out that Austin was very easygoing and joked with me to keep my mind off of the needle. Not to mention, he was really hot, so that combined with all the jokes completely calmed my nerves.
He had me swish with the blue Listerine for a minute and a half, then I spit it back into the cup and he gave me a paper towel to catch the drool. We made a little bit of small talk while he was getting the rest of his last minute supplies ready (putting lube on the needle, etc. He actually stuck the needle on his (sterile) glove.
Then he stood over me (boy wasn't THAT a sight), told me to stick out my tongue as far as I could and he put the clamps on. Austin (as well as another girl that was in the room, I think she was the female piercer) actually commented on how short my tongue was. Haha. As he was tightening the clamp I managed to let out a small Ow, but he smiled and told me that it would be the worst part. And, in actuality, it was. The clamps were the worst part. Even then, they didn't feel like a sharp pain. It was more like a small, dull ache. He checked for veins, smiled again, and asked me if I was ready. I said yes but it came out more like "Gah" Haha.
"Okay, one, two, three...." *pierce* I won't lie, it hurt, but definitely not as much as I expected it to. I felt a dull, throbbing ache for about 20 seconds, and that's all I really felt. I didn't hear a pop as the needle entered or exited, I just had that dull ache. He put a cork on the bottom and told me not to swallow. He put the barbell on top of the needle and then he told me I was going to feel some pressure as he pulled the needle and the barbell through. He was right, and after screwing on the ball he said I could put my tongue back in my mouth and swallow. By that time I was drooling all over the place. I even drooled AFTER I put my tongue in my mouth. Everyone laughed. He told us to hang on a minute and gave both me and my mom an aftercare sheet and went over the aftercare with both of us. After he did that my mom took a picture of me and Austin together and we paid my 60 bucks and left. I gave him a nice $10 tip, which he seemed to be QUITE impressed with. Maybe people there don't tip much, hehe.
It's been three days since I got it done. The day I got it done it was a little sore. The day after it was quite swollen, and I couldn't eat much. Same thing with the day after that. Today, it is still swollen but manageable. I think it is starting to go down some. And today during lunch I was able to eat my first piece of solid food.....a chicken nugget.
To anyone that wants to get their tongue pierced, I say GO FOR IT! It really doesn't hurt all that much. I'd recommend going to Intricate Decor in Mt. Pleasant, MI. They have friendly staff, are sterile, and have an overall excellent environment. I will definitely be going back there for my next piercings...and I'll definitely ask for Austin!