I decide that since I have used bmezine so much for research, and just browsing, I should share my experience, and I also noticed that there really were not that many tongue web experiences posted, so here's to all curious folks...
At A Glance Author anonymous When A month ago Artist Mark Blanchard Studio Pino Brothers Ink Location Cambridge, MA The truth of the matter is, that within a week of getting my piercing one of the balls fell off, and I was not able to screw it back on, and I just today got it re-pierced
I suppose my story begins when I went to the Boston Tattoo Convention in June to talk with different piercers, some places were more eager to do it than others, but I decided to pass for the time due to the chaos. I also figured that even though the board of health was there, there was too much gray area.
Before I trotted off to the convention, I looked it up on the internet at www.BostonTattooConvention.com to see who would be there, and check out sites, and look through portfolios. But I think I got the most information from actually going around, booth to booth talking to people.
On the web-site there seemed to be this whole big deal about how great the Pino Brothers were, and how this was kind of their chance to stand up and announce their establishment, so I made a point of checking out their booth, and yeah they had wicked good stickers, (so if u ever go there ask for them). I took a virtual tour of the shop and thought that it looked cool, and upon my visit, I found it was VERY clean.
So I had been wanting to get this piercing for over a year, and I always said, on my 18th birthday I would go and get it, but instead I just talked to a piercer, and then I was going to get it done in the winter, but it did not work out, and then I was going to get it in the spring, but the place that I was going to get it pierced had closed, and the piercer moved to another place, but had not received all the legal papers back yet, so I could not.
So back to the convention, I think I walked around like 5 times, talking to all the piercers I could, trying to find out who I would want to do it for me. I ended up staying up half the night looking bmezine logs, after the piercer suggested I research it here before I take any action.
Finally I learned everything about it I needed, and decided to go for it, and was planning to just go for it a few days ago, but I did not have any one to go with, but my pal Liz could take me today. So we went today.
I had made the appointment the day before, and was excited all day; I would get little nervous endorphin tingles every so often just thinking about it. Finally we got together and drove into the city, there was tons of traffic and we got kind of lost, but eventually we found our way, and lucked out with a parking spot less than a block away. Also, we did not have to pay the meter because I guess parking is free after 6. We went in, and I was all excited, I signed the paper work, and waited while he filed it or whatever. He initially suggested using a 14g bent barbell, but when I saw it all I could think is "damn that's big" and pleaded for a smaller g. He did not have any bent ones on hand, so he made one for me and sent it through the autoclave which took another 20 minutes, and of course as the time passed I got more and more excited and nervous.
Finally everything was set, and I was not going to back down. The tools always look scary, and I really did not want him to explain the procedure to me, but he did any ways.
I rinsed with antiseptic mouthwash, and he marked my tongue. Apparently I have really good webbing, or just a big one, he commented that it would probably be more difficult to pierce my tongue the regular way than the web, and since it was so little tissue, it should not be that bad.
And it was not, really. The needle pinched, and the clamp was odd, especially because I could not hold my tongue perfectly still, and it tapped my teeth a little, but overall it was not painful.
But putting the balls on was painful. My web was sore from the piercing, and in my opinion just wanted to be left alone, but he had to put the balls on it, and because he kind of had to pull on it a little, and adjust it, I will be honest, it hurt.
But afterwards it was only a little sore. I thought I would have a hard time talking or moving my tongue, but not at all, in fact I did not believe the entries I read that said they were fine afterwards. The jewelry is not intrusive either, or maybe it is just me, I have an odd habit of putting gum under my tongue, but I guess I can stop that now.
I was a little woozy when he was getting the balls on, and I do not blame him for having difficulty because they are SMALL but it seemed to take forever, and hurt. So when he finally finished I started to go faint, things sounded weird, and I could not really see, so I got a cold compress, and after a few calming breaths was fine.
The whole ride home I was happy and excited, and I just wanted to show everyone that would look at it, lucky for me, my friend was having a party, so I went and talked... a lot, which was not that bad, I mean it was sore, but not really painful, and my speech was not impaired. I was downing cup after cup of ice water to keep the swelling down, and I think before I turn in I will ice again, and take some IBprofen.
I still live at home so I knew the parents would be a problem; I came right out and told my mother when she asked what I did tonight. She thinks it is a waste of money, and does not know why I would pierce such an odd part of my body. One of her arguments was that it would not even enhance sexual pleasure or anything. I was like WHAT?!?!!! I do not know, but even though I do not have a real reason other than I think it is cool, and unique, I still like it a lot.
However just a few days after I got my new hole, while on vacation, one of the balls at the end of the jewelry fell off, the bar was too small to hold especially because the tissue was still swollen, and I had also not tightened the balls at all. I tried for at least an hour to replace the ball, I called Pino Bros's for help, and I even drove down to the nearby tattoo parlor, but I still could not replace the ball. Finally after the jewelry had been pushed in and out of its tender hole, I gave up and took the jewelry out. I went back to Pino Bros's several weeks later (today) and had it re-pierced. (I had to wait to allow the tissue to heal.) The second time around I was fine. I did not feel faint at all, and I was even brave enough to go by myself.
This time a got a much larger piece of jewelry; I figured that if I had a circular barbell it would fit, and be better for tightening it when its swollen, but I do not think it fits my mouth as well as the smaller bent barbell did, so after it has healed I'm going to go back and have it changed back.