I had been fascinated with exotic body piercings ever since my mother's friend went through some odd midlife crisis and got her navel pierced at the age of 45. I admired here pink jeweled barbell and vowed as soon as I got my stomach toned up I would get mine pierced as well. Well, to make a long story short I got married, had a baby, and my dreams of being pierced were long behind me...or so I thought. After I went through a divorce I decided it was time to do something radical for *me* and no one else. I looked into all the different piercings. I considered getting a barbell in my eyebrow but I deal with the public so much I knew my job would not permit such a piercing. I wanted my navel pierced but my stomach just isn't what it used to be. Then I went out with a guy who had a 10 gauge tongue piercing. All night I was intrigued with the way his mouth moved with it in. The way the shiny steel ball slid over his teeth when he licked his lips. The way it felt in my mo uth when he kissed me. I made my decision. I was getting my tongue pierced.
At A Glance Author Jenn Contact spindiva5@att.net When A month ago Artist Phillip Studio Lucky Draw, Inc. Location Acworth, GA The following Monday, I sat at my desk at work all day in anticipation. As soon as I got off of work I went to the local tattoo/piercing parlor and asked the guy if he had a spot open to pierce my tongue. He felt really bad and said that he was giving someone a tattoo at that moment but if I came back at 7:00 he would knock $10 off the price. He gave me a little q-tip and said to rub the topical anesthetic on my tongue about 15 minutes before coming in. I drove around for an hour calling all my friends saying "Guess what I'm about to do? No, not that! No, I'm getting my tongue pierced". Some were like "rock on!" others were like "you sure you want to do this?"
6:45 rolled around so I swabbed my tongue and went back to the parlor. My piercer, Phillip, had me fill out the necessary release forms and checked my ID. He showed me to the piercing room where there was a Dixie cup of Listerine waiting for me on a cart. Phillip asked me to swish it around in my mouth for about thirty seconds to cleanse my tongue thoroughly. I did and spat in the trash can. He got me to hop up in the chair while he got the needle ready. He showed me the wrapped package and the brown arrow, indicating it had been sterilized in the autoclave and the package hadn't been tampered with. He also showed me the wrapped starter barbell he would be putting in my tongue. He held a mirror in front of me and marked where he would be putting the hole. I told him that would be a fine placement. He dried my tongue off with paper towel, placed one under my chin, and very calmly told me he would let me know when he was about to put the needle in. He firmly grasped my tongue with his gloved hand and said "okay, one, two, three" and I felt a slight pinch and he said "it's done. Now all I have to do is put in the stud". He ran the barbell through, tightened the balls with his little tightening tool, and removed his gloves. "We're done?" I asked in amazement. The entire procedure took less than two minutes. He smiled and said "We're all done. Now you just need to rinse with the Listerine one more time for me and you're free to go". I swished the mouthwash around for about thirty seconds before spitting it out and rushing to the mirror to admire my new piercing. I smiled at the way the metal ball looked resting on top of my tongue. I wasn't even bleeding! I laughed and told Phillip, "Shit! Had I known it was this easy I would have gotten it done a long time ago". He smiled and I generously tipped him $10 before leaving.
I immediately went to the grocery store and bought Midol and some mouthwash and then headed over to my parents' house. I knew they would hate it but I wanted to show it off to anyone who would look at it. When I walked in the front door to my parents' house I proudly stuck my tongue out. My father didn't seem phased. My twelve year old brother cried out, "oh cool!". My mother scowled and said "that had better be fake". I shook my head and she proceeded to tell me how trashy it looked and that she wasn't born yesterday that she knew why people got their tongues pierced and it was purely sexual. I explained to her that I got it done for me and not anyone else. She held fast in her "anti-piercing" stance for a few days. Then one day I was over at their house and she said "stick out your tongue." I did so and she chuckled and said "I guess I'll get used to it.".
It has been three weeks now and my piercing has almost completely healed. Over the course of the week immediately following my piercing, I experienced the typical trials and tribulations. I couldn't take off of work so talking was a joke the next day. My tongue had swollen twice its normal size and I kept biting the sides of it. I had a liquid diet the first three days after the piercing. On the fourth day I attempted to eat a flour tortilla but abandoned the mission after about two bites. I kept thinking I had to fling my head back to force the food to the back of my throat. I tried not to overly gargle and I tried not to play with my tongue, which took every ounce of restraint. On the following Friday I went to a fast food restaurant and ordered a double cheeseburger with no ketchup, onions, or pickles. I was slowly getting used to eating with my piercing and food had never tasted so divine. I still haven't performed oral sex with it although my boyfriend is eage rly awaiting his chance at being the first to experience fellatio with a tongue stud (something he's never experienced). I'm looking forward to it. My tongue has returned to its normal size and the little indentation where the ball was is all but gone. I really don't even feel it anymore, but I still find excuses to show it off. I'm hoping to have it in for many years to come and still enjoy it as much then as I do now.
My advice to anyone looking to get their tongue pierced is simply this; do it if you want to. Don't do it for your boyfriend, girlfriend, or to spite your parents. Make sure your job will permit you talking funny for a week or so because once it's in there is no taking it out until it heals. Be sure to go to a reputable piercer and purchase the items you'll need for aftercare beforehand. Use Midol and lots of ice. It will help the swelling go down. If you even think you might get a bit woozy after the piercing, have someone drive you to and from the parlor. Other than that, when you're ready go for it!