As you can probably guess from the title, this is the story of my very first piercing - and a fairly ordinary piercing at that.
At A Glance Author killersheep Contact sliceofsilver@hotmail.com When It just happened Artist Dirk Studio Naked Steel Location Berlin, Friedrichshain (Germany) In fact it is one of the most common and, in terms of procedure and risks, unspectacular piercings out there.
Still, as it was my first, it has been a very special experience to me, so please forgive me if I'm writing at length about something so mundane :).
I got the piercing about five months after my 18th birthday, and at that time things were not quite looking well for me. Partly that had to do with "outside" influences and events, but partly also with the tangled stuff that was going on in my own head.
Basically, it just felt like I had somehow lost control on my own life and I was determined to change that.
And in a way, I felt like a piercing, which I had wanted for such a long time now, would help me to feel a lot more like "me" again.
I decided on a tongue piercing because I've always loved the aesthetics and possibilities of that placement, although I was really torn between getting a tongue or a labret for a first piercing, and was drawn to other piercings as well.
The next choice to make was of course that of the right studio(which is very important, of course, as you all know) and after some late hours of internet research I luckily discovered "Naked Steel" in Berlin, Friedrichshain.
Looking through the homepage, the guestbook and other pages linked to it, I found nothing but praise for Dirk, its owner and piercing artist.
It was actually kind of weird, because I read so many positive things about his attitude and professionalism, that I was awed by it before I even walked into his studio. I already had a lot of sympathy for this guy and felt like I knew him, without ever having met him in person.
There were also pictures of the studio online, and the piercing room as well as the facilities for sterilization, autoclaving and everything, looked to be in perfect condition, so I decided to check it out.
Then there was the day when I just woke up and knew; if it was to happen, it was to happen today.
It is about a one hour plus train ride with various subway lines from where I live to where the studio is located, so I had a lot of time to think on the way there.
I was feeling quite happy, if slightly flushed and exited, sitting there in the train by myself and thinking about what was to come.
I had happened to tell none of my friends or family where I would be going that day, and I felt a bit like a ghost traveling through a city of strangers, no one knowing where I was.
I finally arrived at the station, and found the right street and the studio after a bit of looking around.
I took a deep breath, didn't give myself too much time to think, and pushed open the door before I could think better of it. And there it was, the great moment of release, the moment where I could have backed out but didn't.
I'd done it, and I was feeling good about it. But of course I was still nowhere near the actual piercing.
Since "Naked Steel" shares the studio rooms with a tattoo shop called "Flash tattoo" (with a separate tattoo and piercing room, of course), there were quite a few people at the shop, a female tattoo artist with some large and amazing work herself, waiting clients and people just hanging around, friends of the artists presumably.
The first one to take notice of me, as I was standing slightly lost and hesitantly in the middle of the waiting room, was a tall guy with a lot of facial piercings. In fact, his face was so heavily pierced it would not be exaggerated to say that there were close to zero patches of white, empty skin left to be seen in between the many piercings.
In a piercing newbie like me, of course, this instilled quite a lot of respect as well as intimidating me to a certain degree.
The way in which he looked me over didn't really help either, traveling from my heavy boots over torn, worn-out jeans and my ordinary black woollen coat to my obviously unpierced face and my wind-swept, yet compared to his Mohawk quite tamely cut hair.
I don't know if it was just my impish imagination running riot, but I could have sworn the look he gave was very clearly implying something along the lines of "Why don't you go home and play with your favorite toys, huh?".
"Can I help you?" he asked, with an intonation that seemed not exactly welcoming to me, more like the opposite in fact. I told myself to pull myself together and stop fretting, he probably wasn't being condescending at all, I was just imagining it because I was nervous.
Instead of following his imaginary unspoken advice, I told him that I was looking for a tongue piercing.
After a last, long look at me he went to get Dirk from the piercing room, and there it was, the second moment of relief.
The moment I saw the friendly smile on the face I was already familiar with from the pictures on the net, the feeling of tension totally evaporated.
It was a bit like when you're at a party or event where the only one you know is the host. You are surrounded by a crowd you don't know, feeling uncomfortable and possibly unwelcome or intimidated, until you finally spot your friend in the masses, and when he's walking towards you with a smile you know that you can relax.
Dirk took me to the piercing room and talked me through the routine of procedure, sterilization, risks and aftercare. His calm, interested an friendly manner instantly had an incredibly soothing effect on me, and I thought it was especially great how patiently he informed me about every detail, although he must have recited the same things a million times before with such a common piercing.
Once he confused a word and we both started laughing, as he apologized and admitted that it was kind of hard, having to give this same speech over and over again.
The incident helped to relax the mood further, and after I had read and put my signature on the papers, he asked me to come outside with him for a quick smoke before we would start with the piercing.
I happily agreed, for after all I was still a little exited and glad about a bit of nicotine to calm my nerves.
So while the jewelry was autoclaving, we went outside and he rolled himself a cigarette and offered me one as well, since I did not have smokes with me('cause you're not supposed to smoke after an oral piercing anyway).
It was a bit awkward when he asked if I could roll it myself or if he should do it for me, and I told him he should.
Most of the time I buy my cigarettes "ready-made" and now I was nervous, too, so I did not quite trust my hands. I was certain that I'd have screwed it up and made an even greater fool of myself had I attempted to do it.
We had some small-talk while we were smoking, the city, the weather, piercing, the works, and Dirk told me that I did not seem in the least exited or anxious and that he had seen far worse for a first piercing.
That was a misconception, of course, for how could I not have been exited and anxious about something that was so completely new to me? After all, at that point I could only guess at what it would feel like to have the needle rip through the layers of my skin and flesh.
But I would be lying to say I was not flattered by his statement, and in a way it was also true. Despite the slightly rushed pace of my heart I was rather calm and definitely not "afraid" in any sense.
From the moment I had seen Dirk walk towards me, a feeling of inner calm had overtook me.
I guess he has that effect on many clients, that his adorable and friendly manner makes you loose all fear and most of the anxiety you might have had - at least it was that way for me. And I guess that's part of what makes his success as a piercer, as you can also see from the overwhelmingly positive comments he gets on the internet.
Ok, I realize that the above rant probably makes me seem like a groupie or lunatic, or possible both as in lunatic groupie ;-)... But that's just what it felt like to me.
Anyway, moving on...
Back at the studio he unpacked the clamps and everything, while I looked round the studio and at the beautiful picture of a woman with multiple genital piercings and the "Ring of O" on her left hand(which, if I'm not mistaken, indicates that a person is submissive/a Bottom in a BDSM context). Again, to a newbie, a bit intimidating, but oh well... I was happy and up for it and contemplating the pictures helped to divert my attention.
When we did the piercing, Dirk told me to breathe in, then out as the needle went through.
He kept talking and joking as he put the jewelry in and I would have loved to laugh at his light-headed jokes and his good-natured way of talking me through it, but after all I had to keep my mouth open, so all I could manage was a slight chuckle.
Did it hurt? Of course it did hurt, it would be silly to claim I didn't feel anything at all. But the pain was nowhere near being severe or unbearable or a never-felt-before-kind of pain.
Actually, it was a thoroughly good and rewarding kind of pain.
And I'm absolutely sure the experience would not have been the same and not as good (let alone intense) without it.
Personally, I ask myself "Where is the point in piercing your body if you don't feel it, have no connection to what is happening to you?",
so I guess I'm not in support of anaesthetics for piercings and such.
Of course, I have very little experience and the pain of a tongue piercing is probably miniscule compared to other procedures. I'm not so sure if I would stick firmly to my believe where it comes to skin removal, for instance. But still, you see where I'm getting at.
There has been so much talk on the aftercare, which is quite easy on such an unspectacular piercing anyway, so I won't dwell on it for too long.
Probably you all know what to do, so I'm just going to say, DO use your (alcohol free!) antibacterial mouthwash. Don't overdo, but use it, it's good and easy and ya know you were told to ;-)...
If I should give advice on eating in the immediate time after, I'd say go for soft, as in "easy-to-chew" food. Believe me, easy-to-chew-ness really is THE key for the first few days, as your tongue might be quite sore during that time.
That does not necessarily mean eating nought but soup, though (it didn't for me, but them I'm such a stubborn, food-loving bitch...).
On the positive side, my tongue did not swell one bit, and I had zero troubles or complications, apart from the initial soreness.
To sum it up, the advice I'd give is
a) Do your research, especially on the right studio! I believe it is quite important to the nature of your experience.
b) Don't be intimidated, ever. If you want it, go for it, no matter how the guy behind the counter/ in the waiting room/ etc might look at you :).
c) Go for soft food if it's a tongue piercing.
e) Lastly, if you're living in/near Berlin I highly recommend "Naked Steel".
I'm still wildly happy with my center tongue piercing and you can bet my boyfriend has never complained about the effects either :).
This first piercing has certainly not been my last one.