First off, I would like to add a disclaimer. This piercing was self-done, and although it went well for me, it doesn't mean it will for you. I recommend you look around other areas of this site, as well as consulting professional piercers in your area.
At A Glance Author Daisy Contact down_with_desire@hotmail.com IAM DownWithDesire When A year ago Artist Myself Studio My bedroom Location Saltspring Island Now, I had wanted a piercing for a VERY long time, but my mother was seemingly stead fast on her decision not to let me have a piercing, this has changed since then...What with my sister having two on her face. I discovered BME a few years back, and fell in love with all the beautiful little piercings (and of course, the big ones too) and my want for a new little hole grew. Looking around on the site, knowing I couldn't get one professionally done, nor could I pierce anything visible, I discovered the tongue web piercing, and fell in love. The idea of having something that I'd wanted for so long added to my passion of this piercing, and so many of the stories were of people doing them in their bathrooms, bedrooms, and what have you.
One evening last summer, I was looking around on BME again, falling deeper and deeper in love, and the decision came to me. I was going to pierce it that night. I went into my mom's sewing box and found some needles that I thought were the right size (They weren't, plus they weren't very sharp) and hid them in my room. Some point later that night, with everyone but me asleep, with adrenaline pumping I got some hand sanitizer, a whole lot of mouth wash, some rubbing alcohol (which I soaked a 14g belly button ring and the needles in, for about 15 minutes,) a lamp, a mirror and a whole lot of Kleenex.
I plugged the light in, and rubbed in the hand sanitizer, for the first time of the night, I rinsed my mouth out with mouthwash, and spat into my designated spit bowl. Then I got the light angled into my mouth and held the mirror with my left hand deciding where would be best to pierce. When I picked the place, I picked up the first needle...(I used two in the end) and pressed it against my tongue web, it didn't really hurt, not at first. It popped through the first membrane of skin, which is when it started to hurt.
I was drooling a lot. Like A LOT. Dripping out of my mouth onto my mirror, this caused problems. I tried to dry it up with the Kleenex, but couldn't do quite an adequate job; this is when the needle slipped out. This is bad. Since the needle slipped out I took the time to swallow, sanitize my hands again, and rinse with mouthwash, again. I picked up the same needle and went to find where I had partially pierced previously, where I ran into (more) problems. I couldnt find the hole, so I eventually gave up and pierced a different place. Again, after popping through the first membrane the needle had a hard time going through the other layer of flesh, I could see it pushing and the needle trying to poke through, this is what hurt...and could have been avoided by using a sharper needle, and clamp, perhaps. After a while of much pushing and drooling it popped through. I was ecstatic, drooling and bleeding a little, but ecstatic none the less.
This is when I ran into some further problems, with needle stuck through the bottom of my tongue, not able to close my mouth with drool dripping down onto my mirror, I had to put the jewellery through. Oh dear, oh dear is right. First off, I had to figure out how to put it through the hole...which didn't take me too long, but then my realization...was that the hole was smaller than the jewellery I was trying to push through it. I re-rinsed, sterilized, and picked up my new bigger needle, found the hole, and went to stretching it out. By now my tongue web is feeling quite sore, and is bleeding a little bit along with the incessant drooling. After pushing this needle through, I picked up my barbell again and went to town, with a little bit of pushing and a little bit of pain, it was in! I was extremely excited...and it almost fell out, thankfully, it didn't.
This is where the hardest part came in... Screwing the ball on. This was no easy task, especially as I was getting quite swollen there from all the messing around. After about 10 more minutes of messing around, I managed to bite the barbell between my teeth and twist the ball onto the end. I was finished! I looked at my work and was so proud. I rinsed again, and went to dispose of my spit bowl, as well as the rubbing alcohol I had used...not to mention the half box of Kleenex I used.
When I woke up the next morning I still couldn't believe I had actually done it! For the first few days I found the bottom of my tongue really sore, because of the rubbing from the balls, after that however, the healing went by rather quickly, though it would still swell if I played with it too much. I ran into the same white grossness, which apparently erupts, from most mouth piercings in the moistened form of crusties, an some bleeding once in a while. I had it and was in love with it for about a month before I changed the barbell for the first time...I downsized to an 18 gauge spiked barbell, which I absolutely LOVED. I found I could leave it out for about 10 minutes a few months after with out it getting tight. I really was in love.
I went through some rough stuff with that little thing under my tongue, a really bad break up, and a slightly abusive overly sexual relationship. I think something about having it helped me however, I can't quite say what, but I loved it. After having it in for about 5 months, I decided I wasn't happy with its placement, I think it had migrated a little because I played with it so much, so I made the choice to remove it. I took it out at 4:15...and by 7 it was nothing but a little dent. I really felt like I had cut off a finger, I still miss it, and play with my tongue web as if it was still there. My plan was, and still is, to eventually repierce it, or have it done professionally. Until then, happy piercings.