I've been interested in piercings and body modification in general for a couple of year now. It's gradually becoming a very important part of me, which I quite like the idea of to be honest.
At A Glance Author Laura Contact _x_lil_laura_x_@tiscali.co.uk When A month ago Studio Tattoo Magic Location Skegness, Lincolnshire, UK I already had 4 piercings on my right lobe, 2 on the left (one 12mm stretched), and 2 lip piercings. However, I have a large list of piercings I want in the future, which are all being delayed due to school rules etc. I've been researching the piercings I want, and decided on 3 more I wanted before I left school that could be hidden easily, as I struggle with the retainers for the ones I have now.
I finally decided on a tongue piercing, a septum and nipple. I planned on getting them all done on the first day of the upcoming Christmas holidays, but I'm impatient. I'd read that tongue piercings swell for around 2-3 days so the holiday was ideal.
It took a hell of a lot of nagging my parents to get this piercing, as it did with my lip. My mom doesn't mind my piercings as much, but my dad is harder to persuade. However, after nagging from Saturday till the following Friday morning, he reluctantly agreed. So, very excited, we looked around for a piercing salon. We eventually found Tattoo Magic and headed inside.
It's a family run place, all of them live above the shop. They were very friendly and talked openly about the business and procedures etc. This put me at ease. The woman then said I could get it done there and then, and after asking if I could take my friend in to record the piercing, I went in.
The room was tiny, but bright and very clean. There was just enough room to fit the piercing bed/bench, a counter and sink and some cupboards on the walls. I got up onto the bench, while the man sterelised everything opposite, and my friend Brett positioned himself in the corner next to me, my phone in his hand, recording.
The guy asked me to make my tongue into a like a cup-shape, which I did, then he filled the well with the numbing, banana flavoured stuff. Exactly the same as I'd had when my lip was pierced. I sat there for a while, feeling my tongue slowly tingle then numb completely. I then spat the solution out and sat down.
The man came over, got me to stick my tongue out, then examined it. He said I had an extremely long tongue, which would make things easier. He then penned a mark on it, and told me to keep my tongue out. I felt the pen completely, which worried me. I then kept saying that it was going to hurt. I also felt an idiot with my long, floppy tongue dangling messily out of my mouth.
He grabbed my tongue with blunt-ended scissor like things, then held them while he picked up the hollow needle. I then remember noticing his latex gloves were black, rather than the usual white - this amused me and I didn't think about the piercing. Next I felt a slight pinching sensation, and a very strange yet nice sliding feeling. I was then left with the needle hanging out of my tongue while he fetched the bar.
He returned and inserted the jewellery. I hopped off the bench to find my mom chatting with the owner about their living arrangements, she was too squeamish to watch the piercing. We got given an after-care sheet and were told to return to get a smaller bar on Saturday. We went and bought a large supply of ice lollies, and the shop owner made fun of my mumbling and insane amount of dribbling.
My tongue swelled up a lot for the next couple of days. Eating was really quite hard. But I coped and I was pleased with my new piercing. When it came to Saturday though, the piercer that was meant to change my bar hadn't come into work, so I got given a shorter bar to put in myself. The thought of this scared me slightly.
On the Sunday, I went upstairs to change my bar as the swelling appeared to have gone down completely. I was scared about changing it, so I threaded the shorter bar down as I pulled the teflon one out of my tongue. To my dismay, the bar was way too short and didn't even come out the other side. So, in a total panic I replaced the teflon bar. Next thing I know, my vision is blurred and I feel hot and dizzy.
I didn't even have chance to put the ball on the bar before I fell down. I stumbled across the landing and down the stairs, only to find myself falling into the living room in a heap. I's passed out. This was very scary, but I calmed down and put the ball on.
A few days later, my dad (shockingly as he didn't approve originally) talked me through changing the bar and I managed it. I was really pleased with myself aha. Now I look at the video and laugh at my mortified face prior to the piercing, but I feel very proud by my straight an calm face as the needle entered my flesh.
People cringe when they see it, I don't know why as it's quite popular these days. I'm very glad I had it done, and I'm looking forward to my upcoming piercings this Christmas!