You guys all know about it. There is a certain piercing bug that needs to be satisfied, the only remedy: another hole in your body. Well in November I had received that bug, but was worried about getting a piercing. My cartilage had been the worst experience of my life and still has not fully healed 2 years later. I decided to go for it, and got my tragus done. I didn't even feel it, and my piercing bug was not cured.
At A Glance Author anonymous When A week ago Artist Me =) Studio Bathroom I spent the month of December looking at different piercing choices and ideas. I searched through BME, naturally, to read experiences, learn about the piercing procedure and the aftercare. I narrowed it down to three choices: septum, tongue-web and inverse navel. I continued to further delve into my strange body mod obsession.
I like the idea of these piercings because they are all easily hidden. No matter what I was definitely getting something pierced before returning to school.
I decided to get my tongue-web pierced. I checked it out at my local parlor, it would cost me 50$. The parlor also only pierced with CBRs and I wanted it to be a barbell to prevent as much teeth damage. Plus I do not really want it to click on my teeth. After I had asked all these questions, I told the piercers I would think about it. They know me better than that. They said that after I'd done it myself to come in and have them check it in a week.
A couple nights later I got an incredible piercing urge. I went up to the mall and picked up an appropriate size and gauge barbell. I came home and found the largest sharpest sewing needle I could. I at this point was fully aware of the idiotic thing I was about to do. I swished my mouth with a rinse, cleaned the needle and the barbell. I lifted my tongue up and stuck the needle next to the web. I pressed the needle against the side and put my finger on the other and very slowly pushed it all the way through. There was no pain whatsoever.
The hold was terribly easy to find with the barbell, but it wouldn't go the entire way through. I re-pierced it with the needle three more times, before finding a larger needle to thread through. Which I didn't clean, dumb, dumb, dumb. Again the barbell would only go about half way through the tongue-web. I hadn't come this far for absolutely no reason, right? I fiddled with it for ten or so minutes before shoving the round end of the barbell the entire way through. I rinsed my mouth out with salt soak.
Now the ball was a bit trickier. I tried for about 20 minutes to get that darned ball on, than took a break while I watched some TV. I think that it was more difficult to get the ball screwed on, because the barbell is plastic and a bit rough at the end. I tried once again after watching...CSI...I'm a bit of the addict. I struggled for a solid 45 minutes, but to no avail. My attempts were all extremely weak at getting the darned thing on and I could not ask my mom for help.
I was about to give up and go to bed, but I knew I could not do that, I mean, What if it fell out during the night? This was taking a real long time and I was not going to have nothing to show for it. Fortunately enough for me, I found another barbell. I tried to use one of those balls to get it screwed on the barbell. SUCCESS! And only after a minute! I should have tried this much earlier, would have saved me quite a bit of grief. At that moment I was very pleased.
It was a bit swollen when I woke up, but not that bad at all. I put ice under my tongue. The swelling went way down. I had a bit of issues eating; it just felt like something was still left under my tongue. I washed my mouth out with warm salt water 3 times a day for the last week. I occasionally rinse out with mouth wash. It's been a week and a half. It's still a bit swollen, but you can only tell if you are looking at it. It doesn't feel bad at all.
Unfortunately I have a bad habit of playing with it right now, which is probably irritating it but it is so much fun. I'm trying to stop because I want it to heal completely. I already know that it will be a short lived piercing. It's fun, but I don't want to ruin my teeth, I used to have braces so yeah.
My piercing bug is back, even though, I just got one last week. When I feel know pain, it's like the bug never left. I'm hoping to get my septum done this weekend.
I do not condone or recommend self piercing. I take great pride in my first self done piercing, but please, do not be an idiot. I would feel a lot better right now if I would have gone to the piercing parlor. The piercers from my parlor, laughed and said it was crooked and they could have done better. All in all, it's a good experience, not painful and just follow the cleaning instructions.
Have fun, piercing!