So I'd been thinking about a tongue piercing for six months. I thought the best time to get it would be January when everyone was skint from xmas and not going out. I also thought it would give me enough time to get bored of the idea, but six months down the line I still couldn't wait to get the metal through my tongue!
At A Glance Author Nic Contact Nic@bme.anon When A week ago Artist Ryan Studio The Belly Bar Location Kent I told my boyfriend, who loved the idea (wonder why), my best friend who tried her hardest to talk me out of it cos she wants it and her boyfriend won't allow it and my Mum who told me she was disgusted and that she was banning me from getting it.
I waited til after xmas so I could still eat my yummy xmas dinner and knowing that I probably wasn't going out on new year I went on the 27th having been told that the piercers was open for business. After some shopping, a long drive to Bodyworks and much self persuasion once outside to go in, I went in to be told that it was Marie's day off and that there was no one there that could help me. Rather irritated, I went to The Belly Bar instead, but by the time I got there it was closed :(. I wanted a good few days rest before I went back to work, so decided to book some time of a couple of weeks later.
Two weeks later, I had booked a Wednesday afternoon, the Thursday and the Friday off work. On the Wednesday I hopped along to Bodyworks to be told yet again that Marie wasn't there and to come back the next day, but even then to call first cos their autoclaver hadn't been working properly. Well I couldn't wait til the next day, I'd been waiting for this day for six months!! I went to The Belly Bar again.
When I got there, Ryan was on the phone. I waited for a while and finally he finished his conversation. I told him I wanted my tongue pierced, he got me to stick my tongue out as far at possible and to curl it back on itself and bite it so he could check for veins. Then he said we was all good to go, so I paid him by £25 and he gave me a mouthwash by easypiercing. It tastes a bit yucky, but hey ho. He took me to the back room and I sat down on the bed. He talked me through the aftercare and told me a larger bar would be inserted to begin with to accommodate any swelling. He told me that this would be changed within 2-4 weeks depending on how much swelling there is. He mixed up some mouthwash for me, I swirled it round my mouth for 30 mins and spat it out in the sink. I sat back down and Ryan wiped my tongue with some tissues and marked the spot to pierce with a pen. He then clamped and inserted the needle from the bottom up. It was a weird feeling, it hurt but hardly at all, I felt the needle going all the way through, it's def the least painful piercing I've had done. He left the needle in my tongue and went to get the jewellery, he then threaded the jewellery onto the needle and pulled it through. This hurt a little, but was over in a second. He also pierced it at an angle because he found a vein whilst having a proper look, but you can't tell. So, all was done! I had a look in the mirror and was on my merry way.
It felt very weird, the bar was too long so I had to push it to one side. I went to buy some nurofen to help with any pain and to try and reduce any swelling and some soup, I found myself talking ok.
Later that night my boyf came over. He said I had a very slight slur when talking, a bit like I was drunk! This worsened the next day when my tongue eventually swelled and I was then told I sounded like a cross between Mike Tyson and Chris Eubank (I was not impressed)! I wouldn't say I found it hard to talk, just to pronounce certain words. I also found eating hard, I couldn't push things to the back of my throat with my tongue so had to cut things up very small and push it to the back with a fork and swallow straight away.
As the days went on I started to talk more normally again, my tongue has now gone back to normal size but I've still got another week to go til I can get my bar changed. I can't wait cos the longer bar is really irritating the piercing now and it quite painful when I eat as it moves around so much. Plus I keep trying to bite and eat it!
All in all though, I love this piercing! I'm glad I waited the six months cos I appreciate all the more now. If you're thinking of getting one, def go for it. The first week is a bit of a pain, but what's a week for a great piercing?!