Well, I'll start with a bit about myself, and a brief history of my piercing.
At A Glance Author anonymous Contact anonymous@bme.anon When It just happened Artist Johnny Studio Electric Pen Location Newcastle Emlyn, Wales - UK I got my first piercing just over a year ago, that was an ear cartilage, nothing special, and then I got really hooked on getting pierced. Since then I've had countless other ear piercings, two eyebrow piercing, nostril, labret, and my nipple (which was ripped out - ouch!) - So you could say I'm pretty experienced.
I had been wanting to get my tongue web pierced for quite a while, since I saw a picture on this sites galleries, but unfortunately, due to cash flow problems I haven't been able to get it done. Today I managed to scrape together enough cash to get it done (£30 – and worth every penny!)
I chose to get it done with a regular bar with balls on each end, (1.6mm x 10mm), just because I prefer the look of them, and they are less likely to get caught in my teeth or on food.
I went into the piercing studio, which is always spotlessly clean, had a chat with the tattooist, Andy, while I was waiting for my needle and jewellery to be prepared. They are all really friendly guys there, and they all know what they're talking about.
So when Johnny was ready for me, I went out back, and lay down on the recliner chair, I had to hold my mouth open really wide, and stick my tongue to the top of my mouth as much as I could, and hold it there. This was a little uncomfortable, but nothing unbearable.
The needle was then pushed in, I felt it break through the two layers of skin, and then pulled out leaving just the guide tube for the jewellery. I wouldn't say this was completely painless, but it was not much worse than getting an injection.
Then Johnny put the jewellery into the guiding tube, and pulled it through the hole in my tongue web. It took a while to get the ball on the end of the bar, that's just because it's really fiddly, because there isn't much room in my mouth for big fingers, I think Johnny used some type of pliers when he was doing it up. This hurt a little more than the actual piercing, but again, nothing unbearable.
I did get a bit light headed, but I do with every piercing I get, so I sat on the chair and had a cup of water while my dizziness subsided.
I paid the man, and left very impressed with my new piercing.
I started flicking it back and forth with my tongue, just playing with it because it was there, and just after I got home, an hour or two later, I had made one of the balls on the end of the bar loose, by my fault alone, So I went back down to the studio, and by the time I got there I had managed to make the bar come out of the hole.
Johnny was really cool about it, he put the bar back in, that hurt quite a bit, seeing as it has started to close already, and made sure the balls on the ends were really tight. He didn't charge me anything extra for the re-fit.
So now, 5 hours after the initial piercing, it's a little tender, but what else can be expected? Apparently the tongue web heals really quickly, in about two weeks or so. And I have to rinse my mouth twice a day with non-alcohol mouthwash twice a day for those two weeks.
Drinking coffee is no problem, It felt a bit weird and almost numb when the drink goes over the piercing, but after a few more mugs of coffee I was used to it.
7 Hours later, I just ate a banana, it was quite weird, it felt as though I still had food in my mouth after I finished eating, but hopefully the weirdness will go soon, just like it did when drinking. It doesn't hurt or anything, it's just because of the slight swelling underneath of my tongue, and luckily I can't bite down on it because it is out of the way of my teeth, but I can imagine that it would be quite the opposite if I were to have a ring or a horseshoe in its place.
I'm really happy with how this piercing turned out and I would tell anyone that is considering it to just go right ahead and get it done, and if I had the opportunity to do it all again, I would. Oh, and If you are in Wales, its worth making a trip to Electric Pen, It's by far the best studio around, ask for Johnny, and tell them Jay Sent you!