To start of I'll just add, my parents HATE piercings, I managed to persuade them to let me have 7 through out the year, anyway after my nose I wanted my tongue pierced so badly! I begged and begged and pleaded but no, there comment always was "while you live under this roof you'll abide by our rules." However with a bit more nagging they finally agreed to let me have it done when I turned 18. So, of course 2 days after my birthday I was off to Birmingham to get my tongue done. :D
At A Glance Author katens Contact katens@bme.anon When Three months ago Studio oasis- sting Location Birmingham town centre
After much debating over whether to go to Selfridges (more expensive but more friendly and I think they're more experienced as well) or oasis (numb your tongue and cheaper but not as social) I was set to go to Selfridges just because it was my tongue and I guess it comes with a higher risk. After telling my friend that I was going to Selfridges her mouth dropped open and she replied with "BUT THEY DON'T NUMB IT!" and after she dragged on and on about it, I went to oasis. So off I went, signed the paperwork and sat on the chair...they soon informed me that they had ran out of the numbing liquid so I had to be sent to the piercing studio upstairs. I WAS ALREADY NERVOUS ENOUGH!! But anyway, I went upstairs and went straight in. The girl numbed my mouth which was pretty nasty; your tongue just feels like a big block of ice, it's really weird, but ok.
Anyway she came back in and got me to spit the liquid out. I went back and sat on the chair and had to stick my tongue out as far as possible which felt really weird seen as my tongue was totally numb, she got the purple marker and placed the dot, she had me look it the mirror to make sure I was happy with the placing, which I was. I wanted it fairly far back as my tongue's only little and I've never thought tongue piercings that are too forward look good. But anyway back to the piercing, she held my tongue in place with the clamp and positioned the needle over my tongue. I just tried to focus on my breathing as I'd learnt that it helps a lot to take your mind of it. She then pushed the needle through, I have quite a thick tongue so I think it took a while compared to when I watched my friend have hers done. It was a bit painful but really nothing terrible, my navel and especially sternum were miles worse!!! It felt weird to put my tongue back in my mouth as it was still numb and the bar felt huge!!! (I will say though that if you haven't had much pierced before, go to a place where they make you feel as comfortable as possible and talk to you because where I went it's a very much stick needle through and be done with it. It is a clean place though! I would never go to an unclean place!)
I've got to say though, it's not the piercing that's bad...it's the healing!! Obviously everyone's different and every piercing...but obviously mine tongue didn't like this new bit of metal stuck through it. I couldn't talk properly for about a two and a half weeks, couldn't eat properly for about 2/3 weeks, it had swollen badly! But worse of all, despite my good aftercare a weird lump formed on the underside of my tongue (an infection I'm guessing) and it hurt so much!! I had to get antibiotics. It slowly healed and after about a month and a half I could finally get the smaller bar in. I have got to admit, it always played in my mind whether I should have gone to Selfridges and I always wondered if it would of healed better if I had....but I guess, threes a risk where ever you go and I guess the only thing I would have got is more reassurance and they would have talked to me more....but who knows, there are pros and cons to both places.
I've had it pierced about 3 months now, and I've got to say it's by far my favourite piercing! I LOVE IT! It's great to play with and stick out at people. If im ever bored stuck in college it always gives me something to do. It eventually healed lovely and looks great. So to end my story, tongue piercings are great!...BUT if like me, your body is not that keen on piercings or even anyone else, the healing time is pretty crappy and you have to be prepared for the worse, the piercing itself isn't bad..It's the healing time!!! But go for it...as long as you're prepared....... 'Cus in the end it really does pay of with a fantastic little piercing!