I'd liked the look of a webbing for a while.
At A Glance Author anonymous Contact treacherousserpentine@yahoo.co.uk When N/A Artist Lex Studio Skin n' Ink Location Swansea Skip past this bit if you want.
I had my tongue pierced a while ago. It wasn't a terrible experience but I came out of the studio [not really a studio but small tatt parlor] with a piercing that wasn't exactly straight. Infact it was badly off-centre. But a little too close to the centre to put another piercing by it.
I had rusted into it, because I was told a while ago that I couldn't have my tongue done, I had turned to alternatives. Which concluded with the webbing. In many ways it was a piercing that was right for me [I like to choose my piercings carefully]. But when I went to get it done the piercist pulled a face and said "omg are you effin' mental? That's goin to be so painful" not feeling encouraged, he said my tongue was perfect [at this point feeling a little miss-guided by my other piercer friend]. He shoved the needle through I felt next to no pain, I gave him fifteen quid [half of what they normally charge, I wonder why]. And he let me leave giving no idea as to what would happen in the following hours or weeks. What to expect, what not to do, or even how to look after it.
I'm still thinking about taking it out.
Most of my friends were pretty disgusted when I told them and showed them what I wanted. And my mates are normally down with piercings and body mods. Though it was mainly the guys who didn't like it, which wasn't very encouraging. But, in the end I didn't care, 'cause this was a part of how I wanted to be for myself. Not for whoever else is bold enough to say that it looks foul.
So I decided to try out Skin n' Ink [one of the few piercing/tatt places in Swansea that I or a friend hadn't had a bad experience with]. I talked with one of the piercists there, Lex. She was really encouraging, confessed that she'd never done a webbing before, but would love to give it a go if I was willing. We talked for a while about it and then chatted generally, I felt comfortable with her and said I'd think about it.
I thought about it for a while [2 days hehe] then phoned them up and asked for an appointment.
I've already got my tongue pierced, and I expected the webbing to be somewhere around the same level of uncomfortable pain.
I brought two mates and when we got there I talked with Lex some more about it. We spent quite a while finding the right place. That I liked, and that we though would be suitable.
We decided on a curved bar and a small clamp to pierce it with. I took my tongue bar out and grabbed my mate's hand.
It was more painful than the needle that had gone through my tongue only three months ago [but I must say, I didn't feel hardly anything with my tongue]. It didn't take as long to put the ball on as I expected [from other stories on here], perhaps a minute or two. The small pliers that she used to tighten it nipped the flesh of the webbing, but she stopped when I whimpered in pain *pitiful*
It was in, I rinsed and swallowed, letting my tongue rest. It felt [and still feels] soo cool, there's no other way to describe it. Symmetrical, small, solid, balls under your tongue. woaw.
I was very happy indeed. Hugged her, paid her, and left.
The afternoon was simple, I expected not to be able to talk of eat well for three days and then be in constant slight pain for about two weeks.
But, no, I was wrong. After about three hours it hurt to talk and my tongue, teeth and jaw hurt [this also happened with my tongue, I had tooth ache for a week with it. Probably just me]. I didn't even try food. But eight hours on, I had easy speech and hardly felt it. Although I did take my tongue bar out for periods of time, because it rests on the webbing it made it a bit sore. Before I went to sleep I took two ibuprofen just to make sure I had a good nights sleep [though I didn't really need it, it wasn't hurting]
A day later I was eating small things, then I realised that I could eat just about anything, so long as I didn't take a greedy mouthful.
Now, two days later, I'm wearing my tongue bar constantly [without pain]. I'm eating normally and swilling out my mouth with salt water after each meal or snack. I hardly notice it already, though at the same time I notice it constantly. It's a new part of me that feels natural.
If you want it, go for it I say.