A friend and I had decided to each get something pierced because we were both 18 years old (at the time) and we both wanted to do one last thing together before we went our separate ways after high school. She had wanted her tongue done for a long time, and I had wanted a smiley done. But our one main problem was that neither of our parents could know about it. So we had our friend Chris drive us to the piercing place and get it done one Friday night. I had told my mom that we were going out to dinner and a movie, which wasn't a complete lie.
At A Glance Author Jesica Contact angelinlight0216@hotmail.com When Three months ago Artist Diana Studio Alchemistress So when we got there my nerves immediately started, but whose wouldn't, right? We did the paper work without any parent approval (it was exciting...WE WERE 18! We were looking through all the jewelry while we waited for the lady to get ready for her first victim. I was looking for the smallest ring possible to put in. But they apparently already have those ready for u. But even after all this, I was still questioning my piercing. I was asking the lady all about it. Did it swell a lot, could you easily notice it, does it hurt, etc. so I decided to get my smiley on the bottom, because it was easily hidden from site. I paid the lady $60 for it..yeah, it was a lot because it's so small, I guess. I watched my friend get her tongue done. I was really freaking out at this point. She got the side of her tongue done (got that idea from me) and it took no time at all, or so it seemed. Next it was MY turn.
MY TURN! I was given this little cup of mouth wash, and, I'm not gong to lie to ya..it tastes like sh*t. ha-ha. It took 2 people to do it; one person doing the piercing, another to hold down my bottom lip. She tried putting the clamp in, which hurt a little, but it didn't work because the web was too small for it. She had to do it free hand. She asked me if I was ready (what am I suppose to say..no?)
She decided to count. 1...2...Pop! And the needle was through. I was so nervous that it would hurt, but it was nothing. Days of using my fingers to pinch where it might be going through was all for nothing. Now came the painful part.
It then came time for them to put the jewelry in. This was the most painful part of it all. Because it's such a small space, if you have big fingers, you're not going to screw the balls onto the bar. Well after a little bit of pulling on the ring she realizes this, and gets pliers. With the pliers, you have to be careful because if you push on your gums, it will hurt. Yeah, she did this too. And she tugged on the ring repeatedly. I started to feel light headed, and they had to stop at least twice through this process, to stop me from passing out.
After what seemed like forever, they finally got it in, with the balls on both ends tightened. My friends and I were hungry, and so we got some milk shakes and McDonalds, and then off to the movies as planned. It was a little weird trying to talk. I did talk differently for a little bit. We practiced talking so that we would sound normal in front of our parents. They said I sounded a little different, but I was able to work it out.
The healing part of it was nothing. I was given a little thing of sea salt that I had to put on it to cleanse, and I took vitamins to shorten the healing time. After awhile I went back to change the ring of it. I changed it to a hoop, but I think it was too soon to change it, because I ended up getting a keloid (build up of scar tissue) from the hoop. And I recently found out that it's bad to wear hoops in it because hoops are meant to hang down, not up. It was a little uncomfortable, because it would hit off of my teeth when I talked, and it was a definite pain when I ate. I would always hit the ball when I chewed down. So word of advice, if you get a scrumper on the bottom, don't get a hoop. The only good thing about it was that you were able to see it when you talked. But it's not worth it.
And as for the whole piercing experience, I would definitely do it again. I'm thinking about doing a neck piercing, next. I guess we'll have to wait and see.