I have been on the fence about this particular piercing for awhile. Having existing oral piercings, I know from experience what a bitch they are to heal.
Since I am a sucker for sexy dark, vampy lips and awesomely placed piercings/tattoos, I came across this photo online.
Color me in love! Debating seriously whether to get these or not, I decided to research them online. Pictures, experiences, and any other information. I am a curious creature by nature and I don't like making uninformed and uneducated decisions. If you are thinking of being heavily involved in the body modification industry, I suggest you be the same. When it comes to things like this and you go down the street to a tattoo shop you know nothing about- you may end up with a serious infection, a paralyzed tongue or other horrific consequences that often result from an inexperienced artist/piercer.
Anyway, back to the venom. I am no stranger to painful/prolonged procedures. 13 piercings (that I still wear). Including a triple labret, Medusa, septum, nips (that I had to have both done twice due to an inexperienced piercer), stretched cartilage, 3/4 stretched lobes, two microdermal implants (I have since had removed by a plastic surgeon), and approximately 250 hours of tattooing in not fun places such as my face, head, throat, hands, fingers, ribs, and thighs. I have also had a few play piercings done, the first at 35 needles, and the second at 92.
Still, I absolutely hate being pierced, and I give myself serious anxiety about it. I would rather be tattooed for 13 hours straight than be pierced once. Such a gross feeling!
In my research online, I surprisingly found very little information regarding the venom. Most experiences were from teenage girls with some saying it wasn't terrible to others saying it was absolutely excruciating Everyone's pain tolerance is different with females usually being higher than most men's. I credit this to our bodies being genetically inclined to have to deal with extremely painful things like childbirth etc. My pain tolerance is plummeting the older I get, thirty is creeping up on me and I must admit that I am not capable of sitting for long hours of being tattooed like I could in my earlier twenties. I finally found an account of the venom written my a middle aged man who quipped "These piercings are not for the weak."
This is pretty much what sold me on going through with it. I've aways been the person to challenge myself to the limits of what I can handle, to push it a little further, especially when it comes to the world of body modification. Although I have never done anything like suspensions or scarification (the really heavy stuff) I can't say it hasn't crossed my mind. Although it has been twelve years since my original central tongue piercing, I don't remember it being that awful. Decision made, let's do this!
Day 0:
Having already made my appointment with Nick Shipley located at Saint Tattoo in Knoxville, I was still a little nervous. Nick has done most of my piercing work, and I am simply more comfortable with him. He's one of Knoxville's best piercers with a solid education and plenty of experience. His portfolio can prove it. I am proud some of my stuff is featured in it as well. Nick is a funny guy who loves to talk, he puts you at ease in a matter of moments.
I was so nervous I could barely think about anything else that day, time rolled around and finally it was time to head to the tattoo shop!
Nick explained this was a more painful piercing (which I already knew from my own research) and the reason is plain and simple anatomy.
A central tongue piercing is going through connective tissue in the center of your tongue that binds the muscles on either side together. This is what gives people with split tongues the ability to move both sides.
In short, both these bad boys are going through muscle.
Nick also explained that he would have to do them one at a time. Any of you that have had double piercings done at once know how bad this sucks. The blood is already rushing to the first so the second always hurts like hell. Ten times more than the first.
Nick looked at my tongue and I was pleased that I could keep my original center tongue piercing. He also lifted and looked at the underside to look for any veins that might prevent me from getting the venom. This is absolutely the most important step, if your piercer does not do this, stop the procedure immediately. Paralysis and hemorrhaging can result if one of these veins are punctured.
Marked and ready to go Nick put the clamps on (which he normally does not use- but they were necessary for the venom. Deep breath in, and when I exhaled Nick pierced the first. Not terrible pain but any needle that Nick has hammered through my body, he immediately laughs "Damn, that hurt like a motherfucker didn't it?!" I laughed and we continued to the second.
A few minutes later the bleeding had stopped and I had the awesome venom piercing! I stopped by Sonic on the way home for pebble ice to chew on. This greatly reduces swelling and that night I thought I had gotten lucky. No swelling and minimal pain.
Day 1:
Waking up was a different story, my tongue had swollen the entire size of my mouth, and a dull throbbing was present. The impression of my teeth were dented into the perimeter of my tongue and would remain there for the next five days. My best friend and I were slated to run 6 miles that morning with another 4 that afternoon. I dosed up on ibuprofen and headed the first run, halfway there one of the balls fell off and I had to pull over to put it back on. Needless to say, I have been vigilant about making sure they are fixed tightly every since. I made it through the day (and both runs) with the mindset that the pain would go away in a day or two and I could handle it. I was definitely wrong.
Day 2:
I am utterly miserable. Tongue swollen double. Extreme hyper sensitivity (lukewarm food or drinks feel like the fires of hell), and if that's not enough, complete loss of taste. I swallowed a few spoonfuls of soup pretty much whole because chewing is impossible. Speech is also.
Day 3:
Still swollen double, but time seems to be passing quickly. I can handle this.
Day 4:
The stinging. Oh, the stinging. I have given up on food at this point. Even liquid food burns like fire. Misery.
Day 5:
ANYTHING that touches my tongue feels like molten lava. Only comfort is crushed ice. I would scoop it out by the spoonful and layer it on my tongue, it did reduce the swelling a little. Speech is slurred and movement is extremely painful.
Day 6:
Swelling is just now starting to reduce, speech is practically impossible and extremely painful. It hurts too bad to move. Fleeting thoughts about removing the venom, but toughed it out. A little taste has returned.
Day 7:
Swelling reducing greatly, stinging continues and now accompanied by itching. Speech is getting better, taste is almost back to normal.
Day 8:
Still slight stinging/itching. Speech is almost back to normal (I suspect it won't return fully until I exchange the long bars for shorter ones). I can eat (and finally taste!) solid food. I am just having to be extra careful not to bite down on the long bars.
Needless to say, I am confident the swelling and stinging will completely dissipate in the next few days.
The venom piercing has been one of the absolute worst I have done, the piercing itself was not bad but the last week has been somewhat torturous. Take this into consideration before getting yours.
In closing, if you have an extremely high pain tolerance and can handle not using your tongue for an entire week, than this is the one for you. If not, I would definitely reconsider.
- Scarlet The Strange
