If you’ve ever wanted to get your tongue pierced but you’ve been put off by conflicting accounts of the pain, confusion about the healing process, or because you’re unsure of how to look after it, then this article could help you decide if this piercing is for you.

I put off getting my tongue pierced for years because of the above reasons. I had heard horror stories of people contracting hepatitis, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to ever eat solids again, and I was reluctant to pay for something that might end up as an infection. I was also worried that the information from my piercer would be biased, since he ultimately wants me to get it done.

In the end though, I decided that it’s better to regret something you have done than to regret something you haven’t done. After I made up my mind to get pierced I spent hours trawling the internet to find some reliable accounts of the healing process, but I couldn’t find all the information I wanted in one place. 

So I decided to keep this diary for anyone who wants a true, unbiased account of what it’s really like to have your tongue pierced!

Day 1, Saturday - Getting Pierced: I was a bit nervous about getting my tongue done since it’s such a thick muscle, but I’ve been pierced quite a few times before now so I thought I’d be O.K with the pain. I went to a piercer who’s pierced me many times over the last eight years or so, and he’s pierced lots of other people that I know too.

I went with a friend who’s also been pierced lots of times. We arrived at the studio quite late in the day, around four o’clock, and I was due to go to work in the pub at seven o’ clock, so I hadn’t left much time to call in sick in the case of extreme pain. I sat on the bench and the piercer went through all the after-care instructions with me. I asked how much it would swell and bruise as I’d seen some hideous pictures. There are some things you can do to reduce swelling, like sucking ice and taking ibuprofen, but ultimately it depends on the individual. 

I wanted the pain over and done with, and after a few minutes of ‘Are you O.K, is there anything you want to ask’, I lost my patience and demanded ‘Just do me!’.