Piercing #11: Tongue piercing

Hey, people...

If you don't get this reference... I'm not explaining it. Google it.

Would it surprise anyone that I went ahead to get yet another piercing? Probably not. The boyfriend is just curious about why I haven't gotten something like a nose piercing yet. Not rejecting the idea, but for now, despite my deep obsession with Miyavi's old eyebrow and lip piercings, I'll keep it to things that aren't immediately visible.


I also contemplated the acquisition of a split tongue... but I decided that it was wayyy too intimidating.


Anyway, I thought I'd give the new tattoo and piercing studio that popped up near my house a few months ago a whirl. Prices were fairly inexpensive, given the price benchmark presented by the only other two piercing-focused studios I know of.


This was actually a piercing date of sorts: I went with Ken Min, who wanted an industrial. With a black sugar bubble tea in hand, we entered the studio and signed indemnity forms before proceeding with the piercing itself.


Ken Min went ahead first, which was not intentional, but I suppose it was for the best as well, because the sight of me having my tongue manhandled before his own piercing might've been really nerve-wracking lol. Mind you, I have never tried needles for ear piercings before - all 8 of my ear piercings were done in malls in dodgy jewelry stores with the spring-loaded gun. Heck, even my lob stretching was DIY-ed with about a hundred plastic retainers slowly jammed in.


I was given diluted Listerine to gargle before and after the piercing itself, and the piercer (Marcus, whom I heavily suspect is the same person who did my belly piercing), and was told I had a fairly short-webbed tongue, which isn't an issue but might just be more uncomfortable compared to if I had a longer web (that small stretch of tissue extending from the base of your mouth to your tongue).

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A post shared by Kellie Low ⇀ 紫倩 ↽ (@yukari_ivankov) on Jan 14, 2019 at 5:08am PST

In terms of pain, it really wasn't near as painful as I thought it would've been. There was a pinch, and what was left was just... discomfort cuz I had a long, black foreign object in my mouth lol. There was a good minute or so actually spent on trying to get the jewelry on though, cuz the short webbing restricted how far my tongue could protrude from the oral cavity itself.


The hours after the piercing were, honestly, torturous - I was unable to even swallow properly, let alone eat. I thought soft, mashed food would've sufficed, but I was beyond wrong. It was really more of an intense discomfort, rather than actual pain for the first few days, as the barbell length that accommodated the swelling also didn't allow the jewelry to sit comfortably in the mouth - it was either pressing against the bottom of the mouth (near the saliva gland) or the top of the mouth.


Sleeping was even more torturous, but only for the first night - pretty much every position led to this new, heavy foreign object to press against different side of an open wound, leading to great discomfort.


In the next couple days, I lived off Campbell's cream of mushroom that had been put through a blender (and subsequently burned myself cuz I'm an idiot, obviously). The first bit of actual solid food I tried was agedashi tofu, and since then I've been gradually been able to eat food that required more chewing, including murukku, katsu, and a full spaghetti dish. It's still limited to really small mouthfuls at a time, though, and it take maybe twice the usual amount of time to finish something.


In terms of speech, the first few days were almost impossible to speak without getting frustrated with myself, as I had to speak very slowly and carefully yet still unable to pronounce a lot of words. But from the third day onward, I slowly regained the ability to speak, albeit with a tiny bit of pain at first. It's now day 12 and I'm almost back to normal speech, with a bit of "leaks" here and there for the sounds that need sharp tongue movements.


I suppose all in all, the thing about getting a tongue piercing is not really painful (which now explains why more people than I expected actually have it done??), but it does take guts to decide to get it, and it tests the shit out of your adaptability and planning. It's more of a "getting used to it" rather than "you'll need the pain tolerance to get it".


It's only been just under two weeks and I feel like I'm good to get the jewelry swapped out for a shorter post, partially cuz it's just a pain in the ass to have something so damn long in your mouth lol.


Let's end with some FAQ lol:

1. DID IT HURT?
   Not as much as I thought it would, and it was surprisingly tolerable. It's more of an immense discomfort with mild pain.
2. WHY DID YOU GET IT?
   My question is... why not? I liked it and I wanted it, so I got it. It's not for anyone, or any specific purpose to be "different" - the sex appeal and aesthetic that comes with it is just a nice bonus lol. And the thing is, if you end up not liking a piercing, you could just take out the jewelry and let the wound close up, which is why it's a much better way to experiment with your aesthetic as it's much lower commitment compared to tattoos.
3. WHY NOT A LESS INTIMIDATING PIERCING, LIKE A NOSE PIERCING?
   I still have a thing where I'm not confident in my career footing, so I'm just gonna keep most mods out out of direct sight, just in case. And the whole point is for it to me somewhat intimidating hehe~
4. WILL THE BALLS UNSCREW BY THEMSELVES?
   Apparently, yes. But it seems like it mainly only if you play with it a lot, cuz I've heard of people swallowing one of the balls after it came loose, but I have not experienced this yet.
5. HOW DO YOU EAT?
   Started with cooled or even cooled liquid food, even Campbell's soup had to be put through a blender with more than twice the amount of water to be easily edible. Any solid foods need to be in small, bite-sizes, and I can only specifically chew in the left part of my mouth (tried the right side and the top ball kept getting caught). Anything too fibrous or tough, like the lamb in sup kambing, are out of the question, cuz then I'll need to utilize my tongue to navigate the fibers and tough tissues.

NEW piercing: nipple piercing

My last piercing was a belly piercing, which I did in university and was also the first time I had a piercing done with a needle (click here if you're interested in my piercing history so far).


So for a few years now, I've been contemplating a new piercing on and off, and it was always a nipple piercing despite seriously wanting facial or tongue piercings since high school. For a while it was because of some body dysmorphia effects that made me feel "less sexy" than I was, and it felt like this piercing would solve that problem.


But I got to a point where I wanted it like I wanted a tattoo - I just wanted it for the sake of it, and not because I had body image issues and it seemed like a "solution".


Since this was a more ~*~*InTiMaTe*~*~ piercing location, I made an appointment as opposed to walking-in to a studio. I had two options to choose from - Attic Piercing and Spec Body Art. I chose the latter because somehow knowing that this studio had a dedicated piercer gave me more security.


After some research and a phone call from Spec's piercer Ronny later, I made an appointment... to have it done just a few hours before hyde's concert, because I don't think I can bear having to go down into KL city center so many times.


DAY 0

We were there super early, cuz the boyfriend wanted lunch there, and I was advised to eat before the piercing itself to get my blood sugar up. Lunch was Vietnamese at a place called Vinh City, and I had a pho while boyfriend had a sweat-inducing basil beef rice. The pho itself was really good, and really generous in portion.


We got into the studio about 15 minutes earlier than planned, and while it was empty when we passed by earlier, there was a foreign guy on the bench/bed, and another two girls conversing in rapid French waiting for their turn (they both got helix piercings).


My turn came about 10-15 minutes after my appointment time, but all was fine - I wasn't in a rush. After signing an indemnity form while a curtain was drawn around the back of the studio, markings were done and some clarifications were made (which side I wanted it on, and how the piercing will affect that body part over time, etc).


Not gonna lie, I was freaking out internally. I remember there being no "numbing spray" for the belly piercing, like the ones you get if you get your ears pierced at malls. The belly button skin was just that little bit, so it was a pinch and the residual pain comes as the shock wears off and your body gets used to having a foreign object. A nipple piercing, however, requires going through about at least 200% more flesh.


Markings were made, checked, fixed, and then I was asked to lie on the "operation table". New needles and equipment were presented, verified, and then my nipple was clamped down, apparently apart from making sure the needle goes through properly, it will also help numb the area by pinching really hard on the area.


This is how I would describe the sensation that lasted around 3-5 seconds: someone pinching down on my nipple REALLY hard. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being excruciating), I would say it's a fair 7.5, because it literally only lasts those few seconds, and anything else happening to the piercing would be numbed by either shock or a sudden rush of blood to the area. Especially compared to the nature of getting tattoos.


I was walked through the dos, don'ts, and was given a care package which comprised of a baggy of sea salt crystals and a plastic cup. On hindsight, I should have refused the plastic cup.


Aftercare included a saline bath of the area with said care package once a day, and avoiding shellfish, avoiding pressure/constriction of the area, and just keeping the area clean and dry in general.


We went to a concert after that, and this long day lasted until 2am, after we stopped at McD for some nuggets and a McFlurry.


FIRST WEEK

Literally the next day was mother's day, and we were celebrating at Grub by Ahong & Friends. The steak options were either too crazily expensive, or came with a salad that I'd probably not eat, and the other most interesting item and potentially not underportioned item was the lamb and clam stew.


So yes, I had shellfish THE DAY AFTER the piercing, but apart from some light bleeding which I assume is from doing housework, there wasn't much issues - no itching, aches: zilch.


The initial challenge is to find clothes that I could wear to work that wouldn't be TOO exposing because I decided to just go braless for the first week or so to give it ample time to heal before going back to bras and gym. My go-tos were mainly florals that acted as visual distractions.


I ran out of tops that I could wear without a bra underneath by 18/5, and got back to the gym the next Monday.


FIRST MONTH

During the 2nd week, the only issues were bra padding, cuz even when the bras were not tight, living in a humid and ridiculously hot country contributes to excessive sweating and the bra padding doesn't really allow any room for ventilation. And sometimes the padding pushes the nipple into a weird angle that isn't painful, but just mildly uncomfortable. And the only time I risk snagging and ripping on the jewellery is during showers when I'm trying to wash my back.


Other than that, going back to the gym and several other activities have been A-OK. I just had to make sure to give it a quick clean in the middle of longer/sweatier days (I use Avene Thermal Water) to reduce discharge build-up and hence risk of infection.


I also somehow managed to go to work braless for a few days with appropriate clothing without attracting too much attention to myself (though now that I think of it, it may have been quite obvious, but I suppose this would be an awkward topic to bring up).


Overall, it's been a fairly uneventful first month. Thankfully, I didn't go ahead to buy new clothes just for a new piercing, and I really can't wait to get my jewellery upgraded~

New piercing + chronology

Ever since I started secondary school, I've been pretty much interested in body modification, namely piercings and tattoos, which was why Miami Ink was my favorite reality TV show. Almost my entire family has a rather dim view of my interest, because as usual, society usually relates body modification to negative things like being a criminal or whatnot.


In this post, I'll be talking about my piercings only, since I have enough of them, and just got a new one. I only have one tattoo, so maybe I'll blog about it when I get my second one. =)

My ear piercings, as of October 4th, 2012. Left: my right ear - 3 lobe, 2 helix. Right: my left ear - 1 stretched, 1 lobe, and a conch.

I first pierced my ears during my first year of secondary school, in 2005, at Goldheart Mid Valley that charged extremely overpriced piercing services. The typical market price for ear piercings (gun only) in K.L. is about RM12 (approx. USD4) for a pair, inclusive of the studs (the inappropriate ones with the butterfly back) which are made of surgical steel.


My first pair of piercings cost RM75, which is more than 10 times the typical market price, and the quality as well as the jewellery were the same. Only the right piercing remained, the left one didn't heal and kept bleeding and whatnot so I let it close.


For the next few years, I got my piercings basically from the same place, which is Top One Silver at Endah Parade, somewhere near where I live. Each time I got a pair, which was about once a year, until I reached my second helix piercing, which I got one at a time. My left helix piercing closed up, also due to it not healing properly.


During my last year of secondary school (2010), I got a conch piercing on my left ear at Berjaya Times Square for RM15 (if I remember correctly), and started stretching my left lobe piercing.


I stretched my piercing using the retainer method - after a warm bath, while the flesh is still elastic from the heat of the bath, insert more than one retainer into the piercing. The first few were painful, the rest of the procedure was practically a breeze.


I had allowed my stretched piercing to shrink (no jewellery) in 2011, but restretched it using the same method in 2012.


And as of October 2012, I have a belly piercing. Not something my family will be proud about, but then again it is my body, and I'm not mutilating it to the point where I can insert a Coke can into my stretched piercing.


My target ever since I got my piercings were to get nine of them, because Uruha of the GazettE has nine piercings. Then I stretched one of the piercings for Ruki of the same band. I did consider a lip piercing for Aoi, but then it would be too "controversial" in the country that I live in. That's the same reason why I ditched my plan for yakuza-style tattoos.


As of October 3rd, 2012, I have 5 piercings on the right ear (3 lobe, 2 helix), and 3 on the left ear (1 conch, 1 stretch and 1 lobe), and a belly piercing. By adding the belly piercing, I shall have nine in total, albeit not all on the ears, but hey, it's better than getting a lip or brow piercing (which my mum strongly objects of).


Vivian and I went to Dragonfly Tattoo, Mid Valley for our piercing. We chose the location because one of our friend's got hers there, and it seemed safer and more professional. Dragonfly had always been a fascination to me, ever since I first saw it in the mall.

Pink curved barbell that came with the package.

We were greeted by a lady with three stretched piercings on one ear, and we were told that the piercing package is RM135/=, which covers the piercing service, the piercing stud, plus an extra stud, both which are curved barbells - one chrome, one colored (I chose pink, Viv chose purple).


Our piercer was a beefy bloke, and Viv went first. Where piercings are concerned, I love the results of having a new piece of jewellery. When it comes to the actual process, I'm worse than a kid in line for an injection. I'm a masochistic person, but only for the pain I inflict on myself, not pain that I can't control.


After Viv, I was up. I went to the back room, where the tattoos and piercings are done. The stud that was going to be my first piece of belly jewellery was disinfected, and all the equipment used on Viv were replaced with new ones.


My belly button was cleaned and disinfected, and scaled lines were drawn with a fuchsia Sharpie to position the piercing. I was expecting some sort of anesthetic, like the kind the staff sprays on your ear before the pierce it. None.


While my belly was being prepped, I was interrogated about my tattoo. I was asked to lie down, and I was asked to confirm that the needle that would be used is brand new. A pair of special tongs clamped my belly button skin, and I freaked out.

Photo credit: Vivian @ Instagram

I felt the needle, as well as the pain. From what I felt (I didn't dare to even let the process reach my peripheral vision), the needle was pushed up halfway, tilted slightly to align with the drawn lines, then pushed all the way through.

Taken the moment I got home. My new accessory. =D

There must have been something like a removable shaft on the needle, because I felt something being pulled out, then a bit of fiddling around later, my piercing was done. The pain wasn't unbearable, but it was the kind that I would have flinched at, a lot.


For the rest of the day, moving around was a pain. We walked as if we shat in our pants, and almost every movement was pain. Our first meal after the piercing, which was also our lunch of the day, was porridge with fried dough sticks.


Driving home was a torture for me - my jeans pushed up against my tummy, and that in turn pushed the barbell into an awkward angle, which, needless to say, caused pain. My first bath was alright, considering the fact that I washed VERY GENTLY around that area. I was even more gentle to that area than when I wash my new ear piercings.


It's the night of the second day of the piercing now, but everything is fine. There's less pain, but bending or stretching too much is still pain. My mum knows about it, but I try not to let her see it - she's stressed enough now as it is.


This is the end of my piercings post, and also my quest to get more piercings. Tattoos shall still be in my book of plans, though. =D


UPDATE
I just found out from Dragonfly Tattoo's blog that our piercing was done by Marcus.

4 birthdays in a day~

It's Yiee's, Jasmine's, Jay's and Google's birthday~! 生日快乐！お誕生日おめでとうございます! 생일 축하 해요!

The rather expensive yet not-so-nice cheese baked rice.

Camwhore shot before officially digging in~ XD

So we celebrated Jasmine's birthday today after our Intro to Business tutorial at Wong Kok, just as the restaurant opened. Ordered myself a beef cheese baked rice, which cost me RM15.10. Jessica, Sindee, Evan, Quinie, SuSu, Chien Min, Brian, Yevon, Cecilia, Jeanna and moi were the ones participating in the gianormous celebration.

Super-sized milk tea, signature of Wong Kok.

Gotta cut down on the expenses this week. That, RM12 for the "Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan for my mum, I've only got RM10++ left from RM50. T__T We got the super-sized milk tea because we ordered a total of RM30+. It was more ice than beverage, really, but I guess that's how lots of restaurants save on expenses - give ice instead of the drink they ordered. Two glasses of milk tea got me hyper by the time we got to English lecture.

Jasmine getting her henna design.

Jasmine and her finished henna design~

Before that, the birthday girl Jasmine stopped by the henna booth at the SLC bazaar to get some ink on her hand. Many of the designs were pretty, which has further tempted me to get a new tattoo. Anyway one thing's for sure, I'm getting some henna designs when I get married~


English lecture was alright, except for the part where we had to debate about whether the playing truant should be approached leniently or toughly. Being a communication student requires some open-mindedness and tolerance of others' words and behaviors at times, but everything has a limit.


It's no wonder I almost always stick to the exact same "gang" from primary school till university: when the person's opinion/personality clashes with mine, it's like trying to mix oil with water - you can mix it for a while if you stir the concoction, but once you leave it alone they separate.


Anyway, Vivian and Jeanna got their henna designs after English lecture, at which Ms Anitha let us out a tad too early. I sat with them while they got their designs, while I alternated between being an obnoxious random person at the music club booth, people-watching and reading Anne Frank.

Jason Phung, or as Maira and I like to call "Elmo". =D

Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to Jason, or I would prefer to call Elmo, because he does an uncanny mimic of Elmo's voice. He's part of the music club, and so far all I can gather is that he loves "Lucky" by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat.

Jeanna getting her henna design.

Vivian and her henna design~

Anyway Vivi and Jeanna washed off the henna paste cakes from their designs and went home, leaving me alone. I guess I could have just "lepak"-ed at the music club booth, but to be honest, I'm not really completely comfortable with them yet, especially now that I'm going through some mood-swings and emotional instability.

What my left ear looks like right now, and yes, you can see right through that HOLE.

A decision I've made, almost as quickly as I'd decided to do it in the first place - I've decided to let my stretched piercing close up, if that's even possible at this stage. Reason? Maintenance is getting extremely tiresome, especially when I already have 8 more to take care of. And that discharge you usually get with piercings - for the stretched one it's much more than average piercings.


So then I'll revert from one-step-closer-to-Uruha-and-Ruki to just one-step-closer-to-Uruha. Speaking of which I haven't done much visual kei make-up experiments recently. I haven't been touching much of my make-up at all, so to speak. I've even lost touch with liquid wing lining.

Pink tank top.

Blue ruffled-half-sleeve top.

This is completely irrelevant and quite old, but I'll post it anyway. I got two new tops at Giant, Shah Alam some time ago when my mum was there for a business meeting. Both were average RM25 (can't remember the exact price).