The piercing itself is not much worse than biting your tongue...it's about an inch further back where you don't have nearly as many nerve endings...so you'll feel pressure and a pinch.,...then it's done... The initial swelling lasts about two weeks...during that time you should wash your mouth with 50% diluted mouthwash after every meal, kissing and smoking...you also should avoid friction like crunchy foods and oral sex for the first week... The barbell you will have placed at first will be very long, this is to accomodate the initial swelling...be patient as it becomes very annoying as the swelling goes down...you may find yourself biting it or catching it on a fork...this will be about the time you can change it to a shorter bar... your piercer is usually more than happy to do this for you if you feel like you can't just be aware that body piercing is NOT a regulated industry...ask around and go to a shop where people have had good experiences...also be aware that you can buy body jewelry anywhere...places like beauty supply stores and mall shops (ie: Claires) are guilty of selling poorly made jewelry...you want to avoid silver or steel and look for jewelry that is surgical stainless steel, titanium, niobium, gold etc...this is a piercing that remains moist so you don't want nickel or poorly polished jewelry keeping it from healing correctly... I worked as a buyer for a company called Hot Topic, you can find the store in most malls and they have a website...and the jewelry they carry usually fits the bill...we only bought what we were willing to put into our own bodies...good vendors like "tears of the moon" and "cold steel"...although it's not packaged sterile...it can be done in a shop in about two hours for a small fee Again, this is a completely UNREGULATED industry, and outside of SOMETIMES having an apprenticeship, there is no required training and no standard method or techniques....watch every instrument come out of sealed packages, watch for gloves to be changed after touching anything away form the actual surgical cart...and ask for written aftercare instructions with a number to reach them for questions if there are any problems....any good piercer will be proud to follow up on their good work! so choose your shop wisely and let us know how it goes! xxxbecca

i want to go get my tongue pierced next weekend is it painful how long does it take to do when and if i have surgery will i haev to removed and when will i be able to place it back in

Heya! Welcome!

They look great! What a cool idea. LB

Thanks guys for your input. I'm wanting a pinup on my lower back (most likely a Vargas, but I'm looking at some Elvgrens and DeVorss' too) Most of my weight is in my belly and thighs, so I don't really know that getting it on my back will be an issue. I'm not really sure about placement, either. The one I really like is at: http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Varga-Girl-Posters_i847714_.htm (Hope that link works)