Five Things People Ask About My Tongue Piercing

I know this post won't be everybody's cup of tea; piercings aren't for everyone and I'm totally fine with that! I just thought this might be quite an interesting post for anyone considering a tongue piercing, as well as a light-hearted way of sharing my experience. Just to clarify, I don't mind people asking about my piercings at all and I'm happy to answer questions (although I do mind comments like, "That's disgusting!" - Well you're rude and it's none of your business...).
I have a double tongue piercing, also known as venoms, which I've had for about 18 months now; my experience with the piercing itself was great - the girl who did the piercings was friendly, professional, put me at my ease, and didn't seem to mind being dribbled on. Although I guess that's a given if you're going to pierce people's tongues for a living..?
Did it hurt? | Yes. Yes, it hurt. I had a large, hollow needle stuck through my tongue, and then a stainless steel bar fed through the hole - twice. It is genuinely the most pain I have ever felt - and I've broken bones. My tongue swelled massively around the piercings and although I heal quickly, it took around three weeks for the swelling to go down completely. It stopped hurting after around a week though; I took Ibuprofen for the first couple of days to help with the pain and swelling, then after that I just got on with things!
Doesn't it stop you eating? | If you knew me, you'd know that it'll take more than a couple of bars through my tongue to stop me eating! It took me a few days of eating very slowly to get used to eating without biting the piercings (and let me tell you, that hurts!) but since then they've not caused me any problems with regards to food. Same goes for talking; it'll take more than this to keep me quiet!!
What about your teeth? | Looking after my teeth is important to me, so I've done my research and wear acrylic balls on my piercings, so they're not hard enough to damage my teeth. It does mean the balls are a little bigger than steel ones I had when I first got the piercing (they have to be bigger to be drilled without cracking) but I got used to that within a couple of days. Steel piercings in the mouth can damage the teeth, and failing to keep the piercings properly clean can also cause problems, which is why I remove them regularly to give them a proper wash.
Why not just one? | I wanted my tongue pierced for as long as I can remember but never really got round to it. I'm not sure when I "discovered" venoms but as soon as I saw them, I loved them and knew that was the piercing I wanted! Obviously it's a personal preference issue here; some people have no piercings, others have dozens. I happen to have two in my tongue. I guess it comes down to wanting something a little out of the ordinary - I know loads of people with tongue piercings, but very few with two!
Aren't they annoying, in your mouth all the time? | In a word, no! I barely even notice them anymore. I usually describe it as being like when you have a filling or a tooth out; it feels weird for the first day or two, but then you just sort of stop noticing that there's anything out of the ordinary. It's like that for me! It was the same when I had my lip pierced; it felt strange for a day or two, but now I don't even know it's there unless I'm thinking about it.
Do you have any piercings? Do you get asked about them? Is there anything you'd like to know about tongue piercings? I'm happy to answer any questions you might have!

xo