My friend and I had ours done the same week, at the same parlor, by the same guy. It didn’t hurt at all, really, neither of us could feel it. For about a week afterward, we couldn’t eat solid food and it hurt to talk, but after a few days, it was fine. We both used the same mouthwash (Biotine — HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) and we both had similar “oral habits” — i.e. we both smoked, ate similar foods, etc. But as it turned out, hers became infected. It wasn’t a disaster, just a little gross. Mine never became infected and I’ve had it about a year. If you decide to go for it, here are some tips:

GO TO A PROFESSIONAL. Seriously… having your buddy pierce your tongue is a terrible idea. There’s a nerve that runs under your tongue, and if you don’t know what you’re doing, you could hit it.

TAKE CARE OF IT AND JUST DEAL WITH THE PAIN DURING HEALING. I was super-hungry, but I knew eating solid food would irritate it. (Although that didn’t always stop me; I ate pizza immediately after getting it done: Bad Decision) Try not to talk too much during healing, and definitely don’t touch it… that should go without saying, but just in case. 🙂 Rinse with Biotine Mouthwash after everything: every drink that isn’t water, every cigarette, every kiss, every meal.

DON’T DRINK! At least not until it’s healed. Think about it like this: There is an open wound in your mouth. You’re soaking it in alcohol. Ouch.

All in all, I would say go for it. It’s definitely not my favorite piercing, because, let’s be honest here: it gets in the way sometimes. My mother abhors it, and so did my boyfriend at first. It’s generally regarded as at least a little trashy-looking, but unless you sincerely care what other people think about how you look, that shouldn’t bother you at all.