Tongue Ring Guide: Piercings, Risks, and Care

Tongue piercings are a bold and fashionable way to express your personality, and they continue to be popular, both as a fashion statement and as a cultural or personal expression. Some heavy metal music videos feature boys or girls sticking their tongues out to show off their tongue rings. So are you also thinking about getting a tongue piercing like them? If so, there are some things you must know before you do so. Well, then keep reading. Gagabodys explains about tongue piercings , risks, and care instructions.

How painful is it to get a tongue piercing?

There is no doubt that any process of piercing the body with a sharp object involves pain. The first question many people ask before getting a tongue piercing is "Does a tongue piercing hurt?" The answer is yes. You have to know that the tongue is an important sensory organ of ours, with a large number of nerve endings on it, and any injury will be very sensitive, let alone piercing it. If it must be rated for pain, it is at 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-10. Of course, this is true for most people, but people with a strong pain tolerance will feel that it is not painful, so this is a subjective feeling and varies from person to person.

Tongue Piercing Procedure

Learn about the different types of tongue piercings

Before you get started you need to know what kind of tongue piercing you want. Midline piercing is the most classic and common type of tongue piercing. The specific location is on the midline of the tongue, usually about 1.5-2 cm behind the tip of the tongue. In addition to midline piercing, if you want something more personalized, you can consider the following types of tongue piercing:

• Snake Eyes Tongue Piercing : This is a horizontal tongue piercing that sits on the tip of the tongue and the two small beads on the end act like “snake eyes” when the barbell is in place.
• Tongue tie piercing: This is a concealed type of tongue piercing that is located under the frenulum of the tongue and is not suitable if the frenulum is too short or the tissue is too thin.
• Venom Tongue Piercing : It is often confused with Snake Eyes Tongue Piercing . Venom Tongue Piercing is two vertical piercings located on both sides of the tip of the tongue, like two snake teeth, so it has this interesting name.
• Horizontal tongue piercing: Horizontal piercings are usually made through the front or side areas of the tongue, usually not far from the tip of the tongue. The direction of the piercing is horizontal, not vertical, and often penetrates the side of the tongue tip, creating a bead effect on both sides.

Choosing a Professional Piercer

Professional piercers have dedicated studios instead of simple operating tables in shopping malls. Professionally trained piercers will plan the piercing location according to the actual situation of your tongue. They will avoid the sublingual artery and vein for you to prevent bleeding or nerve damage, which is very important for your safety.

After determining the piercing position, the piercer will mark it and then use a fully sterilized needle (usually a 14-gauge needle) to pierce it. The whole process lasts 3-5 minutes. A complete piercing will experience two strong pains, one during the piercing process and the other when wearing jewelry after the piercing is completed.

Risks of tongue piercing

If you Google the risks of tongue piercing you will find a scary list of dozens of potential risks that are daunting. The risks are real, but you know what Google does best, and they are not. Unfortunately the risks of tongue piercing include: infection, loss of taste, nerve and gum damage, and chipping or knocking out teeth due to accidental impact with the jewelry.

A survey of people with tongue piercings found that long-term wearing of tongue rings can have side effects on teeth, especially increased incidence of enamel cracks, enamel fractures and gum recession. In addition, it may cause a series of periodontal diseases, and the irritation caused by permanent jewelry in the mouth may also lead to frequent oral ulcers.

Obviously, there are some costs associated with wanting to wear a tongue piercing, and our role here is to make the side effects as minimal as possible. Read on for how to care for a tongue piercing.

How to Care for a Tongue Piercing?

We've covered the basics, but if you want to take better care of your tongue piercing, follow these tips:

• Maintain personal hygiene and avoid sharing drinks and eating utensils with others.
• Do not touch the pierced area, and if you must, wash your hands thoroughly.
• Replace your toothbrush with a new one and keep it clean during the healing period.
• Do not provide oral sex during the healing period.
• Rinse your mouth with warm salt water or an antibacterial (non-alcoholic) mouthwash after each meal or before bed.
• Avoid spicy and acidic foods, and quit smoking and drinking during the healing period.
• Make an appointment with your dentist every year to check your tongue and oral health.
• Pay attention to any unusual symptoms such as redness, swelling, bleeding, discharge, unusual taste, loss of taste, or fever and seek medical attention immediately.

What types of jewelry are suitable for tongue piercings?

After you have taken good care of it and have smoothly passed the healing period, you can start to choose the tongue rings you like. Although we call it a tongue ring, it is actually not a ring, but a barbell. When you choose these jewelry, we have prepared a detailed guide for you.

Material: Titanium is the best material for tongue piercing because its biocompatibility helps reduce the risk of allergic reactions. Implant-grade stainless steel and 14k gold can also be used as supplements, and importantly, they do not contain nickel.

Design: For tongue piercings, I highly recommend choosing a tongue ring that is internally threaded. This means the threads are on a separate little ball, rather than on a straight rod that goes through the tongue. This allows the rod to pass through the tongue more smoothly without causing extra irritation.

Size: When choosing a tongue piercing, consider the length of the rod. Everyone's oral structure is different, and the appropriate size is also different. You can consult your piercer about this. They will know which size of tongue piercing is suitable for your oral health.

Final Thought

A tongue piercing is a great way to show your individuality, but it still comes with some potential risks that require careful consideration and proper care. If you’re ready to try it, make sure you choose a professional piercer and follow the aftercare guidelines to wear and enjoy your tongue ring safely.