Tongue piercings are popular among many young people. You might be surprised that tongue piercing is much older than you thought. A proper placement for tongue piercing is generally about five-eighths of an inch from the tip of the tongue. You don’t want it too close because it will rub up against your teeth and gums, which may cause lots of problems.
Tongue piercing is a beautiful way to beautify your mouth, adding nice jewelry to your tongue.
Keep reading to learn more about tongue piercing.
What Is a Tongue Piercing?
A tongue piercing is a type of body modification where a hole is pierced in your tongue to put on jewelry. There are different types of tongue piercings.
Types of Tongue Piercings
Midline Piercing
The most popular placement for a tongue piercing is along the midline, which uses a straight barbell pierced vertically through the center, right between the two muscles that make up the tongue.
Double Piercing
A double piercing, often referred to as a venom, uses two straight barbells next to each other and pierced vertically through the tongue.
Frenulum Piercing
This goes through a little web of skin under the tongue. This particular type of piercing won’t be visible unless you lift up your tongue. Some piercers refuse to pierce tongue and mouth webbing, citing it as an unfit piece of skin to support a piercing.
Horizontal Snake Piercing
This piercing, which you most likely have seen on social media like Instagram or other media sites, uses a straight barbell to pierce horizontally through the tongue towards the tip, with the balls resting on either side of the tongue.
The problem with this piercing is twofold: the balls rest against your teeth and will likely hit them a lot, increasing the chance of biting down on them. This also puts you at an increased risk of dental damage.
As mentioned earlier, the tongue is made up of two muscles. Not only does the piercing go through both muscles, but it also attaches them together via the bar, resulting in restricted movement of your tongue and potentially pulling or tearing those muscles.
Pain
Most people who have gotten tongue piercings will often say it’s the least painful piercing they’ve had. However, pain tolerance varies. Many people describe tongue piercing as feeling like a pinch.
Healing
Tongue piercings tend to heal quickly. During the healing process, you will experience a lot of swelling. You’ll want to avoid drinks like citrus and spicy foods to prevent irritating the fresh piercing, as this can cause additional swelling and extend the healing process.
After getting your tongue pierced, you’ll feel soreness in your mouth. The swelling mostly disappears after about four days, and healing takes about 4 weeks.
Cost of Piercing
The cost depends on the jewelry you choose, your location, and the shop/piercer you select. A tongue piercing typically costs between $50 and $100, which includes the piercing and jewelry.
Side Effects
Swelling
Swelling occurs in the area where your tongue was pierced, often lasting for several days. This is due to the activity happening in your mouth.
Infection
Infection happens when bacteria find their way into the freshly pierced tongue. It is usually a sign of poor aftercare. If you experience excessive swelling or symptoms beyond normal swelling, it may indicate an infection.
Do’s
- Wash your mouth two to three times a day using a sea salt water rinse or non-alcoholic mouthwash.
Don’ts
- Do not eat spicy food, drink citrus beverages, or consume hot or sour food, as this can cause irritation to the piercing.
- Avoid alcohol.
- Avoid using straw because this can cause it to swell more
- Avoid dairy this can stay on the tongue and may cause bacteria to develop.
