Horizontal Tongue Piercings AKA Snake Eyes- A Bad Idea, Every Time

So you want a horizontal tongue piercing? For those that don’t know, horizontal tongue piercings are piercings that pass through the tip of the tongue, sometimes called scoop or snake eye piercings. They look kinda cute right? Tiny, petite little beads on the tip of your tongue, something new and unique. Unfortunately, the side effects of this piercing are less then cute, which is why we don’t offer them here. Horizontal tongue piercings can cause such issues as gum erosion, chipped teeth, and lisps when talking. There’s a reason we haven’t been doing them before now, and that’s because they aren’t safe. When the mouth is closed and the tongue is at rest, the tip sits directly against the back of your front two teeth (go ahead, try it). When you put hard jewelry there, that pressed directly into the gums. Over time, that can wear them away. And once your gums are gone, they don’t come back. Also, when talking, certain letters and sounds require running your tongue over your teeth (TH-, L- S- sounds in particular). With a piercing at the tip, that means smacking your teeth with metal as you talk- a good way to end up with a chipped tooth, or snagging and tearing your piercing. Beyond that, the tongue is actually two separate muscles, connected by tissue. When these piercings are done they can often end up binding those two muscles together, and preventing them from working independently. This can lead to a lisp when speaking, and issues chewing and swallowing food.

The good news is a set of vertical tongue piercings on either side of the tongue can give a similar look, safely. As opposed to going horizontal across the tongue, these are two separate piercings that go vertically through either side. This way they don’t touch your teeth or gums, don’t rub or catch while you eat or talk, and because they are pierced with a straight barbell, you have many more jewelry choices then the curved barbell used for a horizontal.

Don’t other oral piercings carry the same risk? No, they don’t! A traditional tongue piercing or pair of them is pierced so they don’t contact or rub the gums and teeth. Labret, Monroe, and Philtrum piercings (piercings through the lip) are pierced with the clients gum and tooth anatomy in mind. Once healed a small disc is worn that, when the piercing is placed correctly, won’t rub, catch or snag. Cheek piercings, once healed, are downsized into smaller barbells that prevent rubbing or catching. None of the traditional oral placements, carry the same level of risk as the horizontal tongue piercing (although they do carry some risk, which is why a good piercer and good dental hygiene is important!)