Tongue Piercing: What to Expect When Taking the Plunge

Thinking of getting a tongue piercing but unsure of whether it’ll fit your lifestyle? Here’s a few things you should know:

Before Going Under the Needle:

Tongue piercings are done with a hollow piercing needle and a pair of clamps. Many people say that they hardly felt their piercing being done, but for some the discomfort is on par with regular body piercings; it all depends on the individual tongue. Regardless of ouch factor, everybody gets a swollen tongue afterwards, which may impair your ability to easily enunciate certain words or eat certain foods for a short period of time.

Even though there are tons of rumors flying around the internet about horribly botched tongue piercings, most of them are entirely based on hearsay. For example, there’s no record of a tongue piercing EVER killing a normal healthy person just because it was done in the wrong spot, and it’s not common for people to never be able to speak properly again either. For the most part, a tongue piercing is completely safe as long as you go to an experienced and reputable piercer.

After Going Under the Needle:

Because tongue piercings will come in contact with everything that enters the mouth, they need to be cleaned often while healing to prevent infection, and there are a number of oral aftercare rinses available to make cleaning after meals easy. Also, because the tongue is known to swell after initial piercing, the jewelry you’ll be pierced with is extra long to accommodate, and will need to be changed out later for a barbell of shorter length.

According to persons with tongue piercings, you’ll definitely be aware that there’s a foreign object in your mouth, especially at first, but resisting the urge to play with your jewelry while the piercing is healing goes a long way towards alleviating any discomfort. And keep in mind, everyone is different, but even once it’s healed up completely, removing your tongue ring for a while may cause the piercing to begin closing up, which can make it difficult or even impossible to reinsert jewelry later.

Generalisms:

Although it’s seldom discussed out in the open, the piercer is going to be really close to your open mouth, which means that they’ll appreciate good oral health. They are going to have to smell your breath, so be thoughtful enough to brush your teeth beforehand.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask the piercer questions both before and after getting pierced. As licensed professionals, they’re there to help, and are more than happy to give insider aftercare advice.

Fun Facts:

In online polls, persons with pierced tongues agreed that spaghetti pasta was the most difficult food to eat with a new tongue piercing.