What is Tongue Piercing?
Wondering about tongue piercing? Or looking forward to getting it on your tongue but are afraid. Don’t you worry! Here is a complete guide for you which will answer all your queries and make you at ease of it.
The tongue is one of the most for-granted parts of the body as it brings many life pleasures for us. It helps us to taste things and speak beautiful words for our expressions. Moreover, nowadays its piercing helps to draw attention.
Types of Tongue Piercings
There are two main types of it:
- Midline tongue piercing:
It is located in the middle of the tongue. It is most popular among different types of tongue piercings. It depends on the location of veins in the tongue. Because of this, some people are unable to get their tongues pierced exactly in the center.
- Side Double tongue piercing
As the name shows, it is located either to the right or left of the idle tongue. This tongue piercing heals much faster as compared to other piercings. However, there is a complete procedure for this piercing that you should know before undergoing this procedure.
Tongue piercing fast facts
Placement: Tongue
Pricing: Its price ranges from $35 to $100.
Pain Level: 4-6/10.
Tongue Piercing Healing Time: Mostly it heals within 4-8 weeks.
Aftercare: For the care of the piercing on the tongue, rinse it two or three times daily with a pinch of sea salt. Avoid any activity that will cause any irritation, infection, or swelling. The time for its healing is 4-8 weeks so you have to be very careful about this.
Types of tongue piercings
The following are 7 major types of it.
- Frowny piercing
- Smiley piercing
- Middle tongue’s piercing
- Snake eyes tongue piercing
- Tongue Frenulum piercing
- Uvula piercing
- Venom piercing
Now let’s discuss each one of them in detail:
- Lip frenulum piercing (Frowny Piercing)
In this tongue Piercing, the thin layer of skin that joins your lower lip to your mouth is pierced.
This piercing is performed with a hollow 16- or 18-gauge piercing needle.
Its healing time is almost 4-8 weeks.
Jewelry suitable for this piercing is a curved barbell
- Lip Frenulum piercing (smiley piercing)
It is also piercing that is conducted through the thin layer of skin that joins the upper lip to your mouth.
Like frowny piercing, this piercing is also done with a hollow 16- or 18-gauge piercing needle.
Its healing time is 4-8 weeks approximately
The jewelry for this piercing is a Horseshoe ring.
- Midline Tongue Piercing
It is the most well-known and famous piercing
It is done in the middle of the tongue with the help of a straight barbell.
Unlike the upper two types, this piercing is done with the help of a hollow 14- or 16-gauge piercing needle.
Its healing time is also roughly 4-6 weeks.
The jewelry recommended for this piercing is Barbells.
- Snake Eyes Tongue Piercing
It is the piercing of the tongue that is conducted horizontally through the tip of the tongue.
This piercing is also done with the help of a hollow 14- or 16-gauge piercing needle.
The healing time of this piercing is 6- 9 weeks roughly
The jewelry recommended for this piercing is Curved Barbells.
- Tongue Frenulum Piercing
This type of Tongue Piercing is performed through the webbing, which is present underneath your tongue, that connects your tongue to the floor of your mouth.
It is done with a hollow 16-to-20-gauge piercing needle
Its healing time is almost 8- 10 weeks.
Jewelry recommended for this piercing is Curved Barbells
- Uvula Piercing
It is a horizontally vibrating tongue piercing directed through the uvula of the mouth.
The piercing in this location is performed with the help of a hollow 14- or 16-gauge piercing needle.
Its healing time is 4- 8 weeks approximately.
Jewelry suggested for this piercing is Captive Bead rings.
- Venom double tongue piercing
This type of piercing consists of two holes in the tongue at its sides.
The location of these holes is in the middle and tip of the tongue.
Sometimes it is considered as a side tongue piercing.
This piercing is done with the help of a hollow 16-gauge piercing needle.
It takes about 4-8 weeks for healing.
Jewelry suitable for this piercing is Barbells and Curved barbells.
Styles of Tongue Jewelry
The most common jewelry used for a tongue piercing is a straight barbell.
Usually, the tongue is pierced by a 14-gauge needle and at the start 7/8” barbell is inserted.
Then, as soon as your wound heals you can replace the starting barbell with a 5/8” barbell.
Besides barbells, you can choose studs with a bead backing after your wound heals. It looks adorable and stylish.
What jewelry material is used for a tongue piercing?
- Implant–grade stainless steel
It is the most commonly used material used for tongue piercing. Mostly it is harmless for all but people who are allergic to nickel should avoid this. As the nickel present in it may irritate their skin.
- Titanium
It is safer than stainless steel as it does not contain nickel. So, people who are allergic to nickel can also wear them easily. Like stainless steel, it is also found in different colors and styles.
Both these materials are lightweight, have different colors, and do not corrode.
How much does the tongue piercing hurt?
The tongue looks like a sensitive part of our body but in actual it is less painful to pierce in the tongue as compared to other parts of the body. When an expert does the piercing, you feel the pain just like a little pinch.
However, the actual pain starts after tongue Piercing as the tongue is an essential part of the body that you can’t set aside for some days. So, whenever your tongue moves it pains and sometimes may also swell a little. But this pain doesn’t last long as the tongue heals itself with great speed.
Tongue Piercing Healing Process
Mostly it takes about 4-6 weeks for the tongue piercing to heal. Its speed of healing is so fast that even if you don’t wear jewelry in the piercing, it can close in a matter of hours without jewelry.
Although the tongue can heal itself very quickly, there are lots of other facts that makes this piercing painful. So, you must know the aftercare tips of this piercing.
Tongue Piercing Aftercare tips
As you know the tongue is always exposed to several kinds of bacteria that your saliva harbors, present in your drinks or food, and anything that is in touch with your tongue. So, you need to take extra care of your mouth and tongue. Given below are some important tips for you to prevent and also get rid of tongue Piercing pain as soon as possible.
- Conduct a sea salt mouth rinse
Rinse your mouth with sea salt 2-3 times daily. Salt is one of the greatest natural wonders. For this purpose, simply mix one cup of warm water with ¼ teaspoon of non – iodized salt. Put it in your mouth for a couple of minutes and you will feel a great difference in pain.
In addition to that, several saline aftercare products can also be used for the aftercare of piercing. But keep in mind that the saline solution you use should only consist of sterile water and sodium chloride.
- Eat soft food at the beginning of tongue Piercing healing
After piercing your tongue will maybe quite sour and swell. You might not be able to chew something hard. Also, the starter jewelry will be difficult to accommodate on your swelled tongue. So, try to take soft food for some days until your tongue becomes used to the piercing and its swelling goes away.
- Keep a sea salt mouthwash and a toothbrush with you.
You should keep mouthwash and brush with you because after every meal you need to clean the debris of food left in your mouth. However, if it is difficult for you to brush properly in public places then at least you should take a quick rinse after every meal.
- No Alcohol or cigarettes
Alcohol and cigarettes are dangerous for anybody’s health. But especially in the case of tongue piercing both can cause infection and make the healing process of piercing slow. Therefore, try to avoid them as much as possible.
How do I clean my tongue?
As your teeth require two times brush daily same in the case of the tongue. The tongue Piercing also requires regular cleaning. You can do it with the help of a good mouthwash. Do the rinsing after every meal you take. In addition, don’t touch your piercing to reduce the risk of infection.
Risks and Side Effects
Mostly tongue piercing is safe and sound but yes it has risks too. Some of the major risks of it are listed below
- The first risk, shortly after piercing, is the infection of a wound
- Sometimes the person may also develop serious infections like Abscess. This type of infection needs intravenous antibiotics.
- Can cause damage to teeth and gums.
- Gums may recede on the inside of the mouth.
- May cause a rare type of disease that occurs under the tongue which is called Ludwig’s Angina.
- One can have choking or injury to the throat after accidentally swallowing the jewelry
- If the piercer does not use a sterilized needle the diseases like Tetanus and HIV can be transmitted
- In very rare cases infection can be spread to the blood or other organs.
- Sometimes the body rejects the tongue Piercing which can also cause further complications to the person.
Treatment and Home Remedies
In most cases, tongue piercing does not need special treatment. For its care, it’s enough to rinse it with a saline solution twice a day. But some other methods can help in speedy healing.
- Rinsing the mouth after each meal to avoid any stay of bacteria in piercing.
- Brushing your teeth twice a day to keep the mouth clean
- Quit smoking if you are a smoker
- During the first few days try to speak less
- Don’t touch the piercing
- During early healing avoid contact with other people’s bodily fluids like kissing etc.
- Don’t share toothbrushes, straws, and any other things that are directly in contact with another person’s mouth.
- Don’t treat an infected piercing at home. Go to a doctor for consultancy.
When to visit a doctor after tongue Piercing?
- If there are symptoms of infection, such as pain, swelling, fever, and swollen glands in the neck you should immediately visit a doctor
- You should prepare for this thing that infected piercing does not improve within a few days. It takes time and frequent checkups.
- Sometimes the piercing begins bleeding consistently which only a doctor can stop
- Pus may come out from the piercing which may be of green, yellow color with bad smell.
- Swelling of gums may also happen which need proper treatment
- Sometimes piercers can also help with home remedies that could give you relief.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.no.1: How long does it take for a tongue piercing to heal?
Ans: The piercing on the tongue generally takes 6-8 weeks to heal but in some rare cases, it can take 6 months to 1 year. It depends on the health basics of the person. Moreover, the person should consult his piercer about the time of tongue Piercing healing, swelling, and cleaning routines of the mouth before taking any step. If a person suffers any type of infection, then he should contact a doctor until his wound will heal completely.
Q.no.2: When can I change my tongue ring?
Ans: You can change your ring when your piercing is healed completely. If you change it before the time, you can risk infection or your piercing could close up. This healing period is very important and it should be managed seriously with all precautions.
Q.no.3: How much does tongue piercing hurt?
Ans: Usually, it is not much painful but it depends upon your pain tolerance. You should take soft foods and avoid piercing sites while eating something. Also, avoid touching your piercing.
Q.no.4: How much does a tongue piercing cost?
It usually depends on the area and expert from where you get your piercing. It may vary from place to place.
Q.no.5: How much does the tongue piercing jewelry cost?
Ans: There is a variety of jewelry depending on the style, texture, and material. It may range from some hundreds to several dollars.
Q.no.6: Why shouldn’t I get a tongue piercing?
Ans: When someone asks this question, we recommend you to take professional advice. Not every piercing is for everyone and that’s ok if you don’t want to do this. If you are satisfied with your professional advice then go ahead.
Q.no.7: How to pierce tongue at home?
Ans: We do not suggest you this step. As it may cause complications and infections.
Q.no.8: How do I care for my tongue piercing?
Ans: You can ask aftercare from your piercer and you can also find information on our blog too
Q.no.9: Can men wear tongue piercing too?
Ans: Yes, men can because tongue jewelry doesn’t have a gender
Q.no.10: Can I get an allergic reaction?
Ans: Yes, it is possible to have allergic reactions which result in
- Rash
- Redness
- Bumps
If you get any of these allergies it means you should change your jewelry and contact a tongue Piercing professional. Be sure about the jewelry material before inserting it into the piercing to avoid any allergies.
Also Read a detailed guide about nose Piercing and for more trendy topics visit here.
Summary
So, this was all about the tongue piercing. We hope that everything is now clear to you. For people who take all the necessary and precautionary steps for piercing, it is safe and sound to have a piercing. It also heals quickly and causes no serious complications. Although it may hurt for a few days and may swell for some days, these are the normal signs.
If you have severe pain, long-term swelling, or some trouble while talking and eating then these things are not normal and need to be treated as soon as possible. If anyone is facing such difficulties after tongue Piercing, he should visit immediately a doctor and follow proper recommendations.
