Of all piercings, only nipple and genital piercings are more controversial than tongue piercings. However, if genital piercing is still considered mainly the lot of extreme people, then both adults and adolescents are increasingly deciding to insert an earring into the tongue. Having decided to acquire jewelry in the oral cavity, find out if such beauty will require too much sacrifice.
Tongue piercing: is it worth doing?
Pros of tongue piercing:
- simplicity and low pain of the procedure (when the tongue is punctured, the needle passes between the muscle fibers, almost without causing pain)
- the wound rarely becomes infected (the protective properties of saliva prevent infection from getting into the puncture)
- unusual sensations during kissing and oral sex (tongue piercing is considered one of the sexiest types of body modification)
Cons of tongue piercing:
- painful healing (after a puncture, the tongue swells up and can hurt for several days)
- danger of infection (if a puncture in the tongue becomes infected, this often leads to very serious consequences)
- the risk of disturbances in taste and the appearance of disturbances in diction
- risk of damage to tooth enamel due to jewelry
Tongue piercing can provide a kind of service to those who want to lose one or two extra pounds – during healing, taking solid food is difficult, for a while you will have to switch to eating yogurt and other liquids
Otherwise, the pros and cons of tongue piercing are the same as piercing any other part of the body: it is fashionable, attracts attention and … exposes you to the risk of contracting a variety of infections during the piercing procedure, including hepatitis C and HIV. In addition, piercing the tongue requires great care and high qualifications from the master: there is a high risk of hitting a nerve or a large blood vessel with a needle.
If you are determined to pierce your tongue, start by choosing a salon and a master. Take this seriously, don’t trust yourself to the hands of a friend or a dubious acquaintance who claims that he is the best piercer in town. Having chosen a salon and a piercer, look for reviews about them on the Internet, find out if the master has the necessary certificates, look through the portfolio.
When you arrive at the salon, do not hesitate to ask questions. Find out if disposable instruments are used here, how and what sterilizes everything that is intended for single use. The master must work in disposable gloves, his duties include informing you about all possible complications, the course of the procedure itself, and care for the puncture.
Even if you are confident in the qualifications of the master, do not carry out the procedure at home either with him or at home – it is difficult to comply with all the rules of asepsis and antiseptics at home.
It is advisable to eat before the procedure, because after the puncture the tongue will become very swollen and very sensitive – for some time you will have to sit on a forced diet. But alcohol is categorically contraindicated.
Carefully consider the selection of jewelry – it must be made of non-oxidizing metal. Surgical steel or titanium works best.
Piercing has certain contraindications – if you have problems with blood clotting, allergies to metals or antiseptics, diabetes mellitus, you cannot pierce your tongue. Postpone the procedure if shortly before it your existing chronic disease has worsened, the temperature has risen. Any infectious diseases, including a “harmless” cold, are also a reason to postpone a trip to the salon.
Soon after the procedure, the tongue will swell and become sensitive, more saliva will flow out than usual – do not be alarmed, this is temporary. However, solid, hot, spicy or acidic foods will be banned until almost completely healed, and this will take about 4 weeks. Diction will be impaired for some time, however, when the swelling subsides, it will become easier to speak. The farther the puncture is from the tip of the tongue, the greater the swelling.
Caring for the oral cavity after tongue piercing consists in regular gentle rinsing with antiseptic solutions. Note that the solutions must be specially formulated for mouthwash – skin antiseptics will not work.
For a while, you will have to give up alcohol and smoking – this can interfere with the healing process of the puncture. Passionate kisses will also have to be postponed so as not to injure the tongue.
How to get your tongue pierced
Until complete healing, refrain from oral sex, forget about the habit of gnawing on hands, touch the tongue and jewelry in it as little as possible
When the swelling subsides (usually it happens 7-10 days after the operation), you can replace the jewelry inserted by the master with a shorter and more comfortable one. It is better to contact a specialist for this purpose. If you are confident in your abilities, replace the barbell yourself – rinse your mouth, put on sterile gloves, gently unscrew the ball under your tongue and remove the barbell.
After that, insert a short barbell from top to bottom into the puncture and twist the bottom ball as tight as possible.
Check regularly that the parts of the jewelry are securely connected, otherwise you risk swallowing or inhaling them. If the swelling persists, the temperature rises, signs of inflammation of the puncture appear, consult a doctor immediately. Infection from a puncture in the tongue easily enters the general bloodstream, this can lead to the most serious complications, up to sepsis. If it is not possible to quickly stop the inflammatory process, get ready that the jewelry will have to be removed and the puncture will heal. After that, it will not be possible to make a tongue piercing again soon – only after the old puncture is completely overgrown.
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