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Tongue piercings are one of the most popular piercings today and thus the source of most questions and misinformation. Contrary to popular rumors, your tongue will not lose sensation, bleed forever, fall out, rot or never contract. You also may not get cancer because of the jewelry, or have to quit smoking forever (although reduced nicotine intake during healing helps). The risk of inhaling the jewelry and puncturing the lungs is also an extremely unusual event (Of all the thousands of tongues we have pierced, we have never heard of a single case).To our knowledge, there is very little historical data on permanent tongue piercings, although companions of certain Hindu cults are known to insert decorative arrows through their oral tissue, when under trans-like conditions. These are for ritual purposes only and are not worn as permanent jewelry. The Maya Indians are also believed to have practiced ritual piercings.
The modern tongue piercing, which consists of a barbell (rod), through the middle of the tongue, saw its birth about 30 years ago and in recent years has exploded in popularity so much that it has the status of a fashion necessity. Tongue piercings are generally placed vertically in the middle of the tongue, in front of the tongue string (frenulum linguae) which attaches the tongue to the bottom of the oral cavity. The placement is made between the two muscles that make up the tongue. Many people think that it is a very painful procedure to pierce the tongue, but most of the feeling you have in the tongue is along the edges of the tongue (at the muscles). In the middle of the tongue where the piercing is done, you do not have as much feeling at all.
Alternatively, pairs of tongue piercings can be performed, with a rod on each side of the center placed through the muscles. These are alternatively called snake bites or venoms, both with references to the snake's bite and teeth. As these pass through the muscles, they are more sensitive than the usual placement and should not be considered a regular tongue piercing.In general, it is recommended not to pierce the tip of the tongue with a ring, as there is a greater risk of problems with wear, loosening and tooth damage.
Initial healing jewelry is generally a straight barbell of 1.6mm or 2.0mm.Rings are not recommended for healing as they are not compatible with the swelling and can cause tooth damage.The length of the rod is longer initially, to allow swelling and can be changed to a shorter rod after the healing time (about 4-8 weeks). Our rods have unscrewable balls at both ends, so it is possible to replace only the rod. In the same way, you can buy balls separately if you would like a different color or shape later.The tongue is usually very easy to stretch, so an enlargement of the hole is an option after healing. As with all stretching, it should be done gradually - not faster than one size a month, preferably slower.
General care instructions for all Oral piercings:Oral piercings often heal quickly and easily, often between 6 - 10 weeks, provided you take care of them. Jewelry can be changed after healing or on the recommendation of your piercer, but should never be removed during healing even for short periods. These piercings can grow very quickly without jewelry in, sometimes in just a few minutes! This is especially true of tongue piercings. If you like your piercing, make sure to keep the jewelry in. Swelling - You can expect your piercing to be very swollen for several days, the swelling goes down gradually over about a month. By sucking on ice cubes and drinking ice water, you help the body keep the swelling down and soften the feeling in the mouth. Keep your head high, preferably with double pillows when you go to sleep, and try not to talk too much. Avoid blood thinners such as aspirin, alcohol and other stimulants as well as things that make your heart beat fast. Try to avoid straws and pipes, as sucking can cause bleeding and extra swelling. Eat what feels comfortable, but try to avoid spicy, sour or hot foods during the first week, as they can be very irritating to your piercing.To allow swelling, the length of the healing piece of jewelery is always longer than the piece of jewelery that can be worn when it has healed. Once the swelling has subsided and the piercing has healed, you can change to a shorter rod or smaller diameter of ring. If you wear too much jewelery, it can risk chipping your teeth, irritating the gums, scar tissue or other oral damage. However, be patient! By changing to less jewelry too soon, you can cause more swelling and prolong healing. Wait until you are healed or consult with your piercer.
Cleaning - Every time you have eaten, drunk or smoked, you should rinse your mouth with water (hot or cold). Some people prefer saline solution, but it's a matter of taste. This cleanses the mouth, relieves any pain and helps healing as you rinse off any irritating things. It also reduces the white secretion that normally accumulates around the hole and also removes residues from smoking.
Use Mouthwash morning and evening, we have different to choose from and you can find them HERE. Stronger mouthwashes (eg Listerine) are too strong and should absolutely NOT be used.
SMILEYThis piercing is located in the frenulum string that is centered on the inside of the upper lip. It heals very quickly and is relatively painless.It is best suited for people whose upper lip retracts when you smile, so that you show both teeth and piercing, which draws the eyes to the smile.
The smiley has a tendency to migrate and many perceive it as "just falling out" after about 1 year. This is partly because the tissue you pierce is very thin, and partly because everything in the world pulls down sooner or later, thanks to gravity. This process is usually painless.
This piercing is usually performed with a BallClosureRing of 1.2 or 1.6 mm, placed so that the ball rests just below the gum line between the front teeth. It can also be made with jewelry and sizes that are not as visible.
As with most other piercings, this piercing is anatomy dependent, which means that not everyone can have a smiley.
The risks of this piercing are gum erosion and can lead to caries due to wear and tear on enamel and gums.
TOUNGEWEBThis piercing is placed through the frenulum string on the underside of the tongue and is located at the base of the oral cavity, behind the teeth in the lower jaw. How strong a string you have varies enormously from person to person. Some have a strong string that goes next to the tip of the tongue, while others have hardly any visible string at all.
The healing for this piercing is quite short, 3-5 weeks, provided you take care of it properly.
Initially, we place a BCR in this piercing, but size and thickness vary from customer to customer.