Piercing is not just a decoration for the face and body, but part of a subculture, a certain code with which you can establish a person’s membership in a particular social group. By piercing specific parts of the body, a guy or girl shows his attitude to various moral and ethical issues. For many people, piercing is also a way to have fun, as well as attract attention, arouse interest in oneself, and even shock others.
Tongue piercing is a specific type of body modification. Few people decide to do it because of the pain of the puncture procedure, as well as the characteristics of the puncture area. A foreign object in the mouth can interfere with normal speech, eating, and oral hygiene. The healing process after a piercing is also complex and takes longer than in other parts of the body.
Why is piercing so popular - why do girls and guys get their tongues pierced?
Piercing is a special type of body modification that requires preparedness for the fact that not everyone will understand and appreciate it.
It is impossible to definitively answer the question of why people pierce their tongues. Everyone has their own motivation. Psychologists identify the following reasons why a person may decide to have their tongue pierced:
- Beauty . It looks pretty impressive. A barbell, crystal or bead seems attractive to many. Rings, dumbbells, labrets, and nails with precious stones are also used for jewelry.
- Tribute to fashion . Young people strive to keep up with fashion trends. This is a great way to emphasize your belonging to a certain social class.
- The desire to be like a music or movie star . This inheritance is especially common among teenagers and young people under 25 years of age. This is a time of self-discovery, numerous experiments with appearance.
- Showing courage . Sometimes boys and girls pierce their tongues in an effort to prove to themselves that they are capable of doing this. Often even parents and friends cannot dissuade you from such a decisive step. This is a kind of provocation. It is especially evident among freaks. Their bodies are literally covered with piercings, jewelry, and tattoos. Their goal is to shock others, shake up society with their unusual appearance, and make a statement.
- Some people find this pleasant . During the procedure, a person experiences a rush of adrenaline, especially powerful emotions. Some literally get pleasure during the next puncture.
- Sexuality . A pierced tongue focuses attention on the oral cavity. This is a hint of intimacy. Many claim that this enhances sensations during kissing and oral sex.
- Entertainment . Some people do it for fun, for fun. The feeling of having a foreign body in the mouth is pleasurable. Some people like to play with the decoration, rolling it around and fidgeting with it in their mouth.
Stories of girls who decided to get their tongue pierced - why they took this step, what mistakes they made during healing and care, what the piercing looks like now:
Can we say that in the last few years people have become more active in doing intimate piercings?
Anna: “Yes, that’s definitely true, I think it’s due to the general emancipation and development of the sex industry as a whole.”
Mikhail: “The frequency of requests for certain punctures has a sociocultural background. As soon as an opinion leader talks about such a mistake, there will immediately be more posts on them. Word of mouth works the same way: it is enough for one client to receive pleasant emotions from a puncture, his close circle will know about it, and among them there will definitely be those who want it - a chain reaction will not be long in coming.”
Photo by Gleb Albovsky, unsplash
What are the consequences and dangers of tongue piercing?
Getting your tongue pierced is quite painful, and the location of the procedure is unusual. The oral cavity is constantly involved in the process of chewing food and talking. You need to be prepared for the fact that you will not immediately get used to a foreign body appearing on such a delicate part of the body.
At first, diction may suffer, discomfort may appear while eating, and it will be difficult to brush your teeth and tongue. A wound on the tongue takes longer to heal than wounds on other parts of the body.
Photo of an inflamed pierced tongue - such consequences are not uncommon with piercings
Types of punctures
There are several types of tongue piercing:
- Vertical . It occurs most often and is performed from the bottom up. There are holes on the bottom and top of the tongue. It is customary to insert a long rod with different shaped attachments into the resulting puncture.
- Horizontal . It is performed more often at the tip. The puncture direction is horizontal.
- Tip puncture . It is preferred by those who want the accessory to be as noticeable as possible. Often a ring is inserted into the hole.
- Frenum piercing . This type is performed much less frequently. Not everyone can do it due to the individual structure of the frenulum.
- Double and multiple punctures . They are located in different directions. A paired puncture on both sides of the tongue looks good.
Photo gallery showing different types of tongue piercings:
Vertical piercing
Horizontal puncture
Barbell in tongue
Multiple pair puncture
Frenum piercing
Tip puncture
The meaning of piercing
Piercing is a form of modification of any part of the body with soft skin tissue in order to insert jewelry there. Thus, the individual wants to emphasize her beauty and receive aesthetic pleasure. They use such decorations as labrets, rods, tunnels, studs and rings, but that’s not all! The most common facial piercings are eyebrow, lip, nose and tongue piercings. Piercings are also done on the navel and private parts of the body. The very concept of “piercing” can imply both the piercing process and the hole itself. Below are photos of tongue piercings and other types of punctures.
How to pierce the tongue
Professional piercing
Tongue piercing can be considered a relatively safe procedure, provided it is done by an experienced professional. People who have decided to take such a step say that the feeling is approximately the same as with a regular injury.
You can do the procedure in a specialized salon, beauty salon, or beauty clinic.
Tongue piercing includes the following steps:
- Disinfection of the oral cavity with a special solution. The master must wear gloves. The procedure is performed with a sterile needle (disposable).
- The technician determines the puncture site and secures it with a clamp.
- The tongue is pierced (from bottom to top).
- The rod is inserted. It would be better if it was titanium. This material is well accepted by the body and is not rejected. First, a longer rod is inserted, since the specialist takes into account that the tongue may swell. Later it is replaced with a permanent one.
If the puncture is done correctly, there will be little or no bleeding.
How to do a tongue piercing in a salon - tips from a master on caring for a piercing:
Is it possible to do it at home yourself - what are the dangers?
Professionals categorically do not recommend doing piercings at home on your own; unprofessional tongue piercing is fraught with complications. The tongue has many large vessels and nerve endings. It is important to know exactly the areas that are relatively convenient for puncture. Moreover, not every master is able to successfully carry out the procedure. This requires experience, knowledge of anatomy, and mastery of technology. You need to know exactly how the language works and take into account its constitution.
Only a professional will be able to choose the most convenient place for the puncture, the decoration in which will not interfere with conversation or eating.
Who and when is not allowed
Sometimes piercings can lead to serious complications and even death.
Direct contraindications are as follows:
- Chronic skin diseases (dermatitis, furunculosis, acne, rashes). If you make a puncture on the affected area, ulcers will appear that will not heal for a long time. They become easily infected. Sepsis may even develop. Later, the wounds can turn into large scars.
- Age . Piercings cannot be done before the age of 15. This is still a child’s body, which is difficult to tolerate damage. Children's tissues become heavily scarred, and injuries can cause immunosuppression. Children are only allowed to have their earlobes pierced (by professionals only).
- Heart disease . The procedure in such patients provokes a heart attack. Even subconscious fear is very dangerous. It provokes a colossal surge of adrenaline. Because of this hormone, the heartbeat accelerates several times. If you have a heart defect, the septum is too thin. It is easily damaged. The patient experiences severe heart pain and even loses consciousness. Sometimes such patients die from rupture of the heart wall and cardiac arrest.
- Kidney failure . It doesn't matter how heavy it is. The issue again is possible stress. Adrenaline can suppress adrenal function. This will provoke an exacerbation of insufficiency.
- Gastrointestinal ulcer . Stress worsens the condition of the gastrointestinal mucosa. The wound can provoke an exacerbation of the ulcer.
- Oncology . With cancer, all the body's forces are thrown into an unequal fight against cancer cells. You shouldn't load it even more.
- Neoplasms of the mammary glands (fibromas, adenomas, fibroadenomas). Due to stress, immunity decreases. It is extremely dangerous in such a state. The neoplasm can develop into malignant.
- Dental diseases (stomatitis, periodontitis, chronic periodontal disease). With such diseases, the oral mucosa becomes irritated. The puncture will become an additional irritant.
- Bronchial asthma . Stress during the procedure can trigger an asthma attack. It can be quite heavy.
- Pregnancy . Any damage can provoke stress and tissue infection. At such an important moment as pregnancy, it is better not to subject the body to additional stress. Remember that stress can cause miscarriage! It is better to postpone the procedure until the baby is finished breastfeeding.
- Lactation . The injury causes stress, which can cause a woman to lose milk. In addition, the body is weakened after childbirth. It is better to go to the salon a couple of weeks after breastfeeding ends.
- PMS . Premenstrual syndrome is a difficult period during which the female body undergoes changes. His hormonal levels change, the girl is weakened and experiences strong emotions. Piercing at this time is fraught with hormonal imbalance, and the growth of cancer cells is even possible in the tissues of the uterus and mammary glands.
- Menstruation . The body is weakened, hormone levels change. There is no need for stress at this time. It can damage the genitourinary, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal systems.
- Allergy to a number of metals . An extremely unpleasant situation in which the body begins to reject the inserted metal jewelry. The puncture literally rots and a rash forms around it. It will heal over time, but will leave a noticeable scar. To check if you are allergic to any metals, you need to visit an allergist.
- Problems with gynecology . Stress worsens all diseases, including gynecological ones.
- Inflammation of the genitourinary system in men . The mechanism for the development of exacerbation is the same as in women. The trigger point is stress, the release of adrenaline.
Temporary contraindications are also any inflammatory processes. If you have ARVI, flu, colds or an acute form of any disease, you first need to treat them, and then start tuning your appearance.
Contraindications
Tongue barbell piercing (you can choose a product in any specialized store or salon) has a number of contraindications for which it is not recommended to perform a piercing.
Main contraindications:
- Exacerbation of chronic diseases. The introduction of a foreign object into the mucosa can lead to the development of complications against the background of the existing pathological process. Refers to infectious or cold diseases, in the presence of which piercing can aggravate the course of the disease.
- Diseases that affect blood clotting. Incorrectly performed piercing can lead to the development of particularly dangerous complications for the entire body.
- Pregnancy. This is explained by the fact that during pregnancy, it is especially important to avoid any risk of infectious or bacterial contamination. Neglecting a contraindication can cause irreparable harm to the fetus.
- Presence of allergic reactions. The presence of certain allergens, as well as individual intolerance to the substance in the jewelry, can contribute to the rapid development of severe symptomatic manifestations, including anaphylactic shock.
Experts do not recommend piercing the tongue if the patient does not have free time for regular care of the mucous membrane, which includes the process of rinsing and washing the wound. If a person does not take care of his oral cavity, he may develop suppuration or inflammation of the upper tissue structures.
Tongue piercing in most cases requires adulthood or special permission from a parent. The absence of such a rule may indicate low professionalism of employees, so it is better to choose another establishment.
Caring for the puncture site: dos and don’ts after the procedure
How to care for a pierced tongue immediately after the piercing procedure during the initial healing stage:
- Accept that in the first days the wound may bleed and be bothered by excessive sensitivity. This is normal for the first period.
- To relieve swelling, drink ice water. You can keep the ice in your mouth for a while. It will become easier. To avoid frostbite in the mouth, use small pieces.
- Don't smoke, don't drink alcohol, don't drink a lot of coffee, avoid French kissing, oral sex. Avoid chewing gum. Don't play with the decoration yet.
- Eliminate spicy, salty, sour, and hot foods for a while.
- Whitish mucus may be discharged. If it's not pus, there's no need to worry.
Further care is as follows:
- Before each cleaning, wash your hands thoroughly with soap, preferably antibacterial. Apart from cleaning, do not touch the wound yet.
- In the first days, you need to rinse your mouth with an alcohol-based, fluoride-based rinse (4-5 times after meals and before bed). The duration of the procedure is 1 minute.
- Clean the wound with sea salt twice daily. Then wash it with antimicrobial soap. But don't do this procedure often.
- You need to dry the puncture correctly. Do not wipe it with a bath towel. To do this, use a disposable napkin or paper towel.
Possible complications
If the operation was performed poorly, the tongue will be very sore after the piercing. Signs of an inflammatory process (redness, severe swelling, itching) will begin to develop on the surface of the soft tissues. Healing of the wound surface will occur slowly.
Complications after piercing:
- heavy bleeding;
- infection of the wound surface;
- pain while eating, swallowing or communicating.
If negative consequences develop, an emergency visit to the doctor is necessary. Treatment of the inflammatory process consists of treating the wound surface with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory solutions. Your doctor may also prescribe antibacterial injections.
Decoration selection
It is important to choose the right decoration. There are different types of earrings. Most often, a barbell is inserted. It helps the wound heal and fits perfectly into the hole. In a jewelry store you can really choose a barbell to suit every taste.
For side piercings, half rings are used; they have a bead-shaped tip. For a fresh hole, this decoration is ideal.
Immediately after the puncture, a large earring is inserted (length - 16-22 mm). The bar must move freely inside the canal, since after the puncture the tongue will swell.
At first, the hole clamps should be large so that they do not slip into the channel. Then you should choose something sophisticated. These can be figurines, pearls, flies. The bottom lock should be comfortable.
About the advantages and disadvantages
Tongue piercing has its supporters and opponents, who cite pros and cons.
Pros:
- if there are no contraindications, the procedure is quite simple;
- the pain is slight, as the professional passes the needle between the fibers;
- if the rules are followed, the wound rarely becomes infected, and saliva kills part of the infection;
- When kissing and oral sex, additional sensations are guaranteed.
Most often, a puncture is done not because of, but in spite of, the following reasons:
- youthful maximalism - you want to declare yourself and contrast your person with society, to shock;
- tribute to fashion;
- the desire to experience new sensations when kissing, intimate intimacy;
- desire to emphasize their belonging to informal youth movements.
Minuses:
- It takes a long and painful time to heal, the tongue swells significantly, and the pain does not go away for several days;
- you can get infected;
- taste sensations and diction are impaired;
- jewelry can damage tooth enamel.
How long does the procedure take?
The tongue piercing procedure technology includes 3 stages:
- Preparation . Before the wire, the puncture site and decoration - a banana earring or barbell - are treated. To do this, the client rinses his mouth with a diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide for 5 minutes. At this time, the decoration is immersed in a disinfectant solution for 15-20 minutes.
- Puncture . The specialist marks the location of the future piercing, guides the tongue with a tongue holder onto the chin and pierces the tongue from bottom to top with a needle and inserts a polyethylene barbell earring 18-19 mm long with the expectation of future swelling. After the puncture, the client should rinse his mouth again with a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water.
- Healing . Includes piercing care and replacement of jewelry with jewelry 14-16 mm long.
Tongue piercings have both pros and cons.
The advantages include:
- simplicity and painlessness of the procedure;
- due to the protective properties of saliva, infection in the wound is minimized;
- unusual sensations during kissing and oral sex.
The disadvantages of a puncture include:
- swelling and prolonged wound healing;
- violation of diction, taste, tooth enamel;
- before the wound heals, you cannot eat hard, hot, spicy, salty and sour foods;
- there is a high risk of contracting infections from hepatitis C to HIV during a puncture;
- There is a risk of the needle hitting a nerve or blood vessel, which can lead to health problems and even death.
Together with selection, preparation for the procedure and puncture, the tongue piercing procedure takes no more than 20-30 minutes.
Showroom price
The cost depends on the status and pricing policy of the place where the piercing will be performed. It's better not to choose the cheapest offers. Having your tongue pierced in a decent piercing and tattoo salon will cost at least 2000-3000 thousand rubles. In a beauty clinic, the cost starts from 6,000 rubles.
Whether it is necessary to pierce the tongue, everyone decides individually. You shouldn’t chase fashion or try to prove something to those around you. This type of body modification is very controversial and specific. It won't suit everyone.
Before you pierce your tongue, you should consider all the pros and cons of this step.
