Tongue Rings

Tongue piercings have dated back to the Native Americans. Aztec and Mayan Indians would have their tongues pierced to draw blood as an offering to god. In today’s culture, they are for looks and oral pleasure.

Tongue rings generally are the straight or curved barbell that are available in various gauges and have numerous ends that can be attached. Size of the tongue ring is very important with the amount of action that occurs in your mouth. If the bar is to thin it can slide up and down in the piercing and cause irritation. There is also the chance of chipping or cracking a tooth.

When you get a tongue ring, your tongue can be swollen for up to a week. In this time, it is best to take Ibuprofen and drink cold liquids such as milkshakes and slurpees. During this time, the tongue ring you are wearing will be much larger than the one you will normally wear to allow for swelling. Once the swelling goes down you will be able to put a much smaller bar in. It is recommended that you refrain from smoking, oral sex, and drinking from others glasses and bottles. They harbor bacteria and can cause infection. You need to rinse your mouth after eating or drinking anything with an alcohol free antiseptic mouthwash.

During the first six months, it is important that you do not leave the tongue ring out for more than an hour or so due to the tongues natural healing abilities. If you are taking it out due to a job, interview, etc you can replace your regular tongue ring with a clear acrylic one with flat balls instead of the more noticeable one. As long as the swelling is down and you are speaking normally, no one should be the wiser.

As with any body, piercing you should always shop around and check out the piercers. Ask friends and family members that have been pierced whom they went to and what their experience was like. If your new to an area or don’t know anyone who has been pierced, make sure their shop is clean, that they were gloves and change them with every customer, make sure they throw the needles away after each use, and sterilizes all other equipment. Cleanliness is an important part of choosing who you are going to let poke holes in your body.