How Do They Pierce Your Tongue?

Before the Piercing

Most piercings done in a reputable parlor will follow a set of steps that ensure a quick, clean procedure with as small an amount of pain as possible. Piercers that relate to customers well and are secure in their craft find themselves with lots of repeat business. A good piercer starts by establishing a positive relationship with the client immediately by conveying information in plain language and offering honest answers.

Before someone gets a piercing, most shops will tell the client the fee for the procedure, along with jewelry costs. The piercer will then ask the client to sign a contract that also asks for medical information; this knowledge keeps both the piercer and client safe in the presence of any transmittable disease, disorder or other problem. The client will also have to surrender I.D. that shows that he is over 18 years of age in most states; people under 18 must have a parent or guardian sign the consent form. After all paperwork is completed, the client waits to enter the piercing room for the procedure.

During the Piercing

When the client goes into the room, she will be seated in a chair to wait while the piercer sets up. The reason that the piercer doesn't set up earlier is so that the client may see the sterilized equipment removed from its sealed packaging, along with any sterilization measures taken. The piercers will ask where the customer wants the tongue piercing placed, and will draw a little dot on the tongue to show where it will be. If the client doesn't like the placement, the piercer will move it.

Next, the piercer will give the customer some mouthwash to gargle, which cleans out the mouth and kills bacteria. After that, he may insert some cotton wads to soak up extra saliva. The tongue is then clamped down to isolate the section being pierced; this minimizes pain and keeps the tongue still while the needle is going through.

The piercer pushes the hollow needle through the tongue, inserts the jewelry into the new hole, and the procedure is done. Parlors will usually give clients a copy of aftercare tips to follow, and may offer a cleaning kit for an additional fee.

Tongue Piercing Aftercare

To keep the piercing clean and expedite healing, the client should gargle with full-strength gold Listerine mouthwash every hour and a half for about 10 days after the procedure. Following that, gargle with a less harsh mouthwash. After another 10 days, it's fine to return to normal hygiene habits.

It's best for your tongue, and pain tolerance, not to eat overly spicy, salty or acidic foods with a fresh piercing. Soft foods are less likely to jiggle and disturb the fresh, open wound in the tongue, so take it easy at dinnertime. Avoid alcohol, especially in the first 72 hours, and keep some cold on the tongue to lessen swelling. Ice water or cubes will work fine for this. Tongue piercings heal pretty quickly as long as the client follows these easy procedures.

References

• BME Zine: Tongue Piercing Procedure
• Body Pierce Canada: Tongue Aftercare