How to Use Barbell Tongue Rings

Change to a shorter barbell four to six weeks after your initial piercing.

Tongue barbells are not actually rings but rather straight pieces of surgical stainless steel with a threaded bead on either end. The most common size for a barbell worn in a tongue piercing is 5/8-in. in length and either a 12 or 14 gauge, which refers to the thickness of the jewelry with smaller numbers denoting larger gauges. Piercers initially use bars that are too long, which allows the fresh piercing to swell without the beads becoming embedded in the tongue. After four to six weeks when the piercing is healed, you can change to a shorter bar.

Things You'll Need

• Surgical stainless steel barbell
• Antiseptic mouthwash
• Antibacterial soap
• Paper towels

Instructions

1. Wash your new jewelry for 3 minutes with antibacterial soap and hot water. Lather the soap in your hands, and rub the barbell between your palms. Dry it well with a clean paper towel.

2. Unscrew one bead by twisting it clockwise. Set the bead aside, leaving the other one attached to the barbell.

3. Rinse your mouth for 30 seconds with antiseptic mouthwash. Spit it into the sink, and rinse your mouth with water if you prefer.

4. Insert the barbell from above, sliding it gently through your piercing until the bead rests on the top of your tongue. You should see the open end just barely sticking through the bottom of your tongue.

5. Grasp the tip of your tongue with a clean paper towel. Use the towel to press on the top bead and hold it firmly.

6. Insert the threads of the bead you removed into the open end of the barbell. Twist counter-clockwise until it is tight. Give both beads a twist to tighten them and secure them firmly in place.

Tips & Warnings

• Always purchase internally threaded barbells, which have the screws on the ends of the beads rather than the ends of the bar. Although internally threaded jewelry is slightly more expensive than the externally threaded variety, it is of much higher quality. You can irritate or tear a new piercing with the threads of an externally threaded barbell.

• If your piercer has autoclave-sterilized your jewelry before selling it to you, you do not need to wash it first. However, be sure to wash your hands well with antibacterial soap and dry them with a clean paper towel before touching the barbell or your piercing.

• If you are unsure of the gauge of your tongue jewelry, ask your piercer. Attempting to put a 12 gauge barbell in a 14 gauge hole will stretch the piercing and cause swelling.

• Downsize your barbell as soon as your piercing is healed. Leaving in oral jewelry that is too long increases the risk of damage to your teeth and gums.

• Never put jewelry in your body that has been in another person's body, no matter how clean it looks, how well you know them or how well-healed your piercings are.

References

• Tribalectic: Common Body Piercing Sizing Information
• Body Piercing Guide: Tongue Piercings
• Pacific Body Jewellery and Piercing: Tongue Piercing Aftercare

Resources

• Association of Professional Piercers