Wednesday September 10th, 2008 @ 7:23 AM
Filed under: Tongue
My friend got his tongue pierced. Everything was completely sterile and the ring is through the middle of his tongue. The piercer didn’t hit the veins on either side of his tongue and it looks great. The top hole is about an inch from the tip of his tongue, further back in his mouth then the bottom. I know this is further back then normal, could it have caused the bleeding. But two days after he got it pierced he woke up in the morning and there was alot of blood in his mouth. It was thickening up around the ring where I guess the body tried to slow the bleeding. At first he was freaking out. Now the bleeding eased a little about an hour to hour and a half after he woke up but were wondering what it could be from. It was only bleeding from the top and there was a little bit of dried blood on the bottom. I have been piercing for 6 years and I can’t say I have seen this happen. It did not bleed the first day and he only bled a few drops during or more so right after the piercing. He took Aspirin the first night after he got it done because it was all he had and he has been using a mixture of generic Listerine and water. Then once or twice a day he rinses with salt water. The night before he woke up with all the blood he was eating Chinese food. I only mention this because I know some meat tenderizers can irritate oral piercings. He came to me for advice but I’m not sure what to tell him aside from take it out. But I don’t want to say that if this is something that happens sometimes. Could it be because of how far back the top hole is even though the bottom hole did not hit his veins or webbing? Or could it be from him taking Aspirin? Please try to answer soon. Thank you.
I’m assuming you mean bar rather than ring, right?
If it hasn’t bled excessively until then, then I wouldn’t worry too much. It could very well be that he had an ‘orally active’ dream (I don’t want to know the details!) and coupled with taking aspirin - which is an anticoagulant and a pretty dumb thing to take after having a piercing - that could be behind the nocturnal bleed. Also, did he have an alcoholic drink (or three) with his chinese meal?
The thing with bleeding is that a little blood always looks like alot. Try telling a woman that the average amount of blood loss during a menstrual cycle equates to approximately six teaspoons and she’ll shoot you a look that will cut you in half faster than a guillotine! With bleeding, if it doesn’t appear to be slowing down after 20-30 mins, that’s when you potentially have a problem and should seek medical advice. If the piercing is well-placed and the bleeding has stopped then advise him to heal as normal (and ditch the listerine - this won’t be helping as it contains alcohol which also thins the blood, not to mention the fact that it really is far too harsh for an oral piercing). If he continues to get frequent bleeds then ask questions. Ask questions about his lifestyle and habits etc and don’t rule out the possibility that a vessel may have been nicked during the procedure. Use his answers to make a judgement call as to whether you think it best to remove the jewellery, let it heal and pierce at a later date, differently placed.
+13 / 13 votes 
Loading ...
Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | Comments
Wednesday September 3rd, 2008 @ 11:33 PM
Filed under: Tongue
For some time I’ve been considering a tongue piercing to be my next mod. After finally having decided to give it a go I wondered if it would be possible to have it done somewhat angled to the back of the mouth to let the top be more hidden. What is the optimal angle to pierce the tongue.
I also have my tongue web pierced. Should I let it die for the sake of my tongue piercing or can they coexist?
Thanks!
Different piercers have different takes on the best angle for a tongue piercing. It’s also important to keep in mind that there are very few absolutely certainties when it comes to piercing. As everyone’s body is somewhat different, there are exceptions to almost every “rule”.
I personally prefer to do piercing straight up and down most of the time. My reasoning is this:
When you do a tongue piercing straight up and down, it will still lean back slightly when your tongue is in your mouth, due to the shape of the tongue. If you do the piercing at an angle so the top is further back, the jewelry will rest at even more of an angle when your tongue is in your mouth. The potential problem with this is that the the bottom ball will then be more likely to rest/rub against you lower gums. Rubbing/friction/trauma typically leads to damage to the gums and can even lead to some bone erosion.
While this may not happen to everyone, it is a real risk, and one that I try to help my clients avoid as much as possible.
+11 / 11 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 2 Comments
Wednesday August 27th, 2008 @ 2:51 AM
Filed under: Tongue
Ok so my aunt has this like 2 acre natural lake. and i just got my tongue pierced about a week and a half ago (it’ll be two week when i am at the lake). so my question is do you think it will bother my piercing if i go swimming for a few hours in this lake that all these fish live in and dogs swim in and people swim in?
Realistically because your tongue is in your mouth, and when swimming in a lake like that, you should be keeping your mouth closed. Swimming should not pose many problems for you, in regards to your piercing specifically.
Just keep your mouth closed and don’t swallow/fill your mouth up with the lake water and don’t go licking any fish, dogs or people that are in the lake with you.
+19 / 19 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 4 Comments
Saturday August 2nd, 2008 @ 9:42 PM
Filed under: Tongue
i have a tongue piercing. but school doesnt allow me to have it.
i’ve tried not wearing it at school(8-10hrs) but when i got home,it hurts to put it in. i guess it’s closing.. and now it’s a little sore and swollen.
is it ok for me to keep taking it out for long periods of time and put it back in? i think i’m hurting the hole cause when it’s closing i sort of force it through again.
fyi, i’ve had it pierced for a year and a half.
Mashing jewelry back in after long periods of time isn’t going to be very good for your piercing. You’re going to cause little tears in the fistula, risk infection and inflamed scar tissue.
If you can’t have a tongue piercing visible at school for dress code reasons, consider buying a clear retainer to switch in and out.
+9 / 17 votes 
Loading ...
Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | 2 Comments
Thursday July 31st, 2008 @ 2:08 AM
Filed under: Tongue
hi. this is the second time im submitting a question because the first one wasnt replied.. perhaps i didnt explain myself properly? anyway, i hope you reply.
my tongue was pierced 1 yr ago. and im still studying. a change of teachers…. well.. long story short, i cant wear it. a typical school day for me is around 8-12 hrs.
so i took the stud out for around 12 hours..
when i reach home, i found that the hole is closing up. and i had to force my stud in. and when the stud is n the hole, it’s really tight, like it cant move properly. and it keeps hurting.
i did this for almost a week.. every single day, stud out for 12++ hours, in for 4-5 hrs.. and my healed piercing keeps hurting because i keep forcing the stud in.
each time it’s closing, i force the stud in. im real worried that it’ll get infected and such..
my question is, will it? is it bad for the tongue?
Your tongue hurts so my question is: “What does common logic dictate to you?”
Of course taking it out and cramming it back into the tightened up pathway is not an ideal thing to do, and the potential of infection is there if you’re not careful.
If its an issue involving the metal look in your mouth, try a quartz glass retainer to wear while at school. They can be autoclaved and used for longer periods of time then the plastic retainers.
That would be a lot more ideal then taking your jewelry out every time for school and forcing it back in, once school is over. And you can get the quartz glass in clear so its visually hard to see inside the mouth.
+16 / 22 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 1 Comment
Monday July 28th, 2008 @ 4:17 PM
Filed under: Tongue
this is my second question.. sorry about using up two post but i forgot to ask another question..
is there a chance that my tongue wont heal up if i did not wear the stud? or it depends on the individual?
my friend can not wear her stud for months but her hole is still there.. i go without it for a few hours and i have to *force it through* cause it’s really tight?
is it true that the hole wont close up at all?? i heard that it’ll simply tighten.. so you can sort of pry it back open again?
Again, everyone’s going to be different. Some people CAN wear their jewelry out for years without having a problem sliding the jewelry back in. Some people have matter of hours, even minutes before the piercing closes right up. “Prying” the hole open isn’t going to the be the best idea.
I think you need to really decide if you’re sure you want to take this piercing out!
+5 / 7 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | Comments
Monday July 28th, 2008 @ 4:13 PM
Filed under: Tongue
i pierced my tongue roughly about a year ago.. everything has been going well until now, my boyfriend wanted me to take it out because it he doesnt like it.
im ok with this decision but first i need to confirm a few facts …. if i decide to re-pierce it next time.. can i choose to have it through the *same old place*? i heard from friends that it will hurt alot more that way because of the scar tissue.. will it??
second question, i have superbly sensitive skin. i cant even pierce my ears without infection.. it still amazes me till today that my tongue piercing is so successful, maybe it’s luck?? but however, is tongue piercing really that dangerous?? i’ve heard so much horror stories about it.
cheers and thanks in advance ^^
You could definitely re-pierce your tongue in the same spot as before. The pain factor of doing so is completely personal and there’s no way to say that piercing through your scar tissue will hurt more than the first time while other people don’t feel a thing.
If you wore a tongue piercing with no problems, it could be that you’re wearing exceptionally low quality earrings.
People don’t treat their ear piercings the same way as they do other body piercings. Wearing the same low-grade metal earrings and not washing them daily can cause irritation. Not to mention pitching jewelry into the bottom of a purse or jewelry box and popping it back in without disinfecting it can cause irritation as well!
Tongue piercings aren’t really dangerous when they’re pierced correctly and maintained carefully by the wearer. Wearing appropriate sized jewelry and not playing with it in your mouth will save your teeth!
+2 / 6 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | 1 Comment
Friday July 25th, 2008 @ 11:29 AM
Filed under: Tongue
Hi,
I have want to get a tongue piercing since the longest time ever. I already have an eyebrow & navel piercing. The eyebrow piercing was done by a professional. I did my navel piercing by myself and did not have any problems with it! I also did my own ear piercings which I also did not have any problems with it. I have 4 piercings in each ear. I was wondering if I could pierce my tongue (self-piercing)? I know that its daangerous and the disadvantages, but Im willing to risk it. I recently bought a Professional Piercing kit for the tongue (which includes the needles). I examined my tongue to see where the thicker blood vessels are. They run along the undersides of my tongue on the right and left side. I was wondering if I could do the piercing in the middle of those blood vessels? because there is a skin line that seperates the left and right side of my tongue. I have done a lot of research and I have seen YouTube videos to get an idea of where exactly is the best part of the tongue to get the piercing. If anyone can help me, I’ll be very HAPPY!
I think that if you were bound and determined to pierce yourself, you could certainly put a needle through your body and fill the hole with jewelry.
But body piercing isn’t always that simple.
First and foremost you’re going to need to have some sort of grasp of cross-contamination prevention which is something that takes professional piercers a lot of practice to grasp and utilize in their procedure. There are bacteria on your hands right now that could potentially kill you if you managed to introduce it to an open wound in your body. Piercing kit or not, you still need to understand how to use that equipment properly.
What kind of jewelry do you get in a piercing kit? How do you know it’s the right size for your tongue and that it will allow for swelling?
Tongue piercings can start to swell immediately after the needle is passed through. If you’re not quick and accurate with the jewelry transfer, you’re going to swell up even more and the jewelry won’t fit.
You said yourself you know it’s dangerous and you know the disadvantages. I think this is one for your piercer to do for you. Exact placement is going to vary from person to person and besides what you’d see in pictures, I’m not going to be able to tell you where you should place yours.
+15 / 15 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | 2 Comments
Thursday July 24th, 2008 @ 3:23 AM
Filed under: Tongue
Since I am turning 18 in August, I have been going through my options of which piercings to get done first. I have been running the idea of getting two off-centre tongue piercings (venoms), but I have heard from various people that this can be alot more dangerous than a standard centered tongue piercing. Is there more risks involved with getting venoms?
Besides common risks of any tongue piercing (bleeding, swelling, bruising, tooth/gum erosion, infection, etc) “Venom” piercings shouldn’t pose a higher risk than “standard” or centrally placed tongue piercings if done by a skilled piercer.
He or she will need to examine your tongue to avoid the thicker blood vessels which you can see that run along the undersides of your tongue. Some piercers will opt for different angles in the underside placement of the piercings to avoid piercing through the vessels (which would cause you some serious bleeding)
Ask to see portfolio pictures of other similarly placed tongue piercings when choosing your piercer.
-1 / 1 votes 
Loading ...
Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | 1 Comment
Thursday July 10th, 2008 @ 6:34 AM
Filed under: Tongue
Hello,
I went to a piercing parlour today wanting to get my tongue pierced. I went in and the guy had a look at it and told me that I can’t because of an atery and that he can pierce it in a slanted way or risk doing it. The worst he said was that my tongue MAY have this really huge keloid on the tongue and there will be alot of bleeding after I get it done. Now, I’m fine with bleeding. I actually wanted to become a medical examiner so that type of stuff doesn’t scare me. What bothers me is the “may or may not” part. I said I still want it because he wasn’t 100% sure that would happen but he didn’t want to risk it and he didn’t want to deal with alot of blood. Do you think it’s okay to get a tongue piercing even though there’s an artery in the way? Can I still do it slanted? Or should I just forget about the whole thing?
Thank You,
Athena
Firstly, I deeply doubt it is an artery. More likely a vein running down the centre which is relatively common. Veins are visible as blue vessels because they carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart. If hit it will cause a bleed-out which is messy and time consuming for the piercer and can cause marked, instantaneous swelling. Also, any movement in the bar can cause it to bleed again. The healing time will also be lengthened because the body has the additional issue of having to control the bleed before it can progress onto the next stage of the healing process. Piercing it at a slight angle will avoid hitting the vessel but it can cause hypertrophic (raised) scarring due to more pressure being put on one side of the piercing. I would accept that this piercing is not for you and opt for something else, afterall, what’s the point in having a piercing if you cannot have it done perfectly.
+13 / 19 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | 1 Comment
