What began as a religious practice in the Aztec and Mayan cultures, tongue rings are gaining popularity around the world. Although there are a variety of tongue piercings and rings available, the traditional straight bar piercing is still the most popular.
Teens and adults with prior piercings often wonder if this style of tongue ring will be visible when they speak, if it will cause a lot of swelling, and if they will experience any eating problems after the piercing is done. To answer these questions, many search online and to make it more convenient, I have compiled the general answers in this article.
People also often wonder if the tongue piercing process will be especially painful and the very common question is “How much will piercing my tongue hurt?” This is difficult to answer because some people report that it doesn’t even hurt as much as an earring, and others say that it is the most excruciating piercing out there. Every person has a different pain threshold, so consider this: If it were completely excruciating, there wouldn’t be many people with tongue piercings.
How much will my tongue swell? Will people see my tongue ringing when I speak?
Immediately after the piercing, you are likely to experience a lot of swelling and this is the hardest time to hide the tongue ring. It will not be impossible to speak, but you may notice some difficulty in pronouncing words and sounds due to the swelling. Try this by eating or sucking on ice for a long time until your tongue feels numb, then try speaking. It’s not the same, but it might at least give you an idea of what to expect.
No matter where the tongue is pierced, the piercer must wear sterile titanium or stainless steel rings. Unfortunately, these are not clear or the color of your tongue, making them more difficult to hide. As soon as the piercing heals completely, you can replace it with a less obvious one. Tongue rings also come in different lengths. Users report that a shorter bar is easier to hide, but also keep in mind that dentists say that this type will cause more enamel damage because it is easier to hold between teeth.
Another option to hide tongue rings is to have the piercing as far back on the tongue as possible. This is not always the best technique because the placement of the ring is highly dependent on the location of the veins on your tongue. This is another reason to go to a qualified professional piercer – he or she will know (medically) where the tongue ring can go.
Many suggest that newly pierced teens and adults try to keep their mouths closed as often as possible and try to speak quietly so they don’t have to open their mouth as much.
Can I eat regularly after the ring on my tongue comes out?
No wonder here, what you need to watch out for is swelling. Although you may not feel much pain at the piercing site, the swollen size of your tongue can make it difficult to eat solid foods. Professionals recommend soups and soft foods like applesauce or mashed potatoes. Also, there is always the option of ice cream. The swelling will begin to subside in a few days and your tongue should return to normal in about a week.