So you want to get your tongue pierced?  But you have a lot of questions, right?  Where should I go?  What should I expect?  Will it hurt?  This is exactly where you should be looking to get those very answers.

The first you thing you should do is research the piercing salon.  It should be sanitary and safe and the piercer should be willing to show your any and all health code records.  If they are unwilling, get out of there fast! If you decide to get a tongue ring, price should not be a factor.  NEVER choose a questionable salon just because the price of a tongue ring is cheaper; it’s so not worth it.

On the day of your appointment, eat a good meal before going to get your tongue ring.  It’s a good idea to eat pasta or other grains because they are so filling.  After getting a tongue ring, some people say they cannot eat much solid food right away.

When you arrive at the salon, the employees will have you fill out some paperwork.  They will ask you to provide some information, as well as provide idea to ensure that you are old enough to get a tonue ring.  At this time, you will also pay.  After that, it is time to pick out your new body jewelry. There will likely be lots of body jewely to choose from, but they will probably limit the tongue rings you can use for the piercing.

After you select your new tongue ring, the piercer should take you to a clean and sterile environment, usually will a chair or a table to lay on.  During this time, the piercer should absolutely be wearing gloves.  Also make sure that the needle and other tools come in a sterile package.  They will mark your tongue with a marker after they find a spot on your tongue that will not cause nerve damage or excessive bleeding.  This is another reason to go to a trained professional; he or she will have been educated in the anatomy of the tongue and know how to perform the piercing safely.

The next step is to place a clamp on your tongue after the piercer has ensured that you like the location.  The clamp sort of looks like a long pair of scissors with two circles on the end where the needle will pass through.  Unlike piercing guns (used primarily on ear lobes), the tongue ring itself is not actually used to pierce the tongue.  The piercing is done with a hollow surgical grade needle.  This is a tool that should come in a new, sterile package.  Your piercer will hold out the clamp and push the needle through your tongue.  This is the part many people expect to hurt.  Although you shouldn’t expect it to be painless, many report that the clamp itself is more uncomfortable than the needle and actual piercing.

After the needle has punctured the tongue, it’s time to insert the tongue ring.  First they will remove the bottom ball, then put the end inside the hollow part of the needle.  This makes it easy to actually insert the body jewelry. The tongue ring will stay inside the tongue after the piercer removes the needle the rest of the way.  After that, the piercer will screw on the bottom ball and wipe away any blood or spit.  Next you should receive instructions on how to clean and care for your new tongue ring.

The process of actually piercing your tongue should take no more than five minutes.  Most tongue rings are 3/8″ but they may use a longer tongue ring to allow for swelling during healing.  You tongue will take between two and four weeks to heal.  At this time you can change your tongue ring to one that expresses your personal style.

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