What is the purpose for under tongue piercing? Get more insights and information on the pain level, healing time, risks such as bump and infections. We have explored on aftercare, price, and pictures.
under tongue piercing
Under Tongue Piercing Purpose
The tongue web, or sometimes known as the tongue frenulum is a thin tissue that normally connects the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. A tongue web piercing perforates this thin tissue.
The perfect news is that since the webbing is very thin it do not carry several blood vessels that implies it do not tend to bleed so much or even cause much pain.
It is also the perforation of the tongue web (also called frenulum), that small flap of the tissue that normally attaches the underneath of the tongue directly to the floor of the mouth. The tongue web piercing is not much noticeable unless you lift up the tongue.
An uncommon style of under tongue piercing, you may give it a try given the frenulum is prominent much enough. It is also called frenulum piercing or the tongue webbing piercing.
When it comes to the under tongue piercing, caution has to be taken as there are two very important glands that you may not want to damage. The glands normally serve the purpose of delivering saliva to your mouth.
Saliva is usually used to assist keeping the mouth enough moist, serve as a natural lubricant and is per-digestive fluid for the food. If you puncture the glands there will not only be increased pain but you may lead to a permanent damage.
In most cases the glands may shut down or even become blocked, causing further complications and a heavy doctor’s bill to boot.
Under Tongue Piercing Pain
Under tongue piercing do not also involve any numbing that implies that you may inevitably feel a lot of pain. Pain is although much subjective, with different people reacting to it much differently. Even then, most of the people find the level of pain that is related with under tongue piercing rather very minimal. This is especially very true given the fact that the lingual frenulum have very few nerve endings.
Piercing of the delicate tissue layer that is below the tongue may be very painful. Not most people are very comfortable with the jewelry that is sticking out from the tongue web. Do not get worried if the pierced area tries to swell or even becomes tenderer as it occurs with any piercing.
It is also expected that you might feel some pressure as the clamp holds on to the tongue frenulum during the under tongue piercing process and that can make it feel a bit uncomfortable.
Other than the momentarily pinch as the needle and the jewelry goes through the piercing, you are not likely to have anything more than just a small tenderness as the piercing heals in the few coming week or so.
For under tongue piercing vs. the smiley piercing pain, no enough information could be found to make a conclusive judgment, but more significantly, the sharp pain is not even expected for both types of the piercings since they have piercing through the connective tissues known as frenula which have very few nerve endings.
Though every other person reacts much differently, the majority of the people find out that the pain is very minimal. You can feel some pressure from the clamp that may lead to you to feel a little discomfort, but overall you will more than likely have an easy time.
Keep in mind that the initial jewelry needs to be sized much correctly. The correct size jewelry is also very important to lower the risk of rejection and to heal properly. Most start out with a curved barbell. Once it is healed some studios might let you exchange for also another piece of jewelry.
Under Tongue Piercing Price
tongue web piercing
- Tongue piercings typically cost about 90, depending on the exact location and the competition in the area. Some of the piercers may charge for the piercing as well as the jewelry separately, but the total normally falls in that given range. For instance, Slave to the Needle, a Seattle tattoo and the piercing shop, charges about $40 for basic jewelry and about $25 for the piercing bringing the total to about $65.
- While piercers may charge different prices for the services, tongue web piercings normally cost between $5 and $10 more than the standard tongue piercing.
- Under tongue piercing jewelry normally costs $15-$50 per given piece. Price ranges based on the composition of the jewelry. For instance, a barbell (which is a metal cylinder that has a screw-on the caps on both ends) together with gemstones on each end may cost more than the barbell with the plastic caps.
- A perfect mouthwash that is well labeled and anti-bacterial and do not have alcohol is generally recommended for the tongue piercing aftercare. A bottle of mouthwash usually costs $4-$10.
Under Tongue Piercing Risks
While under tongue piercing is related with the relatively low risks, it is not without its various dangers.
Of all these, infection normally stands out as the most. An infection is more likely if the piercing procedure is not done very professionally, proper oral hygiene is not done throughout the healing process,
Although rare, rejection is also another issue that is normally faced by pierced people. This occurs in the event that the body perceives the jewelry as a foreign object and therefore tries to lock it out by pushing it out of the skin and subsequently healing the area under it. When that occurs, the jewelry is said to be migrating.
This may be a great thing for the wood splinter that accidentally gets stuck into the skin, but not for a piercing jewelry which is intended to stay in the skin.
On a good note however, under tongue piercing are not high-risk piercings in as far as rejection and migration is concerned. Surface piercings that are too close to the skin like the eyebrow, sternum and nape piercings are the most susceptible to a rejection.
Because of the risk of migration as well as rejection, the piercer can decide to not continue with the tongue frenulum piercing if he feels that the frenulum is too small. This is usually likely if you are aged below 18 years. In such a given case, you may consider waiting a couple of more years or so.
While you may get the urge to perform the under tongue piercing at home, it is very advisable to seek professional service from the board certified piercing studio.
Under Tongue Piercing Healing
under tongue piercing healing
Under tongue piercing healing time varies from one individual to another but mostly takes between a period of 8 and 10 weeks. Some of the people however heal in as low as in 2 weeks. You may expect slight bleeding and tenderness during the first few days of the healing stage.
As you piercing heals, it is very crucial that you exercise proper oral hygiene and even aftercare measures as well as keep low-risk behavior (For instance, refraining from the oral sex as well as kissing)
It is also much advisable that you leave the jewelry intact during the whole of the healing process. Exception in the cases that hold for issues with the jewelry size or the material, but even then, you may not change the jewelry (or get a retainer for a replacement) without an advice or supervision of the piercer.
The Do’s:
- Place some small pieces of the ice in the mouth regularly to assist curb the swelling.
- Wash the hands using soap and water before touching of the piercing or even jewelry to avoid transfer of germs
- Exercise some proper oral hygiene. You will then in particular want to rinse the mouth after taking the meals (or even any food in between), and before going to the bed. Take some soft foods like the ice cream, mashed potatoes, protein shakes, etc. until you have completely healed.
The Don’ts
- Avoid playing with the jewelry: This assists to avoid irritation that may then lead to the slow healing and other complications.
- Avoid talking too much during the healing process: This puts stress on the healing piercing and may be a precursor to scarring, migration, and other complications.
- Avoid oral sex and kissing till the pierced area has fully healed. Otherwise you risk getting an infection as a result of the ensuing bacterial exposure.
- Stay away from alcohol: Alcohol contains a drying effect that does a pierced tongue frenulum no favor. It is also known to cause irritation and more significantly delay the entire healing process. So stay away from any alcoholic drinks as well as alcohol-based mouthwash.
- Avoid smoking: Tobacco products are as well known to delay the healing of wounds and even the under tongue piercing is not an exception. In fact the mouth-drying effect of smoking makes it even worse for the oral wounds. Most of the experts also recommend staying away from marijuana as well.
- Avoid biting on the nails and other stuff g. pencils, chewing gum, etc. this will assist to bring down the chances of bacterial transfer to the mouth.
- Avoid sharing of drinks or foods with anyone else.
Bump under Tongue Piercing
Any time you create a wound in the skin like a body piercing, you run the risk of developing an infection. The risk increases if the equipment used to create the opening isn’t scrupulously cleaned and sterilized between uses.
If the bump around a body piercing produces pain, swelling, oozing or a foul odor, you may have an infection. The risk increases if the symptoms persist or if the redness spreads of redness or turns dark red or purple and you develop a fever.
You need antibiotics in addition to draining by your doctor to treat an infection. Sending the fluid for evaluation for the type of bacteria it contains is very important if the infection doesn’t improve.
A culture and sensitivity of the fluid determines the bacteria present as well as which antibiotics can effectively treat it.
Under Tongue Piercing Infection
under tongue piercing bump
The tongue should be fully healed within a period 6-8 weeks after the piercing has been done. In most of the cases, it is very normal to experience some of the swelling and irritation during the first 2 weeks, but if the signs don’t disappear and even other symptoms may show up, it will be crucial to immediately consult the doctor and then receive adequate medical treatments and antibiotic therapies.
Under tongue piercing infections are usually caused by different types of bacteria that stay in the human mouth, which have the capacity to quickly multiply and spread, giving raise to infections. If left untreated, these infections can lead to serious health problems.
- Swelling
As mentioned earlier, it is very normal to experience some swelling around the tongue area, immediately after you get the tongue pierced. However, if swelling continues, becomes worse, or is followed by difficulty swallowing and even speaking, it is one of the first signs that you have an infection. This requires immediate medical attention and treatment.
- Redness
Slight redness around your tongue area may also be quite normal during the healing period, but if it persists and is accompanied by the swelling and pain, it is a sure sign of inflammation and infection.
- Red streaks
If you notice red streaks radiating out of the piercing hole and running down the sides and the front the tongue, this shows the availability of an advanced infection going on, which needs an immediate antibiotic treatment.
Red strikes come along with the painful tenderness of the tongue and are sometimes accompanied by the fever.
- Bleeding
Although some bleeding may normally occur immediately after the piercing is done, bleeding that occurs after the initial healing process has completed is instead another sign that indicates an ongoing infection.
- Discoloration and discharge
Any extreme discoloration of the tongue (green, yellow, purple or black) should be taken very seriously, as it indicates the advanced stage of an infection. In this case it is necessary to seek immediate medical attention.
Discoloration may also be accompanied by yellow or green discharge, which is the pus that comes out of the infected area. This also requires prompt and adequate antibiotic treatment.
Prevention and treatment tips
- To avoid any kind infection, it is important to find a reputed and professional piercer, and inform yourself well about the piercing procedure.
The piercer you choose should have a license to practice, as well as adequate training and also experience. He should also practice all the necessary sanitary precautions during the entire process of piercing, such as using sterilized needles and tools, and wearing of the sterile gloves and face masks.
- After the piercing is completed, it is crucial to carefully follow all the aftercare instructions, as advised by the piercer.
- When getting the tongue pierced, you should always opt for the plastic (polytetrafluoroethylene or polypropylene) studs, since they get less bacteria than the stainless steel or titanium studs.
- During the healing period you should avoid coffee, alcohol and cigarettes, and eat foods that are not spicy or irritating, such as mashed potatoes, bananas, cold soups, and other similar.
- Another good way to prevent infections is to rinse your mouth after each meal. Salt and water is a very effective rinse to accelerate the healing process and treat infections in their initial stages.
- If you develop an infection or suspect that you may have one, don’t ever take out the bar yourself. You will only worsen the situation.
How to Treat Under Tongue Piercings
The best and in fact the only recommended, course of action for any treatment of an infection is to see the doctor. He will then prescribe a round of antibiotics if required, and probably some of the analgesics to lessen the pain.
Other than antibiotics and the pain killers, there is nothing much to be said on how to heal a under tongue piercing infection. But even as you take the antibiotics, you might still want to continue with the aftercare regime, particularly sea salt soaks until the area heals completely.
Tongue Web Jewelry or Tongue Web Rings
Curved barbells or a captive bead rings are the two recommended choices for under tongue piercing jewelry.
For jewelry size, most of the experts agree on the 16 gauge for captive bead rings. As for the barbells and a slightly longer barbell that can accommodate the swelling during the first few days after getting pierced.
Once the swelling has gone down, the piercer will change to a shorter length bar. Some of the piercers may provide this as a free service, but some may need you to pay an extra fee for the change.
Under tongue piercing jewelry, as some people may refer to them collectively, vary from are usually made from the high quality metals or high carbonate plastics. Metallic jewelry are usually made or coated with either the stainless steel, gold, or titanium.
You may take the element of being cool a notch higher by getting yourself the colored jewelry. You may order online in one of the most shops that are specializing in piercing equipment and jewelry.
