Laura Ljaze
Body Piercing

Tongue piercing is now widely accepted in Western culture having gained it's popular reputation throughout the late 90's and 2000's, however it's origins are actually found in ancient times.

The first recordings of tongue piercings are from the Aztecs and Mayans where depictions suggest that it was priests who first performed tongue piercings. The priests would pierce through their tongues and collect the blood or run rough cords and materials through the hole to inflict great pain; both of these ritualswere thought to show honor and commitment to God. Although it wasn't until later when the idea of permanent tongue piercings as body modifications were introduced. Far from it's ritualistic religious beginnings, the tongue piercing is now viewed as a mainstream body modification and allows the wearer to create an individual look by customising their jewellery.

Most people describe tongue piercings as a pretty tolerable. It is similar to the sensation of biting your tongue only a sharper pain with a shorter duration. The amount of pain felt with tongue piercings is quite low, however it is one of the few piercings that tend to be fairly sore afterwards during initial healing. You can relieve the soreness of a tongue piercing by eating and drinking cool, soft foods and drinks like ice cream and smoothies.  Because of the nature of the tongue, it is relatively fast-healing which is good news for trying to heal your piercing nicely; however if you want to keep your piercing you should never remove the bar as the piercing will close up very quickly.  Tongue piercings should heal within approximately 4-8 weeks but can be longer depending on the individual.

During the initial healing of your tongue piercing it is really important to follow the oral aftercare instructions given to you by your piercer. Here are a few tips to help ensure your piercing heals smoothly:
Avoid eating spicy foods
Avoid smoking
Avoid kissing (bacteria from other mouths could cause infection)
Eat/Drink cool foods (like ice-cream and smoothies)
Clean your piercing twice a day with saltwater soaks
Use mouthwash and maintan good dental hygeine
Never touch your piercing without washing your hands
A small amount of clear/white liquid, swelling and soreness is normal for tongue piercings, however if swelling and soreness persists, the tongue is red and inflamed or you notice and yellow/green discharge, please visit your piercer as soon as possible for an assessment.
Jewellery: Tongue piercings look best when worn with a barbell. The great thing about this piercing is that once it has healed you can customise it completely by changing the top (visible) ball and there are so many different options available! From pretty gems to novelty characters, there is a tongue bar for everyone.