To pierce your tongue, the piercer will generally use a titanium or stainless steel tongue ring.  Unfortunately, these are not clear or tongue colored, which makes them more difficult to hide.  After it heals, however, you can change your tongue ring to one that is less noticeable.  Tongue rings come in varying lengths too.  Wearers report that a shorter barbell is easier to hide, but also keep in mind that dentists say that this kind will cause more enamel damage because it is to easy to hold between your teeth.

One other option to hide tongue rings is to get the piercing as far back as possible in the tongue.  This is not always the best technique because the placement of the ring depends largely on the location of veins in your tongue.  Your professional piercer can help you determine where the tongue ring can go.

The swelling will begin to subside within a few days and your tongue should return to normal in about a week.

T.C. Kuster

The most important thing to do is find a good piercing salon.  Make sure that it is in a sanitary environment and you could even ask for Health Department records. If you want a tongue ring, don’t let price affect your decision.  NEVER choose a questionable salon just because the price of a tongue ring is cheaper.  You may spend less money now, but you’ll pay for it in the future.

The first thing that will happen when you get to the piercing salon is 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.

After you select your new tongue ring, the piercer should take you to a clean and sterile environment.  The piercer will mark your tongue after selecting a spot that will not interfere will blood vessels and nerves.  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.  The piercer will use a hollow surgical grade needle to actually pierce the tongue.  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.

At this point, the piercer will be ready to inster 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. As the piercer pulls the needle the rest of the way through, the tongue ring will remain in position inside the tongue.

The whole piercing process will only take about five minutes.  Most tongue rings are 3/8″ but they may use a longer tongue ring to allow for swelling during healing.  Between two and four weeks later, your tongue should be fully healed.  At this time you can change your tongue ring to one that expresses your personal style.