Body piercing is quite popular these days. It includes tongue piercing, eyebrow piercing, lip piercing, to name a few.Tongue piercing is also a popular body piercing, which is done with the help of piercing tools. Generally, tongue is pierced vertically from the underside.  It takes about 3-12 weeks to heal the tongue.

History of Tongue Piercing

Tongue piercing was a ritual in the Maya and Aztec cultures. Priests were known to make a hole in tongue in these cultures.

They used to even pass harsh rods through piercing. This was done in order to inflict pain as well as to keep their Gods happy.

Tongue Piercing Preparation

You must get your tongue pierced only by a professional piercer. In fact, you should also check his work profile and experience. An expert professional would check the tongue before making a hole into it. He should consider these points:

• He or she should be careful enough so that he does not penetrate through the arterial vein that runs through the tongue’s center. This would cause excessive bleeding.
• He should check the dimension of the tongue, before making a hole.

Tongue Piercing Tips

• After the piercing is done, you must regularly rinse your mouth with antiseptic, non-alcoholic or saline mouthwash. This would kill the bacteria and reduce further risk of getting infection. However, you should not over-use mouthwash; this would kill the ‘natural bacteria’ of the mouth. The natural bacteria generally provide protection against infection.
• Try to avoid movement of the tongue piercing jewelry, or it would take longer for the piercing to heal.
• You should try to eat less solid food and take only liquids. This would aid the healing process.
• You should entirely avoid biting of tongue jewelry.
• Always tighten both the balls of tongue jewelry, if you are wearing one.
• If you contract infection, then you should immediately consult a doctor.