Tongue piercing benefits, pros and cons

Ask anyone that’s ever had anything pierced before and you’ll quickly find out there are lots and pros and cons that come with the procedure itself, but even more commonly, during the healing period or sometimes even years down the line. Tongue piercings are certainly no exception to that rule.

There are definitely fewer pros than there are risks for tongue piercings because of where they are and how often you use your mouth, so here’s a list of the benefits, pros and cons of tongue piercings before you go out and get one.

Tongue piercing pros and cons

• Pro: They look pretty AWESOME!
• Pro: They’re not very painful to get pierced at all – it’s the healing phase that people experience the most pain
• Pro: INCREASED PLEASURE for your partner. Enough said.
• Pro: You can mix and match the jewellery easily to suit your mood. Lots of people like to switch up the colours of the balls
• Pro: If you ever want to take it out, you can just remove the jewellery and it won’t leave a scar
• Pro: You’ll probably get loads of likes from your friends on Insta!
• Con: Your speech pattern WILL change. Most people might not notice except you, but you’ll need to get used to the way your mouth moves when you speak when you get one.
• Con: You need to eat soft foods for at least a week after getting one, even if it’s healing properly (we’re talking soups, boiled or mashed vegetables, fish, or meal replacement shakes)
• Con: Your tongue will swell up in the first few days, and you might talk a bit funny. You should still be fine to drink water and talk, but if not, you might have an infection and will need to call your piercer immediately for advice
• Con: No kissing, or any other ‘mouth-related fun’ for the first 2 weeks. Like, none at all!
• Con: On the kissing front, some people feel like after a while when it heals that kissing with a tongue piercing can get in the way
• Con: Although they’re quite hidden most of the time, some employers might ask for them to be taken out in customer-facing jobs, so make sure you check with your boss first before getting one
• Con: Some people can experience gum or oral pain caused by the jewellery rubbing against your gums, teeth or cheeks. This is quite common for people who grind their teeth, as they’re usually moving their tongue around in their sleep at night
• Con: Not everyone finds them attractive. Under all circumstances, you do you 🙂  but don’t be surprised if some guys find it a bit of a turn-off. It’s best not to surprise your boyfriend with a new tongue ring without asking first

The full lowdown on tongue piercings

Hear first-hand from DaVo, a professional body piercer from Axiom Body Piercing Studio, who explains loads more about getting your tongue pierced and what to expect when you get one.

Want to learn more about tongue piercings? Check out these links too:

1. Tongue piercing pictures
2. Tongue piercing aftercare (Healthline)
3. Learn more about other types of mouth and face piercings

Or…

• Share your piercing pictures with us
• Have questions? Sign up to our community and ask questions in our forums.