Tongue Piercing Infections

A celebrity inspired trend leads to a tongue piercing crazy! People between the ages of 16-24 continue to grow and develop this fad, so now an estimate of 50% of women alone, are having more than just their earlobes pierced! These celebrity role models include Pink, Mel B and Janet Jackson. But as you can imagine, the statistics are only going to rise as body piercing services become more and more accessible to us young one! (But I’m not complaining, as I personally like body piercings, investing in a few myself) So why are so many others against piercings? Well, why don’t you find out…ENJOY!

So why are people wanting tongue piercings?
Tongue piercings (along with many other forms of piercing) are done mostly for vanity reasons. Our personality determines what we like and want in life, and for some people, that is to look and feel different to others. Through body piercings -especially the tongue (because it is very dangerous) people are showing their uniqueness and desire to be different and recognized socially.

However, there are some people on the other hand, who wish to get piercings to follow the current trends. Not every one gets piercings to be unique. When a celebrity sets a current trend, this filters down to normal everyday people, like myself, and we end up continuing this trend and we then make it more easy and accessible for all people to get piercings.

There is also a desire to fit in with others as part of a social group, and people with specific qualities will be noticed more, therefore a conversation starter is created and a friendship bond will start to form.

The Not so Perfect Part of Piercing (Mouth full)
Now I have not yet had my tongue pierced (my mum won’t let me!) but I really want it done! All I keep thinking about though (which I have to admit, is putting me off) is the PAIN! I have watched a few videos of people getting their tongues pierced and boy, do they look sore! Tongue clamps, needles and blood! What a perfect combination to make a person want to get their tongue pierced, hay?

You not only have the pain to deal with, but the possible chance of fainting with the shock (like I did during my belly button piercing) It is such an embarrassment, and I could only imagine it to be worse with your tongue hanging out of your mouth as you lay on the floor!

Last but not least, you have the tongue swelling and infection to deal with. I mean come on; could tongue piercing get any more off putting?! A friend of mine recently had her tongue pierced, and her tongue swelled up to the size of a small apple! For quite a while she could only intake liquids before the swelling down- not because she had infections or anything like that, simply because she couldn’t fit whole foods in her mouth with the size of her tongue! (I was funny at first, until she couldn’t talk as it was too hard to move her tongue)

So could you imagine, on top of all that, you would have to deal with an infection! Well I shall now enlighten you about the damage they can do to your poor tongues!

Would you risk, the risk, of infection?
There are a few certain dangers inherited when one had a piercing, but especially if the tongue is pierced, as the tongue is a very sensitive area to be performed on, so infection is expected! (Now for the other downside of infections- well, if there was a plus side to them) Although infections in the tongue are relatively common after tongue piercings, there are certain dangers which may have serious consequences if the infection is not treated properly and straight away!

The BDA (which means The British Dental Association) are forever issuing warnings about tongue piercings. They report that the risk of bacteria is increased DRAMATICALLY in cases of tongue piercing. (This is because the mouth naturally contains a high level of bacteria to begin with!) The most worrying part, in my opinion is that any infection that you may get in the mouth or on the tongue may start to spread rapidly to other parts of the body!

Most body piercing practitioners maintain very high standards and keep all equipment and stations completely spotless, yet this does not stamp out the chances of infection. In the most extreme cases with a bacterial infection in the mouth, it can lead to fatal blood poisoning! (And no one wants that!)

A tragic accident
A woman who had her tongue pierced to celebrate her birthday was found dead with blood poisoning just 48 hours later!

A woman, for her 34th birthday wanted to get her tongue pierced. A friend of hers was getting one and decided to do the same. Within 48 hours she was found dead at her home from suspected blood poisoning and pneumonia, after having the fashionable steel bar put through her tongue. What shocked the family most, is that she had already had a number of different piercings before in the same piercing studio, so why was this one different?

Its because of the higher risk of bacterial infection that is associated with tongue piercings, yet some people still don’t know the proper ways of cleansing the tongue after food or any drink, other than water.