As dangerous as it may look, the snake eyes piercing is one of the trendsetting piercing styles that has taken the beauty world by storm. These piercings aren’t for the faint-hearted. They require guts because if it goes wrong, things could get complicated.
People express their uniqueness and creativity through different body modifications and snake eyes piercings are one of them. Now if you’re thinking this piercing happens on the eyes, I’m sorry to burst your bubble; you’re wrong.
This piercing is usually done on the tongue. If you didn’t know that, imagine how much more details about this piercing you don’t know. It’s why this post is here to guide you.
So, before you head for your piercer to get a snake eyes piercing, read this article to see all you need to know about this body modification.
What is Snake Eyes Piercing?
This is a horizontal style of piercing that involves puncturing two symmetrical holes through the tip of your tongue. Once it’s done, when you open your mouth, the piercings spread out to look like two snake eyes staring out.
At first sight, you may think there are two unrelated piercings on the tongue. But in the real sense, it’s a straight or curved barbell that goes horizontally inside the tongue and appears as two studs.
What Happens During Snake Eyes Piercing?
This piercing requires great precision to avoid the many complications that come with it. So your piercer has to be very careful.
First, to get the correct placement, they’ll use a surgical marker to mark both piercing sites. Then they’ll use a clamp to hold down your tongue so you don’t wiggle it around and make them hit a vein. Afterward, your piercer will use a hollow needle to pierce the marked sites. Then the jewelry follows suit, with the studs being on both sides of the front of your tongue and the bar hidden inside your tongue.
What Types of Jewelry are Used for this Piercing?
Usually, straight barbells are the most common type of jewelry used for snake eye piercing. The barbell has two ends that thread into place at the entry and exit points. The ones used for the initial piercings have to be long enough to accommodate swelling because there will be swelling.
But once your piercing has fully healed, you can swap them out for a smaller size. However, the Association of Professional Piercers (APP) recommends jewelry made from gold or biocompatible plastics.
How Long Does Snake Eyes Piercing Take to Heal?
The healing time for this piercing takes about six to eight weeks to heal when properly taken care of. The healing process is slow because your mouth contains lots of bacteria. Keep in mind that not everyone heals within the stated period. Some might be less than six weeks while some more than eight weeks, depending on your body.
Does Snake Eyes Piercing Really Hurt?
The thought of having a small bar and two holes in your tongue may freak you out, but surprisingly this piercing doesn’t hurt as much as you think it would. To some, it just feels like you’ve bitten your tongue hard when chewing something. But one thing, I’ll love for you to note is that pain is relative. So how much it hurts differs per individual. One person may feel slight pain, while another person may complain about it for weeks.
If you’re really good at distracting yourself, then you may not notice the pain that much.
What to do Before Getting Snake Eyes Piercing
The first step to take is to find a piercer you are comfortable with or at least one who practices solid hygiene. Inquire about the equipment they’ll use and the sterilization of everything in their studio. Also, ask them for aftercare tips.
Asking questions is crucial in this procedure so you’ll know if it’s safe to go ahead or not.
But before then, educate yourself about the risks of getting this piercing like you’re doing now. This will help you know all the possible things that could go wrong before deciding to take the plunge.
Lastly, pick up some aftercare products. What you need basically is some saline solution or sea salt, not table salt. They are not the same thing. Sea salt is especially great at healing your piercings.
Aftercare Methods for Snake Eyes Piercing
To avoid complications do the following after getting pierced:
- Talk less so your tongue can rest.
- For the first few weeks eat soft food preferably liquids.
- Brush your teeth twice daily using a soft toothbrush.
- Only touch your piercing with clean hands.
- Rinse your mouth with diluted mouthwash after a meal.
- To reduce swelling, dissolve ice block in your mouth.
While healing, do not:
- Engage in any sexual activity involving the mouth, including open-mouth kissing.
- Share cups or utensils.
- Play with or touch your jewelry.
- Chew gum or anything that could harbor bacteria.
- Move your tongue more than you have to.
- Engage in any rough activity like contact sports.
What Risks are Associated With this Piercing?
Before going ahead, with this piercing, you should know some of the risks involved to guide your decision. Here are some of the potential risks:
Infections
Infection can be a result of the procedure itself or from poor aftercare, especially if bacteria get into the wounds. Also, it is possible to have bloodborne infections like HIV, tetanus, and hepatitis B from contaminated needles.
Allergy
The jewelry used can cause an allergic reaction if you have sensitive skin, particularly if it contains nickel.
Swelling of the Tongue
Swelling is normal, but if your tongue swells too much, it could block your airway.
Bleeding
Severe bleeding is possible if a blood vessel is damaged during piercing.
Increased Saliva Production
Tongue piercings can sometimes increase the production of saliva and lead to drooling.
Teeth and Gum Issues
Unconsciously, you may rub your jewelry against your teeth and gums and this can lead to teeth damage. Furthermore, it’s possible to chip or crack a tooth if you accidentally bite down on your jewelry.
Nerve damage
Though rare, nerve damage from tongue piercings can happen. In most cases, this happens during the piercing. And if the jewelry irritates a nerve under the tongue connected to the trigeminal nerve, it could lead to trigeminal neuralgia.
How to Know If Your Snake Eyes Piercing is Infected
Pain and swelling are expected within the first few weeks. But if anything worse happens, it could be an infection. So talk to your piercer if you notice:
- Severe pain or bleeding from the piercing.
- Thick yellow discharge from the pierced area.
- Redness around the pierced area.
- Foul smell from the pierced area.
Please note that changing your rings before completely healing puts your piercing at risk for injury and infection.
Snake Eyes Piercing: Rock it Like You Own it
Snake eyes piercing is a captivating and unique form of body modification that allows you to embrace your individuality. It may seem like an intimidating piercing when you think of it, and that’s completely normal. But if after much consideration you feel you aren’t up to the task, opt for another option. It could be a double nose piercing, an Ashley piercing, or even a palm tree tattoo if you want art inked on your body.
But if you’d rather damn the risks and go for what you want, that’s great. Book an appointment with your piercer already and remember to stick your tongue out to show your piercing off.
