Horizontal Tongue Piercing gives the impression of a couple piercings even though it is just one. Today we look at this type of piercing in more details, paying particular attention to the cost as well as risks, healing time and process, and the jewelry preferred for it.
Horizontal Tongue Piercing
As the name suggests, a horizontal tongue piercing is an oral piercing in which the piercing hole and jewelry cuts across the tip of the tongue horizontally as opposed to the classic vertical placement.
Another name for this type of piercing is snake eyes because the barbell balls on either sides of the tongue makes this piercing resemble the eyes of a snake when the piercee sticks out their tongue as you can see from the pictures in the next section.
A horizontal tongue piercing is however not to be confused with snake venoms or snake bites which on the other hand involves a couple vertical piercings (two holes) placed separately on either half of the tongue, that is on the right and left sides of the tongue surface.
16g barbell is a good starting point for most people but your piercer may request a larger or smaller size depending on the size of your tongue.
The question in your head right now is probably, does horizontal piercing hurt? Well, it hurts, just like any other piercing. Compared to other oral piercings, horizontal piercings of the tongue are slightly more painful because the needle or cannula uses passes over a relatively larger area of tissue.
Most piercees seem to agree the pain is not that much and is only sharp when the jewelry is going through. After that it is nothing more than just slight soreness till the pierced areas has healed significantly.
The healing time for a horizontal piercing of the tongue is 1-2 months (assuming that there are no infection or any other complication). The swelling will subside in 1-2 weeks.
As with any body piercing, there are risks involved with horizontal tongue piercings, most important ones being infection, tooth damage, and speech impediment (due to restricted movement of the tongue).
Infection can lengthen the healing time to as long as 5 months which further emphasizes the need to for proper care of the tongue during the healing phase.Effective aftercare hinges on proper hygiene coupled with the adoption of proper lifestyle practices.
You will in particular want to rinse the mouth with a saline solution prepared by adding ¼ teaspoon of sea salt (non-iodized) to a cup of previously boiled, cool water after every meal ad in the morning and evening. You may also use a non-alcoholic mouth rinse several times each day.
It is also recommended that you refrain from oral sex, kissing, and smoking, all of which could be precursors to infection and delayed healing.
The best way to get a piercing studio in your area is to check online. Google is a good starting point. Just check “horizontal tongue piercing + your area”. For example, when I searched for studios in Baltimore using the phrase “Horizontal tongue piercing in Baltimore, I found out Piercing by Kenny in 1225 Seneca Rd Baltimore, Maryland.
Horizontal Tongue Piercing Pictures
And here comes our favorite part. Pictures, pictures, and more pictures. You know our obsession with images if you have been reading around our site for a while.
And there is a good reason for that; we like the old tired cliché, an image speaks a thousand words. Whoever said that was smart, we can’t agree more about the power of a photo. In the light of that, here are a few pictures showing piercees with their tongue pierced horizontally.
Horizontal Tongue Piercing Price
The price it takes to get your tongue pierced in this horizontal manner varies significantly from one area, city, and country, to another. Different shops within the same precinct may also charge differently. Also, while some piercing studios charge the actual piercing process and the jewelry separately, others charge a flat fee for everything.
All in all, the overall cost typically falls in the range of $30-90. The cost may also shift upwards depending on your jewelry choice.
Keep in mind though that price is just as much an important factors as is health and safety. So, don’t depend on price alone to choose your piercer. You should also check their level of professionalism.
That rolls down to operating in a hygienic environment where stringent health and safety precautions are observed to the letter, and being registered with the appropriate boards e.g. Association of Professional Piercers in the United States.
Double Horizontal Tongue Piercing
When people search for double horizontal tongue piercing, perhaps after seeing a piercee spotting “such a piercing”, it is usually the result of the illusion of “two piercings” given by a typical horizontal piercing of the tongue. One tends to think that you have two piercings – one on either edges of the tongue – when in actual sense you have just one.
If you are one of the hard core piercing enthusiasts, though, you may want to take your exploration journey to another level by getting a second piercing (horizontally placed). A double horizontal piercing often gives the illusion of four piercings.
If you decide to go for a double, you may choose to have the two done on the same day or wait until the first one has healed before getting the second.
Just keep in mind that a pair of piercing means twice the risk of teeth damage, speech impediment, and other complications. The edge ward placement of barbell beads makes it no better. You will thus need to be extra cautious not to play with the jewelry or accidentally bite it.
Horizontal Tongue Tip Piercing
Horizontal tongue piercing offers a great level of flexibility. It can be done in multiple locations along the length and height of the tongue.
In other words, it can be placed anywhere from the tip of the tongue to the back and from the center of the tongue upwards going to the surface [see more about tongue surface piercing in the next section].
So, what is the piercing on the tip of your tongue called, you ask? Well, there is no special name for this precise placement. It is just another variation of the horizontal tongue piercing, otherwise known as snake eyes.
Should you opt for horizontal tongue tip piercing, ensure that the placement of the jewelry is not in a part of the tongue that bends during speech.
Horizontal Surface Tongue Piercing
As the horizontal jewelry placement type of tongue piercings continue to evolve and gain increased acceptance and recognition, piercing enthusiasts have continued to come up with more creative approaches.
One way is to place the piercing horizontally right on the surface of the tongue as opposed to the classic deeper placement through thicker mass of tissue.
Scoop Piercing
The term scoop piercing is often used for this specific type of horizontal piercing of the tongue. The term was coined by Jeremy Elms, a tattoo professional in Boynton Beach, Florida.Charmaine’s horizontal surface tongue piercing is perhaps the most well-known in its category.
Scoop or surface tongue piercing carries the same risks associated with other oral piercing, but it has significantly higher risk of migration and rejection. This is not at all surprising considering that it has a more “surface” approach which increases the risk that the body perceives the jewelry as an unwanted foreign body.
On a good note, though, a tongue surface piercing has a relatively shorter healing time (sometimes healing in as low as 2 weeks) compared to typical horizontal piercing of the tongue.
Horizontal Tongue Ringor Horizontal Tongue Piercing Jewelry
So, what tongue ring is suitable for a horizontal piercing of the tongue? None. You should technically speaking not use a ring for this type of oral piercing.
Most people refer“jewelry”in its collective sense when they say ring, but just in case you have in mind an actual ring, e.g. captive bead ring, you should instead consider using a barbell. If anything, it is the only viable option given the nature of this piercing.
Stainless steel straight barbell with either acrylic or stainless steel balls remains a popular option, but there are as well various decorative, high carbon, acrylic, and nylon plastic beads to choose from nowadays if you like that extra “cool” appeal.
12 gauge onwards will do for most people, but 14 and 16 gauge barbells seems like the most popular options. Of utmost importance is that the jewelry you choose sits flush with the tongue such that the bar doesn’t show through at the point of contact. This helps to minimize the risk of tooth damage.