So appealing for the young generations, tongue piercing is one of the procedures with the highest risks for the health since it exposes you to all sorts of bacterial infections and side effects that are not encountered with any other form of body piercing. The risk of using an infected tongue ring does exist particularly when it is provided by the studio performing the piercing; moreover, it may also happen that you develop an infection even when the wound is already healed. Puncture procedures need to be performed in a sterile environment and complying with advanced safety rules.
First of all, you have to choose the body piercing studio with the utmost care; ask for credentials and pay attention to the way the staff work. Do they wash their hands before a procedure? Are there any gloves used? Do they seem reliable? Any piece of jewelry you want to insert in the piercing, needs to be disinfected before usage. There are special items of equipment used in cosmetic and piercing saloons that allow the passage of possibly infected tongue rings through hot steam for instance. The measure is applicable to any type of body jewelry whatsoever.
The problems associated with piercing are not necessarily connected with infected tongue rings; there other health issues that may appear during the procedure or afterwards. One such serious problem is the possible nervous damage in the area resulting in the loss of feeling in the part of the tongue that underwent piercing. A qualified piercer should know where to make the needle insertion so as not to affect nerves, not to mention that he or she must also know how to avoid deep scarring of the piercing site. Such a consequence may affect the sense of taste in the area for good.
In order to avoid disease transmission via infected tongue rings, never use someone else's jewelry; such items are personal and they should never be exchanged carelessly. The Association of Professional Piercers also warn against the risks of self-piercing; without proper training, such procedures can even become life-threatening. From the risk of inserting infected tongue rings to developing uncontrolled bleeding, piercing is a tough procedure that requires extended care and attention from both parties involved. The client must respect strict hygiene measures and the piercer must stick to maximum safety precautions.
