Gauging new tongue piercing?

[killrbat]

I have several ear piercings but received my first tongue piercing Friday. I am pleased with the moderate swelling and hardly any discomfort, except while eating. It appears to be placed slightly off center, about 1/2 a bead width. I'm not displeased with the placement but am concerned about what will happen when I gauge it out to a 4g or maybe a 2g. When should I go to the next larger gauge, how much time should there be between gauges and what is the risk of the piercing migrating? *8)

[Illyria Jade_mod]

It may be slightly more obvious that it is off center, but it shouldn't be bad. *A lot of tongue piercings aren't exactly centered or are crooked, because the piercer has to avoid large veins in the tongue. *But usually nobody notices except the person who has it. *

I do it all the time with my piercings, think they're "off" and horribly noticible, but nobody else ever sees it.

You should wait to stretch until after you piercing is fully healed...at least a month after. *When you stretch your tongue piercing, you should never stretch more than a gauge at a time, at give your tongue at least a month to heal and relax between stretches.

The risk of migration in a tongue piercing isn't large, as the jewelry isn't acting as a weight in your piercing. *However, if the jewelry is uncomfortable and remains uncomfortable, putting pressure on your mouth/tonuge, it is slightly possible that it could migrate.

[iamblackbird]

I like piercings being a bit 'off' sometimes...gives them uniqueness.

But anyhow. Remember that when you DO gauge up the piercing, use a good quality metal for the jewelry. Don't use acrylic (plastic) or lucite (also plastic), since those can infect your piercings.

[killrbat]

Well, being somewhat unique is what I'm trying to achieve. *:twisted: *Thanx for the tips.

"Don't use acrylic (plastic) or lucite (also plastic), since those can infect your piercings."

what? acrylic or (esp) Lucite CAN NOT in and of themselves infect a piercing, any more then walking your dog can. I'm not advocating plastics at all, but lets not use scare tactics.

& as far as the off center piercing goes, if its obviously off center (by half a ball) with a 14 or 12, I can only imagine how off it look if its a 4g. half a ball width is about 2.5 to 3mm thats the thickness of a 10 or 8g bar.

[iamblackbird]

Actually, use of a plastic CAN cause infection, as the material is known to harbor bacteria, and when that sits in a piercing, it causes infection. It is not a material that is good for use in the body.

I'm sorry, but I have the evidence to back this one up...

[thedrummer]

Guest.

Well let us review. Due to the nature of an arclyic compound, it is porus. *Meaning with small HOLES. *"Things" i.e. bacteria ect. can be living in said holes. Now think about it, place a bacteria loaded barbell in a muscle(your tongue), that muscle--because it is such---has lots of blood vessels and veins in it which carry blood and oxygen and other vital nutrients to your tongue. The piercing, has provided an almost immediate contact with whatever you are putting in your mouth and your blood stream. *The bacteria will then be carried throughout your body, fun times as one can imagine. *Nothing could come of it-- but why risk it when you know that there are better options. *

And as for gauging making the "offness" of a piercing more visible or not--it would depend on the gauge and whether the piercing does migrate(though my own has not--but it is not gauged). It's not the "off" part of a piercing that is noticable, it is the uniqueness of it all. Which is why I had mine done in the first place.

[Illyria Jade_mod]

«cheers!» *Bravo and well said!!!

[iamblackbird]

Oh, goodie!

I like good posters!

[thedrummer]

Thanks.

I just don't want someone to be misinformed and end up with an infection like the ones often used as "scare tactics", for lack of a better phrase. *That's about all I was worried about with my own piercing.

My current feat is to gauge mmy tongue ring. *Although, I do have some strange addiction to pain.. I am a little nervous about the streching. *Part of that might be due to the fact that I have not streched any of my other piercings. *Any thoughts for me?

[Illyria Jade_mod]

never guaged my tongue, but i've done my ears and my nostril piercing (OW!) *it will hurt and feel tight while you taper, but once you get the jewelry in it will all calm down. *basically, all you should feel is tightness and pulling, it shouldn't be very painful. *if it bleeds, stop and slow down, make sure you only go up one gauge at a time, and give it time to relax between stretches, at least a month, if not longer for the tongue.

[iamblackbird]

Although yuo have a strange addiction to pain (which I don't find all THAT strange....heh), there shouldn't be pain in abundance when stretching. If there is, no matter how much you may enjoy it, you need to stop.

[thedrummer]

Well spoken.

There are certainly stopping points. Though mine have been limited(heh), okay. trip to the old Hot Topic or House Of Song and uhm--word that rhymes with song and starts with "b". *(I have not a clue as to whether i can post that up there...). *

Ah the gas mileage on my car needs to streched as well.

[iamblackbird]

Oh man.

Gas here is JUST now beginning to go down. Here, I think it's $2.12 or so.

[Syko_mod]

wow wish my gas was that low. *Its like 2.29 here