Want a piercing that matches your sneaky personality? The snake eyes piercing could be your next piercing endeavor!
Below you’ll find all you need to know about snake eyes piercings, including cost, pain level, piercing procedure and healing time. Recommended aftercare products and 20+ photos will help you make your piercing all your own.
What is a Snake Eyes Piercing?
Snake eyes piercing is a horizontal tongue piercing located on the tip of the tongue. It’s sometimes called a front tongue piercing and is likened to the eyes of a snake. This is one of the few horizontal oral piercings in existence and it stands out anytime you open your mouth.
Should You Get a Snake Eyes Piercing?
As with any piercing, there are risks and rewards with the snake eyes piercing. Peruse the pros & cons below to see if this piercing is right for you:
Pros
- Snake eyes piercings are some of the most unique oral piercings around because of the horizontal placement and edgy feel.
- This piercing can be dressed up or down depending on how obvious you want it to be.
Cons
- Piercing migration is a serious concern because of the placement of this piercing. However, this risk can be mitigated by insisting on high quality jewelry made of stainless steel or titanium.
- Infection is always a potential risk for any piercing. Insisting on proper aftercare minimizes this risk significantly.
Piercing Procedure
The first step to getting any piercing is finding a reputable piercer. When you arrive at the piercing shop, your piercer will explain the procedure and have you fill out some paperwork beforehand. Your piercer will then inspect your tongue and make sure that it is the right shape and thickness for this piercing, as thin tissue may not be enough to hold the jewelry in place.
If everything checks out, your piercer will mark two dots on the tip of your tongue with a surgical pen. Inspect these and make sure you like the placement before moving forward! Once everything is set, your tongue will be held in place with a clamp, and your piercer will push a hollow needle horizontally through your tongue. The needle will be switched out for a curved barbell to wrap up the procedure. Make sure to ask any lingering questions you may have before leaving the shop.
Check out the videos below to see the procedure in real time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0gk3lLFzI0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_yaIrbu8g0
How Much do Snake Eyes Piercings Hurt?
4 out of 10
[powerkit_progressbar value=”40″ height=”20″ color=”primary” display_value=”true” striped=”true” animated=”true”]
Snake eyes piercings are rated at a 4/10 on the pain scale. Your individual pain threshold can make it slightly more or less painful, but it’s best to keep this in mind as a guideline.
The actual piercing is a quick procedure, but swelling and tenderness will set in for the first few days after being pierced. You can make inital healing more tolerable by keeping ice cubes on your tongue and taking ibuprofen to help with pain.
Read more about the most & least painful piercings.
Healing and Aftercare
Snake eyes piercings generally take anywhere from 6 to 9 weeks to fully heal. Swelling should be gone within a week after your piercing procedure.
Start healing off on the right foot by following the guidelines below:
- Always wash your hands thoroughly before touching your piercing.
- Do not attempt to remove your jewelry before healing is complete. Early jewelry removal can cause immediate piercing closure.
- Maintain good oral hygiene and be careful when brushing and flossing.
- Clean your piercing twice per day as described below to reduce infection risk.
Read more about proper aftercare technique.
How to Clean Your Piercing
Be sure to rinse after eating or drinking with non-alcoholic mouthwash throughout the day. This helps to reduce the risk of unwanted bacteria in your piercing.
Twice per day, use saline solution to clean your piercing. Dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt in 8 oz of warm water to make saline solution. Pour some solution on a clean pad or towel and hold in on your piercing for a few minutes. Alternately, you can swish the solution around and hold your piercing in it. Be sure to clean off the jewelry when finished. Repeat this procedure once in the morning and once at night for a consistently clean piercing.
Snake Eyes Image Gallery
Recommended Aftercare Products
Sea salt
This piercing sea salt is ideal for making your own saline solution at home.
[powerkit_button size=”lg” style=”secondary” block=”true” url=”https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NTAH740/ref=as_li_ss_tl?th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=newpiercings-20&linkId=c803244438447805b50d928e393c41cd” target=”_blank” nofollow=”false”]
Buy Now on Amazon
[/powerkit_button]
Piercing aftercare spray
Saline spray is a great on-the-go option. Throw it in your bag and clean your piercing anywhere!
[powerkit_button size=”lg” style=”secondary” block=”true” url=”https://www.amazon.com/H2Ocean-Piercing-Aftercare-Spray-Fluid/dp/B007M1ZQM2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=newpiercings-20&linkId=0853f84b69e9fadfc4cbd13242ed4719″ target=”_blank” nofollow=”false”]
Buy Now on Amazon
[/powerkit_button]
What to Avoid During Healing
Avoid the following habits to keep your piercing happy and healthy:
- Touching your piercing with dirty hands.
- Playing with or removing your jewelry.
- Spicy, hot or acidic foods.
- Smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol.
- Oral contact with other things or people.
Piercing Risks
Being aware of piercing risks will ensure you’re ready to deal with them if they happen. Keep your piercing clean to avoid the following:
- Rejection. The placement of this piercing can cause jewelry rejection depending on the materials. Insist on titanium or stainless steel initial jewelry to reduce this risk.
- Tooth & gum erosion. The location of snake eyes on your tongue heightens the risk of scratching teeth or gums around it. To minimize this risk, choose smaller jewelry after healing so that there’s not as much room for movement.
- Migration. Snake eyes piercings can move around the tissue, leaving scars as a result. Proper aftercare will help decrease this risk.
- Infection. If you notice symptoms like excessive swelling, piercing pain, redness or tongue discoloration, contact your doctor immediately.
Best Jewelry
Straight or curved barbells are the standard jewelry for snake eyes piercings, depending on the shape of your tongue. Once healing is complete, you can play around with different sizes to see which one gives you the best fit. A selection of flashy ends are available to give your piercing an edgy feel when the mood strikes! Smaller ends are better to reduce the chance of tooth and gum damage.
How Much do Snake Eyes Piercings Cost?
- In the US, snake eyes piercings range from $40 to $100.
- In the UK, snake eyes piercings range from £30 to £80.
- In Europe, snake eyes piercings range from €40 to €70.
Snake Eyes Piercing Experiences
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tavcF294diA