Snake Eyes Piercing: Is it Safe? How long does it take to heal?

30-second summary:
  • 💲 Cost of Snake eyes piercing: $30 to $90
  • 👅 Are Snake Eye Piercings Safe?: Yes, they are.
  • What material options are available?: Surgical steel, Titanium, 14 karat gold, Niobium, Biocompatible plastic
  • 🪥 How to clean snake eyes tongue piercing?: Antiseptic mouth wash(it shouldn’t be alcohol-based)

Piercing has been used for the time immemorial as a cultural and traditional identity across the world.

But piercing as a fashion fad isn’t that old. 

While normal piercing like ears and nose was fashionable even during the more conservative times, the more brazen and bold kinds started picking up in the late ’60 when people started shunning the societal norms. 

Perfect Snake Eye Piercing of Victoria Moraes
Perfect Snake Eye Piercing of Victoria Moraes

What is snake eye piercing?

The snake eye piercing is done at the tip of the tongue and as you stick your tongue out, the jewelry part of the piercing will look like snake eyes and your tongue might resemble a snake peeking out of your mouth. 

The shape of the jewelry used for snake eye piercings is like a barbell with a long handle and two blobs on either side. It falls under the surface piercing category and is a perfect option for those who want to go for two piercings but only want to go through the pain of getting pierced once.

Since snake eyes piercings are done at the tip of the tongue, these can present several challenges as the tongue is used quite often with several kinds of objects and materials coming in contact with it. For this reason alone, you need to take extra care of snake eye piercing so that there are no complications.

Snake Eye Tongue Piercings is the Latest FAD

Snake Eyes Piercings by a lovely couple of Boston
Snake Eyes Piercings by a lovely couple of Boston

Piercing has always been seen to have a slightly rebellious tone to it and even in the popular culture, piercing is more of a rebel’s cause. While nose, ears, eyebrows, and navel have been popular for a long time, tongue piercing has been a more recent phenomenon with the trend mostly seen in those living on the edge. 

But what has taken the fashion world by surprise is Snake Eye Piercing – the latest fad that is catching up fast with the ones living life in the fast lane. 

After all, oral piercings are outrageous, spunky, in your face, and strikingly unique. It is not something that you will get to see in your usual outings, you need to be in the right company to be able to see people carrying it off with a brazen, no-nonsense attitude. 

And why not, it takes a lot to go through and maintain snake eye-piercing, as compared to standard tongue piercing.

Snake eye piercing is a curved barbell placed horizontally on the tip of your tongue. As attention-grabbing as it is, it also comes with several complications as it falls under the oral piercing category. 

Snake Eyes Piercing: Is it easy?

With the tongue being used almost every second of your existence, it is important to take proper precautions if you have a snake eye-piercing. 

Even though it looks strikingly out there, it requires proper care and maintenance so that there are no complications. In this article, we will tell you everything about snake eye piercing, where to buy it, how long it takes to heal, and whether it is the latest trend in 2022. 

Of course, if you don’t want to opt for horizontal tongue piercings which require additional care and upkeep, you can go for a set of vertical tongue piercings, which will appear similar and be relatively hassle-free.

Also Read  Frog Eye Tongue Piercing: Is it Safe?

Where to go for the Snake Eye Piercings?

Stingray Body Art & More
Address: 386 Cambridge St, Allston, MA 02134, United States

Google ratings: 4.4(372)

Holistic Ink Boston Tattoo Shop
Address: 1261 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester, MA 02122, United States

Google ratings: 4.9(1130)

How long does it take to heal snake eye tongue piercing?

Typically, snake eye piercing takes approximately 8 weeks to heal which is comparatively longer than other body piercings. This is only an approximate estimate, it might even take longer for your tongue to heal completely and during this time, you need to be very careful.

The most important part of taking care of your pierced tongue is to first choose a reputable piercer. And then visit the piercer regularly and keep an eye on the healing process. The aftercare of the tongue should only be stopped once the healing has completely over.

Usually, the tongue swells quite a bit immediately after the piercing, this means that you should get a longer barbell to account for the swelling.

Since it’s an addition to your mouth, you need to be extra careful as you get used to a new piece of jewelry in your mouth. 

Opt for soft food items that are neither too hot nor too cold.

It will also require you to talk as less as possible in the initial few days as the lesser your tongue moves, the faster will be the healing process.

The aftercare of snake eye piercing

Just like all other kinds of oral piercing, snake eye piercing requires proper aftercare.

To begin with, it should also be cleaned with a saline solution 2-3 times every day. 

Since your tongue is actively involved in the consumption of food, it is a good idea to clean your piercing after every meal to ensure that there is no food stuck in the holes. This will keep you away from all kinds of infections. To ensure this, it is recommended you eat soft foods for at least 15 days after your piercing is done.

There are certain oral cleaners available that are specifically made for such piercings, you can use them as well for cleaning. Avoid using mouthwash that has alcohol in it as it will irritate your wounds. Basically, do not use any substances or food items (like spicy food) that will irritate your wounds.

You should also keep the size of the initial piece of jewelry in mind when getting the piercing done. Professional piercers, who are experienced enough to know the side effect, will fit you with a longer barbell keeping the swelling of the tongue in mind. But everybody reacts differently, and you might experience more swelling than others. 

The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) recommends jewelry made from gold, biocompatible plastics, or metals that have specific designations by the American Society for Testing and Materials Standard (now known as ASTM International) and the International Standards Organization (ISO).(source: healthline.com)
– Cynthia Cobb, DNP, APRN, WHNP-BC, FAANP

The idea here is to be mindful of the size of your barbell. If you feel that you are getting too much swelling and the barbell feels tight on your tongue, you should go back to the piercer and get a bigger one. Alternatively, if your barbell is loose, it will come in your way a lot more. This could be because of lesser swelling. In that case, you should go for a smaller barbell.

Once the swelling subsides, you can go to the pierces again and opt for the barbell that is just the right size for you. This is an important phase in your snake eye piercing and you must be extremely careful of how you take care of it. Some people are also allergic to certain metals and materials, if you have similar allergies, choose the straight barbell material carefully.

Also Read  Frog Eye Tongue Piercing: Is it Safe?

Is snake eye piercing the hottest trend in 2022?

There is no doubt that fashion is getting bolder and so are people’s fashion choices. And 2022 has been the year of doing something different. Be it colors, fabrics, cuts, lengths, or accessories, the outrageous is the in thing in 2022. This is why snake eye piercing is also going to be the hottest piercing trend this year. 

Fashionistas across the globe have been embracing this trend and it has been getting several kinds of makeovers already. It is not just about the usual snake eye piercing that is the most common and widely found, but there are several variants to it too.

  • Snake eye piercing with nose piercing
  • Reverse snake
  • Charm snake eyes
  • Snake eye piercing with lower lip piercing
  • Five beads piercing
  • Spiral piercing
  • Tongue web piercing
  • Parallel piercing
  • Triple eyes snake piercing
  • Ventricle style
  • Diamond snake eye
  • Middle of the tongue piercing

This bold and bombastic piercing trend is taking over social media and you can see more and more people going for it. The year 2022 seems to be all about confidence-inducing fashion styles and snake eye piercing is at the top of the list.

Also read: Frog Eye Tongue Piercing: Is it Safe?

Where to buy snake eyes piercing jewelry?

There are ample options available in the market these days for every fashion accessory you wish to buy. 

While online shops and portals provide ample options and some really smart and striking ones at that, you can also buy the same from your piercer. This seems like a good option too as you will have to consider the size of the barbell when getting the piercing done. 

As mentioned earlier, it is a good idea to buy a larger sized barbell depending on the amount of swelling you get on your tongue, and you might even have to change it if the swelling is more or less. 

So, buying it from a neighborhood shop or your piercer is a good idea too. But if you are confident about your choice, you can shop online as well.

FAQs about snake eyes piercing

How painful is the snake eyes piercing?

Does it hurt? Yes, most of the time. According to a recent survey, 80% of the people described it as a painful experience.

Does snake eye piercing reject?

Yes, snake eye piercing requires a lot of care to be taken as it is a risky and sensitive place. There are chances of gum rejection, cracking of teeth, and problem with eating. But if proper care is taken, it is one of the hottest trends to follow this year.

What are the symptoms of snake eyes piercing rejecting?

The most common symptoms of rejection of snake eyes piercings and/or venom piercing are elongated soreness in the pierced area, the piercing holes getting bigger, the jewelry piece hanging loosely and the pain not subsiding. If you have these symptoms and if you continue to feel uncomfortable with them, you might want to remove the jewelry piece and see a doctor if the pain persists. It is, after all, a sensitive part of your body and you must take good care of it. 

How can I make the snake eyes piercing heal faster?

Keep good oral hygiene, wash your mouth with proper cleaners (no alcohol-containing mouthwash) after every meal, avoid smoking, minimize talking during the first few days of piercing, and avoid touching the pierced area.

James

James Ardimento has spent the last 12 years journeying around the globe ! With its precious experiences and tips he gained around Asia, South America, Europe and the US he is a precious asset for this blog and for its readers