Opinions needed

[lvponies]

My oldest daughter turned 16 on Labor Day. According to her, all she wanted for her birthday is her tongue pierced. The mere thought of getting this done gives me the heebie jeebies!!! She's been begging all week to get it done this weekend. She says it's her body/tongue and I don't even have to be in the room when it's done. It just sounds so totally gross to me and makes me cringe to even think about it.

So....anyone have their tongue pierced? What was it like to get done? What was recovery like? If you were to do it all over again, would you?

What do you all think?? This is my baby girl (OK, she's 16 now!) and I don't want anything bad to happen to her!!!

 

[Jill]

Well, I'm not a mom but I am a reformed wild teenager. I was the ONLY "punk rock" girl at my rural high school in the 1980's. EVERYONE knew who I was and I bet not many of them would believe I grew up to be a finanacial advisor!

In case this helps you, I have OFTEN been thankful that I grew up and went through my phase when the only thing cool to pierce was your ears. If I had been 15 years younger, I think I'd have all kinds of holes in my face and mouth. Things that wouldn't be so easy to hide as half a dozen piercings in one of my ears...

 

[tifflunn]

My niece did and in a matter of days chippered her tooth with the dumb bell in her tounge cost her dearly to but a cap on - just see if there is something less soild- she did take the tounge one out after that- not sure how it healed :lol: :no: :lol: Then she managed to pierce everthing else- 4 years later still enjoys them. :bgrin

 

[justanothercowgirl]

I really think that letting kids express themselves is not a big deal, hair color is removable as are piercings etc. however, the tongue piercing thing...teeth get chipped that is a known fact, talk to your dentist about it. The other thing that I have seen is an article that was in the Toronto Star a few years ago, while this may be a somewhat isolated incident it freaked me out. A young person had her tongue pierced and from the needle being dirty ended up with an infection in her tongue that led to a brain infection. Long story short there were hideous pictures of her tongue and her shaved head and the huge incision from her brain surgery....NOT a chance I would take just for a tongue piercing. IF I were to let her do this I would take this very seriously, speak to your dentist, make sure it is done in a clean place and know what needs to be done to keep the piercing cleaned afterwards. I certainly am not against piercings even tattoos, I have one myself but I would go into this with eyes wide open!! Your daughter just wants it for the cool factor I'm sure but you have to think of the safety factor which obviously you are...

Pam

 

[CMR]

I don't have my tounge peirced but it is something I'm considering. If I wasn't such a wuss to pain I probably would have already gotten it done. :lol: It would be my only piercing except for my ears, and it's the only body piercing I like the look of.

Piercings aren't like tatoos, they close up and go away if you take the ring out. They're not permanent, so not something you have to live with forever. Tounge piercings are probably one of the harder piercings to heal, because of their location. You have to be very careful with food, and I believe you are only allowed to drink water for awhile afterwards.

You should just be glad that's the only peircing she wants. :lol: It's fairly hidden unless she talks, they have tounge rings that are 'invisible', and if she gets tired of it, all she has to do is take it out.

 

[MiniHoofBeats]

I had my tongue pierced right away when I turned 18 and my parents no longer had to be present for any piercings...and I tell you what, I did it because I WANTED to, not because it was "the cool thing to have".

Sit down with your daughter and ask her why she wants it...be prepared for her to say "I don't want it for the obvious reason..." which at her age, I would believe. But if she says she wants it because its "cool" or "what everyone else has" then i'd tell her to wait until she was old enough to do it on her own.

If that happens, let her know that there are 2 very important veins on the underside of the tongue, if one of those happens to get punctured from a friend or someone other than a professional piercer, she could end up in the hospital...the thought is going to cross her mind to have a friend do it if you say no...just be prepared =)

Now, with all the scary stuff aside, I would say go with the flow...it's something she really wants done, let her do it. She'll figure out if she likes it, or wants to take it out...and as long as it is done by a professional, there are no worries!

I decided I dont like metal barbells. I purchased a clear, flexible plastic barbell and I love it! It is clear, so it is not as noticable (for work) and it is a soft plastic, so it wont chip the teeth. Recovery time after getting pierced is about a week, not long at all since the mouth is the quickest healing part of your body...go in after a week back to the parlor and have them put in a soft barbell, she'll probably want color to show off to her friends...

=)

 

[Ashley]

I dont have that done but I do have my labret done. I have had it about a year and there have been times i have contemplated takeing it out. It has done damage, not to my teeth but my gums. It does eventually push your gum line down because of how that back rests on your teeth and gums.

If I did it over probably would not ever get a oral peirceing. They are probably the most damageing. However they are the fastest to heal.

They do change your speach.

Look into the laws in your area. I know here you are not allowed to get any oral peirceings period until you are at least 18. Even with parental concent you cant.

 

[RJRMINIS]

One word! OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAHA!!!!! I have never had it done, but ohhhh looks like it would HURT!

All I know is people that have had it done, the one thing is to not let it get infected.......a friend took hers out because hers got infected, and she wish she had never done it.

Edited to add: And my friend was a nurse(RN) so she knew how to keep it clean, and did what she was told, but it still got infected.

 

[Pandora]

I love body piercings, but would never get my tongue done. The tongue is a good place to pick up infections and chipped teeth.

I had my eyebrow done and took it out, but boy do I miss it!!!!

I now have my tragus done and it's very tasteful. The tragus is the part of the ear that sticks out from your head over your ear canal (am I explaining that good?). If she is serious about this, I would make her wait to see when she's 18 if she still wants this. Or start off with a place that is easy to keep clean, like the tragus or eyebrow.

Piercings require ALOT of attention and commitment to keep them clean and sterile.

 

[lvponies]

Thank you for the replies. She does want it done for the "cool factor". None of her friends have had it done, but her boyfriend's is pierced. She told me about the veins in the tongue and has threatened to have a friend do it if I don't take her. Don't know if she would really do that or not. I have no problem with self expression at all. Her natural hair color is light brown and she once dyed it pitch black. It was a surprise, but didn't bother me at all. It's more the ick and pain factor that are bothering me about the tongue!! If we end up at the parlor this weekend, I'll tell her about the soft thingy.

I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 16 (am now 46). When I was growing up, my mother always said that if God intended for you to have holes in your body, we would have been born that way!!!

:

 

[Ashley]

Well tell her if she gets it done no kissing for 6 weeks. They always say no bodily fluids(yes kissing is included in this) for 6 weeks.

She also has to have a regular barbell in for so many weeks before she can change it.

 

[nootka]

Given her age, I would say no.

I WOULD say give it a year or so and we'll talk.

My best friend had hers done by one of the best piercing shops in Portland. She turned out to have an allergic reaction, her tongue swelled up and she almost died from the reaction. She had to go to the ER to survive the reaction and then of course can't do that again, and they used the right type, too, as she knew she had a nickel allergy. The tongue is not just skin/flesh, it is an ORGAN.

Let her do some research on it and do her best to convince you why. "Cool" factor is not good enough to me as a mom.

CHances are she may well change her mind when she's outgrown this boyfriend and/or old enough to do it herself.

Liz

 

[wcr]

I would ABSOLUTELY NOT allow her to pierce her tongue. This is considered a wound that won't heal and the mouth is one of the dirtiest places in/on the body. This allows bacteria to enter the bloodstream on a continuous basis and can cause the valves of the heart to go bad or moves into joints causing septic joints. I don't care about piercings but the tongue is definately not allowed in my book.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

I've never gotten mine done, but I have thought about it time and time again. Maybe one of these days I'll stop being so chicken.

:

I do know that infections and reactions are possible, but out of at least 7 close friends who have had their tongues pierced, non have had any problems other than the normal swelling right after it is done. One friend took his out for a couple hours and it had already began to close up when he put the ring back in.

As for your daughter, I am not a parent so I can't really offer motherly advice. However, I do remember what it is like to be a teenager, and they're more mature than what most adults give them credit for. I know from personal experience that the teenage years are basically the only time in a person's life where they can be experimental with themselves. A lot of jobs don't allow crazy colored hair or piercings. If you do decide to let her, just make sure that she is well aware of the risks.

 

[Black Magic]

Ewwwww.. Personal opinions aside, let me tell you.. hubby's opinion on the matter. He tells the kids, I own your body until you are 18 and out of the house. If I didn't own it, I wouldn't have to pay for it. He tells them, you get anything pierced, he's gonna get it sown up,

Hubby has so many tattoos I lost count. No one has sucessfully counted them, they over lap, he's had re-do's and coloring changes and such. He has all the equipment to do them himself. He does them on occassion.

He told me, that bacteria around the piercing can cause dental problems. He said most people that have their tongues done end up loosing their teeth at a young age. He said he saw a special on TV about how bad the infections can be, and that in no way would this every be considered something acceptable.

Are you stting down? He says that the young kids on the boat.. (he's in the military) say that they like the tongue piercings because of the sex thing involved, if you get my drift.

I'd have to wonder if she wants it, because her boyfriend has one. What if she gets another boyfriend who thinks that it's "icky"?

My husband says.. "you want one? when you turn 18 and your butt is moving out the door, you can get one, in the meantime, your butt belongs to me". If the kids pushed him on it, he'd ground them, or take them to talk to a military recruiter, to let them know, he's gonna drop them there, if they keep pestering him, when they turn 18. Hubby is tough.

Me. I'd find every picture I could of gross infections, lost teeth, etc. I'd print them and put them there for her to see. Then, I'd explain how she could risk aids, and how as a loving parent, I just couldn't see her taking the unnecessary risk. I'd also take her to talk to her dentist.

God Bless,

Lynn W

 

[Crabby-Chicken]

[SIZE=14pt] Wow I would have to say No too. My daughter and I went on her 18th birthday and my 40th birthdays and had our noses pierced,,,, I LOVE mine. But it does take time to keep it cleaned and sterile.[/SIZE]

I tongue does effect their speech and teeth problems. Infections are not uncommon. Working at a high school it is obvious who have them in, because I have a harder time hearing them speak. So I would tell her to wait.

 

[Miniv]

Just make a list of all the pros and cons that have been mentioned so far!

A pierced tongue has sexual implications and the fact that your daughter's boyfriend has one, speaks volumes!

Then there are the health and medical complications......infections, etc.......

Your daughter is 16?

Guess I don't need to give you my opinion.........

MA

 

[lilhorseladie]

Well MA touched on part of my thought...

As a teacher, they drive me crazy. Kids play with them in their teeth, they can't talk right anymore. If they just leave it alone and it doesn't bother their speach I am ok with it. I can't stand the kids, mostly boys because of placement who have to roll them around their teeth...YUCK!

 

[sharon]

I used to work with 2 girls who had it done. One of the girls, you really couldn't tell it was there. She talked fine. The other girl, ended up with a lisp.

I think some of the problem is where exactly on the tounge they do it. Farther in, doesn't affect the speech as much. At least that's what conclusion I have come to. Farther out on the tounge and it messes with placement of the tounge when pronouncing different words.

I hadn't heard about the infections. That would certainly scare me away! I have not had it done and never will, and will not let my son get it done if he asks. However, he turns 18 next month.

:

As far as pierced holes closing up......I've had my ears pierced since high school. I used to wear earring all the time. Then I got a parrot(9 years ago) and it just wasn't fun to have earrings ripped out of my ears, so I took them out and haven't worn them since. Just a couple years ago, I decided to try and see if there was anything left to my ear holes. Lo and Behold! The earrings wen right in!! No foolin! They don't always close up.

 

[CKC]

I have my ears pierced twice. That's about it for me. My Mom wanted to get her belly button pierced not too long ago. She opted for a tatoo on her ankle instead. She did this at 50 years old. Can't exactly tell your Mom no you can't get that. LOL

As for the tonque I would be concerned with infections, as well as any speech issues, but also, will that hole ever close when you take the ring out? Tonque piercings just give me the willies. I have a fear of needles so even if I considered it that needle just looks way too big and it looks way too painful.

Kim