Procedure and tongue anatomy
Tongue piercing is among the fastest in execution (3-5 seconds from marking the point) and among the fastest in initial healing (4-8 weeks), but also one of the most demanding in terms of preliminary anatomical evaluation. At Funky Tattoo in Piața Romană, Bucharest, we refuse approximately 15% of clients requesting tongue piercing due to unfavourable anatomy — overly pronounced lingual frenulum, large blood vessels on the midline, or "geographic" tongue with chronic irritation.
The procedure begins with a consultation where we ask the client to stick out their tongue and lift it. The piercer palpates the midline to identify blood vessels (the ranine veins, often visible as bluish lines under the mucosa). If the vessels are too close to the midline, we select a slightly lateral position or, in rare cases, refuse the piercing. Marking with sterile marker is done on the dorsum of the tongue and on the underside, checking alignment with a flashlight. Then we ask the client to rinse their mouth with an alcohol-free antiseptic solution (chlorhexidine 0.12%).
The actual perforation is done with a sterile 1.6 mm gauge needle, held in a haemostatic forceps that fixes the tongue. The piercer traverses the tongue in a rapid motion and immediately inserts the bar (straight barbell, 16-18 mm length, titanium). The tongue is highly vascularised tissue, so bleeding is moderate in the first 30-60 seconds, then stops. The entire procedure takes under 10 minutes, including marking and checking.
Tongue swelling peaks at 24-48 hours after piercing, when the tongue can grow 1.5-2 times in thickness. This is why the initial jewellery is long (16-18 mm) — so it doesn't embed in the tongue during swelling. We recommend cold compresses (ice water, no ice directly on the tongue), exclusive consumption of liquids and soft foods (soups, smoothies, yogurt, purees) in the first 3-5 days, and rinses 6-8 times a day with salt water or an alcohol-free antiseptic solution.
After 2 weeks, the swelling completely subsides and we offer the first change to a shorter post (14 mm), in sterile conditions — service included in the price. Snake tongue (or venom) consists of two symmetrical perforations placed to the right and left of the midline, 5-7 mm apart. Anatomically, it's more demanding, the pain is greater (5/5) and healing takes 6-12 weeks. The price is 150 RON because it involves two separate perforations and longer execution time.