Getting your tongue pierced, especially with a venom piercing, is not for the faint of heart. Venom piercings go through the thickest, most vascular part of the tongue, so there is no denying this will be a painful experience. However, while venom tongue piercings do hurt, many people report that the pain is manageable and worth it for the unique look and sensation of this type of oral piercing.
What is a Venom Tongue Piercing?
A venom piercing is a horizontal piercing that goes straight through the underside of the tongue, from left to right. This piercing passes through the thickest part of the tongue, which contains a lot of blood vessels and sensory nerves. A venom piercing generally uses a long barbell jewelry piece so the ends stick out on either side of the tongue.
Venom piercings are one of the most unique and eye-catching tongue piercings. When the mouth is open, the barbell jewelry is highly visible and looks striking. Venom piercings also provide a different sensation from other tongue piercings since they go through so much lingual tissue.
Pain Level During the Piercing
Piercing the tongue is more painful than piercing cartilage or earlobes because there are so many nerves located in this muscular organ. The tongue is covered in thousands of taste buds and receptive nerve endings.
Compared to other tongue piercings like a standard midline piercing, the venom piercing is considered the most painful. This is because it passes horizontally through the thickest part of the tongue. The piercing needle has to penetrate deep into the lingual muscles and tissue.
Most people report the venom tongue piercing pain as being between a 5 to 8 on a 1-10 pain scale, with 10 being the worst pain imaginable. The piercing discomfort only lasts for a few seconds while the needle passes through the tongue and the jewelry is inserted. However, this brief time will be quite painful and shocking.
What Does the Piercing Pain Feel Like?
When you get your venom tongue pierced, you will feel an intense sharp pain as the needle penetrates your tongue. There is often an accompanying hot or burning sensation from all the nerves being traumatized. Some people experience a radiating pain that travels up into their ears or down their neck.
After the needle goes through, you’ll feel additional discomfort as the jewelry is inserted and screwed on. There is often some residual soreness, swelling, and throbbing immediately after the piercing.
Pain and Discomfort During Healing
Once your venom tongue piercing is done, the worst pain is over. However, you will likely experience lingering soreness and tenderness for the first few days as your tongue starts recovering and healing:
- Initial soreness and swelling – It’s normal for the pierced area to feel tender, swollen, and bruised immediately after. This can make eating, drinking, and talking uncomfortable.
- First 3 days – The first 72 hours tend to be the most painful part of healing. Your tongue will be swollen and the piercing site throbs.
- First week – The first week is when pain and swelling tend to peak. Puffiness and soreness gradually improve over the week.
- First 2 weeks – By the second week, swelling has gone down a lot and pain decreases. You’ll start feeling more comfortable eating, drinking, and moving your tongue.
- First month – After the first month, you should no longer have major pain. There may still be some lingering soreness when pressure is applied or when jewelry is changed.
Proper aftercare and oral hygiene will help minimize pain and support healing. Rinse your mouth with an antibacterial rinse after eating and avoid irritating or spicy foods during the first 2 weeks. The venom piercing may take around 6-8 weeks to fully heal.
Pain Management Techniques
Getting your tongue venom pierced will hurt, but there are some things you can do to help get through the painful procedure and help manage soreness during recovery:
During the Piercing
- Numbing spray/gel – Apply a numbing agent to the tongue about 15 minutes before piercing. This can dull sensation.
- Painkillers – Take over-the-counter pain medication an hour before your appointment.
- Relaxation – Do deep breathing to relax your body and mind.
- Distraction – Listen to music or talk to your piercer to take your mind off the discomfort.
- Tap out – Agree on a “tap out” signal you can use if you need a momentary break.
After the Piercing
- Ice packs – Apply an ice pack to tongue to reduce swelling and throbbing.
- Oral rinse – Use antiseptic mouthwash to keep the piercing clean.
- Pain medication – Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen as needed for soreness.
- Soft foods – Stick to a liquid or soft food diet for the first few days.
- Salt water – Rinse with salt water to aid healing.
- Chamomile tea – Sip chilled chamomile tea to soothe irritation.
Factors That Influence Pain Levels
Some factors that can affect the amount of pain and discomfort you experience with a venom tongue piercing include:
Your Pain Tolerance
Everyone experiences pain differently. If you have a naturally high pain tolerance, you may fare better than someone more sensitive.
Your Anxiety Level
Being very anxious or worked up about getting the piercing can make it feel more painful. Relaxation helps.
Your Menstrual Cycle
Women report more piercing pain during certain phases of their cycle when hormones are fluctuating.
Medications
Medications you take for conditions like depression, fibromyalgia, hypertension, etc. can impact pain perception.
Piercer Skill
An experienced piercer will be gentler, quicker, and more precise, often causing less pain.
Jewelry Type
Jewelry shape, gauge, and material affects the piercing experience. Well-fitted biocompatible jewelry causes less trauma.
Aftercare
Proper aftercare greatly impacts the healing period. Good oral hygiene lessens potential complications that can increase discomfort.
The Piercing Is Quick
While a tongue venom piercing certainly isn’t comfortable, the actual piercing process is very quick. It only takes a few seconds for the needle to go through the tongue tissue. Even if it is severely painful for you, the pain is over in a minute. Just focus on your breathing and it will be over before you know it.
The Results Are Worth It
For tongue piercing enthusiasts, successfully getting through the initial pain and healing period of a venom piercing is completely worth it. You get to have an edgy, unique piercing that makes a bold fashion statement. The sight of the horizontal barbell through the underside of the tongue is dramatic and eye-catching when you stick out your tongue.
The sensation of the long barbell through the sensitive tongue tissue also provides constant stimulation that many venom piercing fans enjoy. While the piercing hurts a lot initially, the joy of seeing the finished look and feeling the barbell in your tongue makes the fleeting pain worthwhile for most recipients.
Compare It to Childbirth
If you are really anxious about handling the pain, some women who have been through childbirth say the short piercing discomfort doesn’t compare to contractions and labor. The piercing pain only lasts for a few seconds, versus hours of extreme pain from giving birth. This quick and temporary piercing pain seems much more tolerable in comparison.
The Pain is Temporary
It helps to always remember that the pain and discomfort of getting any piercing is temporary. With proper aftercare, your tongue will heal quickly and the throbbing soreness will subside within a few weeks. Any pain you experience during the piercing or healing period will go away. Focus on the fact that it is short-term pain for a lifetime of enjoying a cool piercing.
Take Piercing Pain Over Chronic Pain
Those suffering from chronic migraine headaches, back pain, arthritis, or other ongoing pain conditions also report that the temporary discomfort of a piercing seems minor in comparison. They would much rather endure a quick piercing session than live with chronic agony daily.
You Can Handle It
Have faith in your own inner strength and resilience. If you prepare mentally, stay calm, use numbing spray, and employ pain management techniques, you can absolutely handle the piercing process. Take deep breaths and know that thousands of others have made it through this and you can too!
Conclusion
A venom tongue piercing does hurt quite a bit, rating between 5-8 on the standard pain scale. However, the piercing sensation only lasts for a few seconds. While the recovery period can also be uncomfortable for the first couple weeks, the pain does go away. Focusing on proper aftercare, using numbing agents, taking pain relievers, and employing other pain management techniques can ease your discomfort. If you really want this piercing for the unique look and sensation, don’t let the potential for pain deter you. The results are worth it for most venom tongue piercing fans.
