The snakes eye piercing is one of the most popular snake piercing styles. It looks very unusual and gives your appearance a quirky touch. While it is not the fastest to heal or the least painful to get, it is definitely worth the effort. Besides, you can play around with jewelry options and match it to your taste, style and even mood. To help you get a better idea of what the snake eye piercing is and how to get it successfully, we have prepared this insightful guide.

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What Is a Snakes Eye Piercing?

What Is a Snakes Eye Piercing?
by @icopiercing

The snake eyes piercing is a type of a horizontal tongue piercing that you get by puncturing two symmetrical holes through the tip of your tongue. You usually insert a curved barbell into the puncture. Yet, other options are also available. The main condition is that the jewelry should have balls on its ends. So, when the tongue is visible, the piercing replicates the eyes of a snake. It is not among the most popular mouth piercings, which is rather a benefit than a drawback, as it allows you to stand out in the crowd with your unique piercing style.

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Snake Eyes Or Snake Bites?

Snake Eyes Or Snake Bites?
by @icopiercing

The snake eye piercing is often called the snake bites tongue piercing. While both styles imply getting two piercings at the same distance from the center of your mouth, they are not the same thing. Unlike snake eyes piercings, for the snake bite piercing tongue is not what you get punctured but your bottom lip is. That is why calling it the snake bites tongue piercing is not very accurate. Besides, the punctures are located closer to the mouth corners, not the center. In this way, they imitate the fangs of the snake. The jewelry options also differ. For the snake eyes piercings, you use a curved barbell, whereas the snake bite piercing allows for studs, rings and barbells.

Snake Piercing Jewelry Guide

Talking of jewelry. As we already mentioned, curved piercing barbells are the most suitable option for the snake tongue piercing. While it may feel like you are a bit limited in choice, that is not true. You can play around with the material type, color and style of the beads, thus customizing a unique snake piercing to match your taste and fit your budget.

It is important to pay enough attention to the choice of the material for your snake eyes tongue piercing, as it may touch the gums and teeth, thus affecting them. If this is the initial jewelry, then opt for gold or implant grade materials. In this way, your main options include:

  • Gold. Gold is one of the most popular materials for mouth piercing even though it is not one of the most affordable. If you decide to choose it for your snakeyes piercing, make sure it is not lower than 14K. Yet, avoid options that contain overlay and alloys, such as gold overlay and vermeil. Also, steer clear of filled and gold plated jewelry.
  • Surgical steel. Implant grade steel is also a common option for the snake eye tongue piercing. However, there may be nickel and other alloys in it, which can cause an allergic reaction. So, keep that in mind.
  • Titanium. The main advantage titanium offers you is that it is unlikely to cause allergy, as it does not contain nickel. Besides, it is a budget friendly option since it is even cheaper than steel.
  • Niobium. Niobium is also inexpensive and friendly for sensitive skin. Plus, it is pretty light. The only potential drawback is that it is not implant grade designated.

The cost for snake piercing tongue jewelry varies depending on the type of material and whether it has embellishments. Thus, the price of a solid niobium barbell starts from $6, while a 14K gold barbell with diamonds may cost you anywhere from $80 to infinity. That said, an average snake eye tongue piercing cost ranges between $30 and $120.

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Snakes Eye Piercing Aftercare And Possible Risks

Snakes Eye Piercing Aftercare And Possible Risks
by @icopiercing

Pain level

One of the main concerns people who are pondering the snakeyes piercing have is how much it is going to hurt. And it goes without saying that it will hurt, considering that unlike, for example, the snake bite piercings tongue is punctured broadwise for the snake eyes. So, you may expect it to hurt more than, say, nose or ear piercing. Yet, it is going to be less painful than genital or nipple piercing. Like with other piercing types, your pain threshold is what affects how painful the snake eye piercing is going to be to a large extent.

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Healing

Although the healing time of snake eyes piercing is not the longest among all mouth piercings, you will still have to wait around two months or even longer until it heals completely. However, this term may be extended if you do not take care of your snakeyes piercing properly.

Aftercare

While your piercer should instruct you in taking care of your new tongue piercing, you should make sure to do the following:

  1. Rinse your mouth after meals and drinks with an alcohol free saline solution to avoid infection and irritation.
  2. Adjust your diet by cutting down on hot, acidic and spicy foods during the healing process.
  3. Switch the jewelry for a smaller size as soon as the tongue is no longer swollen. Yet, make sure to entrust this task to your piercer.

Infection

Sometimes, even if you do everything right, you still cannot prevent infections from occurring. As a result, your tongue may get more swollen than it should and thus, it may become impossible to eat or even speak. So, if you have noticed that your tongue has become so swollen that it creates too much discomfort, you should immediately contact your piercer. Other signs of the developing infection are sharp prolonged pain and abnormal redness. Discoloration of the tongue is another concern that you should not ignore. It may become yellow, green, purple or black, which means that there is a serious infection. No matter what symptoms you have, you should not postpone your visit to the piercer or even a doctor.

The snakes eye piercing takes you to the spotlight wherever you go even though it is inside your mouth. It is bold, daring and incredibly attractive. Yet again, proper aftercare is essential for successful snake eye piercing healing. So, do not neglect it.

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FAQ

How long until you can eat properly after a tongue piercing?

You are unlikely to be able to chew hard and solid food during the first couple of weeks after you have had your piercing done. Before that, soft and blended food, like smoothies, are your way to go.

How do I know if my tongue piercing is healing properly?

Even though the healing period of tongue piercing may be pretty individual, there is still a general timeline that you can check with:

1-3 Days: You will experience irritation and soreness around your piercing spot.
4-10 Days: The piercing will still be inflamed, while the tongue will be swollen.
10-30 Days: The wound will start to heal.
4-6 weeks: The piercing will heal completely.

What piercings look good with snake bites?

There are a few jewelry styles that work for snake bite piercing. You can choose either labret studs or rings. The studs usually feature beads or gems, while rings may be plain or also have adornments.

Can you feel a tongue piercing when kissing?

Both you and your partner may feel the tongue piercing during kissing and other intimate activities, which may spice up the game and give you some really amazing sensations.

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