How to Change a Tongue Piercing
Wash your hands., Rinse your mouth., Position yourself in front of a large mirror to help guide you., Stick out your tongue., Hold one ball of the barbell., Unscrew the other ball of the barbell., Remove the barbell., Reverse the process to put in a...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Wash your hands.
Your hands should be clean to handle a piercing, even after it heals.
Wash your hands with clean water and antibacterial soap.
Dry your hands well afterwards – dry hands allow you to gain a better grip so that the piercing doesn't slip out of your fingers. -
Step 2: Rinse your mouth.
Rinse your mouth with a saline solution – use a mixture of warm water and salt (warm water will dissolve salt better than cold water).
You can also use an anti-bacterial mouthwash, if your piercing is healed. , Once you get used to changing your piercing you can do it without looking.
For now, however, it will help to be able to see what you’re doing. , Stick your tongue out as far as you can – this will minimize your risk of swallowing part of the piercing if you drop it.
If you’re changing your piercing over the sink, close the drain first so you don’t lose any parts you drop. , Grasp the ball on the bottom of your tongue with your non-dominant hand.
Hold it steady.
If you can’t get a good grip, try holding it with a piece of paper towel or clean cloth.Some barbells have balls that only unscrew on one end, and others have two balls that can unscrew.
Know which one yours is before trying to change your piercing, so you know which ball to unscrew. , Twist the top ball to the left with your dominant hand.
Unscrew it completely and remove it from the barbell.
Be careful not to swallow any piece of your jewelry., Gently slide the barbell out of your tongue, removing the entire piece of jewelry.If you’re doing this in the bathroom, be sure you don’t accidentally drop it down the sink drain. , Insert your new piece of jewelry through the piercing.
Do this right away so your piercing doesn’t start to close up.
Make sure both balls are screwed on tightly.If the piercing hole feels tight, swish some warm to hot water in your mouth; this may loosen your piercing up and make inserting the new jewelry easier. -
Step 3: Position yourself in front of a large mirror to help guide you.
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Step 4: Stick out your tongue.
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Step 5: Hold one ball of the barbell.
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Step 6: Unscrew the other ball of the barbell.
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Step 7: Remove the barbell.
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Step 8: Reverse the process to put in a new piercing.
Detailed Guide
Your hands should be clean to handle a piercing, even after it heals.
Wash your hands with clean water and antibacterial soap.
Dry your hands well afterwards – dry hands allow you to gain a better grip so that the piercing doesn't slip out of your fingers.
Rinse your mouth with a saline solution – use a mixture of warm water and salt (warm water will dissolve salt better than cold water).
You can also use an anti-bacterial mouthwash, if your piercing is healed. , Once you get used to changing your piercing you can do it without looking.
For now, however, it will help to be able to see what you’re doing. , Stick your tongue out as far as you can – this will minimize your risk of swallowing part of the piercing if you drop it.
If you’re changing your piercing over the sink, close the drain first so you don’t lose any parts you drop. , Grasp the ball on the bottom of your tongue with your non-dominant hand.
Hold it steady.
If you can’t get a good grip, try holding it with a piece of paper towel or clean cloth.Some barbells have balls that only unscrew on one end, and others have two balls that can unscrew.
Know which one yours is before trying to change your piercing, so you know which ball to unscrew. , Twist the top ball to the left with your dominant hand.
Unscrew it completely and remove it from the barbell.
Be careful not to swallow any piece of your jewelry., Gently slide the barbell out of your tongue, removing the entire piece of jewelry.If you’re doing this in the bathroom, be sure you don’t accidentally drop it down the sink drain. , Insert your new piece of jewelry through the piercing.
Do this right away so your piercing doesn’t start to close up.
Make sure both balls are screwed on tightly.If the piercing hole feels tight, swish some warm to hot water in your mouth; this may loosen your piercing up and make inserting the new jewelry easier.
About the Author
Elizabeth Morgan
Experienced content creator specializing in pet care guides and tutorials.
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