Shopping for tongue stud jewelry can be as fun as shopping for any other type of jewelry. Tongue studs are available in a wide variety of shapes, materials, and colors so you can pick out something that reflects your personality. If you are a novice to piercing, you may be surprised that tongue jewelry is also available in different sizes.
Tongue Jewelry Materials
Tongue studs are made with the same materials from which other body jewelry is made. Body jewelry is made from materials that your body will tolerant and not try to reject or cause infections. The metals that are most often used for body piercing include:
- Surgical Steel
- Titanium
- Gold Plated
- 14kt Gold
For people who may have trouble wearing metal jewelry or who want a tongue stud that is lightweight, they are also made with acrylic, which may be listed as bioplastic as well. When your tongue is first pierced, it is often recommended that you go with a lighter weight tongue ring because heavier metal ones can sometimes cause tissue damage.
The material the tongue stud jewelry is made from will also affect the price. Of course, 14kt gold is going to be your more expensive option and surgical steel or acrylic will usually be the least expensive.
Tongue Jewelry Sizes
If you are unfamiliar with body piercing, you may be surprised to learn that tongue jewelry comes in different sizes. The sizes usually refer to the length of tongue barbells. The most common barbell size is a 14 gauge 7/8-inch barbell, but it is recommended that a 14 gauge 5/8″ barbell be used for the initial piercing. Then once the piercing heals, you can then put in a 7/8″ size barbell. The lengths of tongue jewelry range from 3/8 of an inch up to one inch long.
The longer sizes are usually put in when the piercing is fresh to compensate for any swelling that occurs. Then, when the piercing is healed, the shorter lengths can be inserted. The shorter lengths are recommended because they reduce the chances of tissue infections and damage to your teeth from playing with or biting down on the jewelry.
Tongue Jewelry Styles
You can choose from a wide variety of tongue stud jewelry shapes, colors and some come with special features. You can buy plain barbell tongue jewelry or you can buy jewelry with gem settings, dangling settings, shaped in metal letters or you can buy studs that glow in the dark. For someone who really likes jewelry, they can buy different tongue rings to go along with their casual and formal outfits.
Just as with any other jewelry, you can find tongue jewelry to match your sense of style and personality.
