Snake Eye and Stingray Tongue Piercings: Why We Don't Do Them

As a professional piercing team, we regularly receive questions about special tongue piercings, such as the snake eye, stingray and frog eye . These piercings are noticeable, that's for sure. But did you know that they are also quite risky? In this blog, we explain why we at All Perfectly Pierced consciously choose not to do these specific piercings, and why that is a choice in your interest.

What are snake eye, stingray and frog eye piercings?

The snake eye piercing is a horizontal piercing that is done through the tip of the tongue — right through the two tongue muscles — with a curved barbell. When you stick out your tongue, the balls look like snake eyes. Hence the name.

The stingray piercing is a variation where the front of the tongue is pierced horizontally, but then on the underside. With the jewelry, the tongue looks like the shape of a stingray .

The frog eye piercing is also pierced horizontally in the front part of the tongue, but on the upper side.

As striking and aesthetic as these piercings may seem to some, they carry serious risks that we as professionals cannot ignore.

Why we advise against these piercings

1. Damage to tongue muscles and mobility

The tongue consists of multiple muscle bundles that cross each other. With a snake eye or stingray piercing, these muscle bundles are pierced right through. This can cause:

• Restriction in the mobility of the tongue (think of talking, swallowing and eating).
• Cramping or permanent damage to muscle tissue.
• Incorrect healing or adhesion of muscle layers.

A more extensive description of the extrinsic and intrinsic muscles of the tongue. From: Drake RL et al. Gray's Anatomy for Student.

Unlike a traditional vertical tongue piercing — which is placed between the muscle strands — these piercings literally go right through them, making safe placement anatomically impossible.

2. Risk of damage to important blood vessels (veins)

What many people do not know is that there are large veins on the underside of the tongue . These are called the vena lingualis profunda . They are essential for good blood circulation to the tongue tissue.

A snake eye or stingray piercing carries the risk of hitting these blood vessels, resulting in:

• Heavy post-operative bleeding.
• Blue discoloration or hematoma formation.
• In rare cases: permanent damage to the blood circulation in the tongue.

Especially with incorrect placement or if the anatomy of the tongue is not examined properly first, these complications can occur. Because these risks are inherent to the nature of the piercing, it is not responsible for us as a responsible piercer to perform them.

3. Tooth and gum problems

Both piercings are usually done with a barbell that is in constant contact with the back of the teeth and gums. This often leads to long-term:

• Receding gums (gingival recession).
• Wear or breakage of front teeth.
• Irritation or inflammation of the oral mucosa.

We regularly see people who regret these problems after a while, and unfortunately some forms of damage are irreversible.

Responsibility as a piercing shop

At All Perfectly Pierced, we believe in doing body modification responsibly and safely . That also means setting boundaries for what we do — even if it’s “in fashion” or gets a ton of views on TikTok.

Our mission is to help you get a piercing that you can enjoy for years to come, without unnecessary health risks.

So that also means: sometimes we say no . Not to hold you back, but to protect you.

Do you have any questions?

At All Perfectly Pierced, we stand for safe and responsible choices when it comes to piercings. Do you have questions about the risks of certain piercings or do you want to know more about what is and is not responsible? Please feel free to contact us. We always give you honest advice — based on knowledge, experience and care for your health.

Want to delve into the different piercing options? Then take a look at our blog about piercing types .

All Perfectly Pierced. Professional. Safe. Reliable.