Rose Tongue only came on the scene in the 1980s and yet are the third most popular of all piercing behind ears and nostrils.
Tongue rings quickly became popular with people after they first came onto the scene in the 1980s. This is probably for several different reasons. The biggest one being that they are actually quite easily conceal when necessary. “No-see-um beads,” which are flat flesh color barbells, combine with careful speaking make them nearly invisible in day-to-day life.
Tongue rings are one of the gender-neutral piercings available today. They are not consider male or female piercings, and both sexes enjoy the look of having one. With the huge variety of barbells to choose from, people can use this piercing to accessorize their outfit quickly and easily.
Of course, the term “tongue rings” is very misleading since rarely is a tongue piercing adorned with a ring. The most common piece of jewelry for the tongue is a barbell. Today the barbells come in varying lengths and diameters to fit every tongue. Unlike many piercings where “wiggle room” is desired if not needed, a tongue piercing once healed should have a snug fitting barbell in place.
Correctly fitting tongue rings help with several areas of this piercing. First, because they fit snug to the tongue there is less of a chance that the metal barbell will damage the teeth. In fact, less than 5% of people with this piercing have reported dental damage caused by their tongue rings. Snugly fitting jewelry also prevents migration of the piercing in the tongue.