Pros and Cons of Frog Eyes and Snake Eyes Piercing

Both are horizontal tongue piercings, where the tongue piercing jewellery runs sideways through your tongue rather than a classic vertical equivalent.

They’re similar. But the frog and snake eyes piercings are also distinctive from each other in the following ways:

• Snake eyes tongue piercing - Single curved barbells through the very tip of the tongue, with the beads poking out on either side like a pair of unblinking reptilian eyes.
• Frog eye piercing - Basically the same thing but placed further back, nearer the centre of the tongue.

FYI, the terminology can be a bit of a free-for-all. Some piercers use the names interchangeably, while others draw a hard line between the snake eye and frog eye tongue piercing.

This is why it’s your safest bet to describe the specific placement to your piercer, rather than relying on the label.

Here’s the short and sweet showdown:

Placement -

The snake eyes piercing goes right at the tip of the tongue. The frog eyes piercing goes further back.

Jewellery -

Both typically use a barbell running horizontally across the tongue.

Frog and snake eye piercing risks -

Very similar, with both potentially causing the same core problems we’ll come on to shortly.

Professional opinion -

Most reputable piercers refuse both.

So, which one's safer? Truthfully, neither.

Both share the same piercing technique, cross the same muscle and put the same pressure on your teeth.

Your tongue isn't one lump of muscle. It's made of two muscle groups running side by side and joining down the middle. They're built to move independently. This is how you talk, chew, swallow and stick your tongue out.

And here’s where the trouble starts:

Vertical tongue piercing - Passes through the middle, which is the safest available spot

Horizontal tongue piercing - Goes across both sides, effectively stitching them together with metal

As a result, you could find yourself facing the following frog and snake eye piercing risks if you insist on having it done:

Muscle binding

Pinning the tongue’s two muscles together restricts natural movement. This can cause a permanent lisp, trouble chewing and swallowing, ongoing discomfort, or a tongue that just doesn't wag like it used to.

Frog and snake eye piercing teeth damage

This is the massive factor, because the beads and bar are right up against your lower front teeth and gumline. For this reason, every word you say and every bite you take causes a metal-on-tooth collision. This can result in worn enamel, chipped or cracked teeth and receding gums over time.

The bottom line is you might need extensive dental work to fix chipped teeth, costing you more than the original piercing. As for gums, they don't grow back once they've retreated, meaning you’ve got a continuously receding gumline and the issues that go with it.

Frog and snake eye piercing rejection and migration

Your tongue never stops moving as you talk, swallow, eat, and wiggle it when you’re concentrating. Your jewellery gets constantly jostled due to the tip’s close proximity to the surface, and your body might decide there’s an unwanted metal intruder in the building. So, what does it do? It starts pushing the jewellery out.

This can mean migration, tissue tearing or splitting, and scarring you didn't sign up for. The snake eyes piercing in particular has a really high rejection rate.

Nerves and blood vessels

A horizontal tongue piercing is a blind operation, which ups the risk of clipping a nerve or blood vessel. The fallout can be numbness, altered taste or heavy bleeding.

Speech and eating trouble

Some people we speak to report a lasting lisp, extra saliva or pain when chewing, which isn’t the aesthetic upgrade you’ve got in mind.

Unsurprisingly, many professional piercers turn frog and snake eyes down. This is a sign they know the risks outweigh the look.

On the other hand, a studio that's happy to take your money without a word of warning is a cause for concern.

No judgement. But it’s prime time for a reality check if you've already got a frog or snake eyes piercing, or you're on the verge:

Frog and snake eyes piercing pain -

Folks generally rate it as sharp, quick, and manageable, around a 4 or 5 out of 10.

Snake and frog eyes piercing healing time -

A real shitter. Expect excessive swelling in the first few days, a temporary lisp, and trouble eating and swallowing. Swelling usually starts easing in 5 -10 days. The external tissue takes about six to eight weeks to settle, but the inside can take months to heal.

Eating -

Focus on soft, cool and bland. Smoothies, yoghurt, cooled mashed potatoes or soup, then scrambled eggs and well-cooked pasta as the swelling starts going down. Whatever you do, avoid spicy, acidic, salty or very hot food. 

Also, skip crunchy or sticky stuff, which can catch on your barbell. And last but not least, chew slowly and deliberately, because biting the jewellery in the first few days is common.

Frog and snake eyes piercing aftercare -

Use LobeLove™ Professional Saline Piercing Spray after eating and drinking. It’s a professional-grade saline solution with zero preservatives and alcohol, so it's gentle enough to mist straight onto internal piercings like your tongue, lip or oral work. The 30ml non-aerosol spray bottle is small enough to live in your pocket or bag, so flushing out bacteria and gunk on the go takes two seconds flat.

Alcohol -

Steer clear for at least a couple of weeks. It thins the blood, intensifies the swelling, irritates the wound and slows healing. Better to temporarily abstain.

Smoking and vaping -

Do your absolute best to avoid them during snake or frog eyes piercing healing time. Nicotine reduces blood flow and can slow repair. Plus, both cigarettes and vapes can irritate fresh tissue.

Hands off -

No fiddling, twisting or playing with the jewellery, and no oral contact with anyone else while it heals. Yes, that means no snogging.

And if you get persistent pain, damage to your teeth or gums, signs of infection or heavy bleeding? See a professional piercer, dentist or doctor pronto.

It’s not all doom and gloom. Tongue tissue heals fast, thanks to a rich blood supply. So, a fresh frog or snake eyes piercing can start shrinking in minutes to hours if you take your jewellery out. But beware, reinsertion can be painful or even impossible.

Additionally, a healed frog or snake eyes tongue piercing can tighten significantly in 24 to 48 hours, and might fully seal in days to a week.

Two takeaways:

1. Don't count on a frog or snake eyes piercing staying open if you take it out just for a bit.
2. The answer is often no if you're wondering about leaving it out for a day and popping it back in later.

These things are well worth knowing before you book, especially if you've got a job interview, dentist appointment or wedding coming up.

In even better news, you can chase the double-bead aesthetic without wrecking your mouth. Here’s how:

• Venom bites piercing - Two separate vertical piercings, one on each side of the tongue, with their own straight barbells. You get two balls sitting on top of your tongue. But the muscles aren't tied together, so the risk of frog and snake eye piercing teeth damage is lower. This is the alternative most reputable piercers will point you towards if you won’t let the subject lie.
• Classic centre tongue piercing - A single vertical piercing through the tongue's midline is the safest and most established placement. It’s less dramatic than a frog or snake eyes piercing, but still totally cool.

Remember, these tongue piercing alternatives still call for a skilled piercer, quality jewellery and good aftercare. Safer isn't the same as risk-free, after all. So, ask questions.

A snake or frog eye piercing looks wild. But the price you pay can be high - and permanent.

On the other hand, a venom bites piercing or classic centre piercing give you the look without the regret.

Regardless, do your research, ask awkward questions and pick a piercer who'll tell it as it is.

And head to Stretch It Body Jewellery for everything you need to know about getting a frog or snake eyes piercing (if you really must), products and aftercare. It's the only place to be if you’re just starting out or if you've been in the body mod community for years.

This isn't medical advice, so always speak to a qualified piercer, your dentist or your GP before making any decisions about your body.