Tongue splitting advice
Heavy body modification has gone on for centuries, probably millenia; evolving and everlasting. Pain is considered to be part of the process for tongue splitting – if you aim to get a tongue split, like a big crazy snake, we have the advice.
Tongue splitting, also known as tongue forking (or tongue bifurcation) is just that – splitting your tongue in two. Or three, or four, maybe – but that’s another story.
Tongue splitting procedures
1. Tongue splitting as a surgical procedure
In some cases, the procedure is fulfilled in the use of medical procedures. In short, a scalpel. In some hands, lasers could be used too. After the practitioner cuts the tongue in half, they suture (sewing as a medical procedure, not arts and crafts) the sides’ ends back together. This method of tongue splitting is probably the safest, easiest, and shortest way possible. There will be less bleeding involved, and the likelihood of the tongue growing back to its former natural glory is smaller. Seems easy, huh? Simple. Yet the costs are great. Offhand you’d be looking to save up for an operation that would cost in the region of twenty to twenty five hundred. Regardless of your location, just assume that tongue splitting costs are high. It’s a heavy body modification.
2. Tongue splitting in your local piercing parlour
Hold still! There’s other ways out of it. Cheaper, yes, but the risks are sure to be high. You could go to your local piercing tailors and have them do it for you. Or find someone with some medical experience. Just make sure the utensils are clean and sterile! Mookychicks and Mookydukes also need to have a good long think about their levels of pain tolerance when considering this procedure.
It is possible to go for tongue splitting if you already have a tongue piercing. Threading a thread through the piercing and binding it would be the procedure. You’d need some pain tolerance for this one and it would take some time, depending on how tight you choose the thread to be. Obviously, if you’re serious about having a tongue splitting procedure you’ll be wanting to have a good long chat with the people who count, regardless of whether or not you already have a tongue piercing.
Do be aware that no practitioner, whether a doctor or an accredited piercer, will even think of doing a heavy modification on someone who is under 18.
3. DIY Tongue splitting
Just forget about it. We don’t care what the internet says. Screw the internet. This is one body modification you want done by a professional, expenses be damned. This is your tongue, okay? You use it for speaking, kissing, eating. Three ridiculously important things you don’t want to have adversely affected for the rest of your life. Don’t forget that blood poisoining and other nasties can be fatal – and your mouth has more bacteria than a toilet. If you even consider DIY tongue splitting, Mooky Towers will send a Bengal tiger round your house to have a quiet discussion with you on the dangers of DIY tongue splitting. The tiger will put across its views most forcefully.
Healing guidelines for tongue splitting
Each person has a different biological make-up so healing can vary wildly from person to person. Your best bet, to be more certain of healing times, would be to hop on the forum of a piercing community and read everybody’s advice and personal experiences of tongue splitting.
The healing times for either of the tongue splitting procedures above could be in the region of two or so weeks. Be aware that during the healing process your diet will have to change. Soft foods like yogurt and apple sauce (think soup and baby food thoughts) are recommended while you’re recovering from the tongue splitting. Speech will be difficult. D’s and t’s will be some of the hardest letters to enunciate clearly. You can also expect some lost taste buds. Going to speech therapy will definitely speed up the healing process in terms of getting used to speaking clearly with a split tongue.
Be aware that if you get a tongue split, people will notice your mouth all the time – even if you are just licking your lips or yawning. Be prepared for non-stop attention for the rest of your life. You know what they say about having too much of a good thing…
Have a look at this. A lovely boy did us all a favour and put his tongue splitting diary up on the interwebs to give curious people an idea of what might lie in store for them while their tongue split heals.
Things to watch out for during healing
Times to visit the doctor (again!) are if your tongue: swells, turns colour, and/or if you can’t feel it.
Removing a tongue splitting
Tongue reversal would be a case of having the tongue sewn back together. It is said to be more painful than the tongue splitting process itself. So why make a decision like forking your tongue if you’re going to go back on it? Tongue splitting isn’t a game, gentlemen and ladies – it’s not a procedure to attempt unless you’re certain you want it for keeps.
Recommended tongue splitting links:
Tribalectic forums (piercing community and major info resource)
BMEzine have loads of info and resources on tongue splitting/bifurcation once you register
Alt model Sakura gets her tongue split – One Metal
We are being nice to you by only showing you a happy pretty picture of tongue splitting If you google for tongue splitting images you will see far… more. Not for the faint-hearted.
Main photo: ioerror, CC BY-SA 2.0
