In the world of body modification, there are piercings that follow established lines, and then there are those that create them. The snake eyes piercing is a piercing of the latter category—a bold, unconventional, and undeniably eye-catching statement.1 It creates the illusion of two separate piercings at the very tip of the tongue, like the mesmerising eyes of a serpent, giving it a unique and rebellious appeal. Its popularity, fueled by social media images, has led many to search for a studio offering a Snake Eyes Piercing in London.

However, behind the edgy aesthetic lies a profound and dangerous reality. This is not a standard piercing. It is a procedure that is universally condemned by every reputable professional piercing organisation across the globe, including the UKAPP. It is a piercing that carries an exceptionally high risk of severe and often irreversible complications.2

At midnightt, our ethos is built on an uncompromising commitment to our clients’ long-term health and well-being. Our reputation as a premier London studio is not just about the beauty of the piercings we create, but also about the piercings we have the professional integrity to refuse. This guide is our definitive and honest response to the trend of the snake eyes piercing. We believe in radical transparency. We will deconstruct exactly what this piercing is, provide an in-depth, evidence-based explanation of the significant dangers it poses to your oral health and bodily function, and explain why we, along with every other top-tier professional studio, will not perform it. Our goal is not to disappoint, but to educate and protect, and then to guide you towards the world of stunning, safe, and professionally executed alternatives.

Snake Eyes Piercing

Snake Eyes Piercing

Deconstructing the “Snake Eyes”: The Illusion and the Dangerous Reality

To understand why this piercing is so problematic, one must first understand what it is, anatomically speaking.

What is a Snake Eyes Piercing?

A snake eyes piercing is a single, straight or curved barbell that is inserted horizontally through the tip of the tongue.3 The two balls of the barbell sit on the top surface of the tongue, creating the illusion of two separate, symmetrical piercings—the “snake eyes.” The bar itself runs through the fleshy tissue that makes up the tip of the tongue. It is this single, connecting bar that is the source of all the severe and unavoidable complications associated with this piercing.

The Uncomfortable Truth: The Five Unavoidable Dangers

The desire for a Snake Eyes Piercing in London is understandable from a purely aesthetic point of view, but the functional and health risks are so severe that they cannot be ignored. An ethical piercer’s job is to protect their clients from harm, and these are the reasons why this piercing is considered fundamentally unsafe.

1. The Binding of Two Independent Muscles

This is the most significant and functionally damaging aspect of the piercing. Your tongue is not a single, solid muscle. It is a complex and brilliant piece of biological engineering, composed of two separate, long muscles (the genioglossus muscles) that are fused together down a central line. These two muscles are designed to work both in tandem and independently to allow for the incredible range of motion required for speech and eating. A snake eyes piercing drives a single, rigid bar through both of these independent muscles, effectively binding them together.

  • The Consequences: This unnatural binding can have several serious consequences. It can restrict the natural, independent movement of each side of your tongue, leading to a permanent or long-term lisp or other speech impediment.4 The muscles will be constantly fighting against the rigid bar, which can cause discomfort and a feeling of your tongue being “tethered.”5 It’s analogous to trying to walk with your shoelaces tied together—you can do it, but it’s unnatural, difficult, and restricts your proper function.

2. Extreme and Unavoidable Dental Damage

The placement of the jewellery at the very tip of the tongue means it is in constant, direct contact with the back of your teeth, particularly your lower incisors.6 The jewellery, whether it’s metal or plastic, is a foreign object that will cause damage over time.

  • Enamel Wear and Chipping: The balls of the barbell will constantly tap and rub against the back of your front teeth as you talk and eat. This is often an unconscious action. Over months and years, this constant friction will wear away your tooth enamel.7 Enamel is the protective outer layer of your teeth, and it does not grow back.8 This can lead to extreme tooth sensitivity, a higher risk of cavities, and a “thinning” appearance of the teeth.9 Furthermore, the risk of accidentally biting down hard on the metal ball and causing a significant chip or crack in a tooth is exceptionally high.10 This can lead to expensive and painful dental repair work.
Snake Eyes Piercing

Snake Eyes Piercing

3. Severe and Irreversible Gum Recession

In addition to damaging your teeth, the placement also puts your gums at significant risk.11 The balls of the barbell, particularly the one on the underside of the tongue, will rest and rub against your lower gum line (the gingiva).12

  • The Mechanics of Recession: This constant pressure and friction is a form of chronic trauma to the soft tissue of the gums. In response to this, the gum tissue will begin to recede, or pull away, from the base of the teeth. Gum recession is permanent. Like enamel, it does not grow back. This can lead to the exposure of the sensitive tooth root, increasing the risk of cavities at the root level, and can contribute to long-term periodontal disease and even tooth instability and loss.

4. A Healing and Aftercare Nightmare

Even if one were to ignore the long-term functional and dental risks, the piercing itself is notoriously difficult to heal.13

  • Excessive Movement: The tongue is the most mobile muscle in the human body. The constant movement required for talking and eating means the long barbell is always being pushed, pulled, and shifted within the healing channel, causing immense irritation.
  • The Impossibility of a Proper Downsize: With a standard vertical tongue piercing, we pierce with a long bar to accommodate swelling and then, after 1-2 weeks, we downsize it to a short, snug bar to minimise movement and protect the teeth. With a horizontal snake eyes piercing, a proper downsize is almost impossible. The bar must be long enough to span the width of the tongue, meaning there will always be excess length that can get caught and move, even after the swelling has gone.
  • High Risk of Infection: The prolonged and difficult healing process, combined with the high-bacteria environment of the mouth, means this piercing carries a very high risk of infection.14

5. Incompatibility with Your Anatomy

Unlike a standard tongue piercing, which is placed between the two major blood vessels, a horizontal piercing at the tip of the tongue has a higher risk of interfering with the complex vascular structure of the area, potentially leading to excessive bleeding.

The Professional Piercing Industry’s Unanimous Verdict

Given these severe and unavoidable risks, the professional piercing industry has reached a rare and unanimous consensus. Reputable organisations such as the UK Association of Professional Piercers (UKAPP) and the American Association of Professional Piercers (APP) universally condemn the snake eyes piercing as fundamentally unsafe and unethical to perform.1

The refusal to perform a Snake Eyes Piercing in London is the ultimate sign of a professional, reputable, and responsible studio. A piercer who agrees to perform this piercing is demonstrating a profound lack of knowledge, a disregard for your long-term health, or both. They are prioritising a small, short-term payment over their lifelong duty of care to you as a client. At midnightt, your long-term well-being is our only priority, which is why we will always refuse to perform this specific procedure.

Safe, Beautiful, and Professional Alternatives

Our refusal to perform a dangerous piercing does not mean we cannot help you achieve a bold and beautiful oral aesthetic. In fact, it means we can guide you towards options that are not only safe but are often even more aesthetically pleasing and versatile. When clients come to us asking for a Snake Eyes Piercing in London, our consultation is focused on introducing them to these expert alternatives.

Snake Eyes Piercing

Snake Eyes Piercing

The Professional’s Choice: “Venom Bites”

This is the true, professional, and safe alternative that gives a similar but arguably cooler aesthetic.

  • What They Are: Venom bites are two separate, vertical tongue piercings, placed symmetrically on each side of the tongue’s midline.16 Instead of one horizontal bar, you have two independent barbells.
  • Why They Are Safe:
    1. They Respect Your Anatomy: Because they are two separate piercings, they do not bind the two muscles of the tongue together. Each side of your tongue can move freely and naturally, completely eliminating the risk of speech impediments.
    2. They Can Be Placed Safely: A skilled piercer can place them vertically in the safe zones away from the major lingual arteries.
    3. They Can Be Downsized: Each barbell can be downsized to a perfectly snug fit after the initial swelling subsides, dramatically reducing the risk of dental and gum damage.
  • The Aesthetic: Many consider the look of venom bites to be superior to a snake eyes piercing. It is a more dynamic, powerful, and undeniably professional statement.

The Timeless Classic: The Central Tongue Piercing

A single, classic, vertical piercing on the midline of the tongue is a timeless and safe option. It has been popular for decades for a reason. When performed correctly and downsized properly, it carries minimal risk and is a beautiful, classic statement.

Other Creative Oral Placements

If you are looking for something unique and edgy, we can explore other safe options during your consultation:

  • The Tongue Web Piercing (Frenulum Linguae): A piercing through the small web of tissue under the tongue. It’s discreet, very low on the pain scale, and heals incredibly quickly.
  • Paired Lip Piercings (“Snake Bites”): If you love the symmetrical, double-piercing look, snake bites (one on each side of the lower lip) are a classic, safe, and powerful alternative.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. But I’ve seen photos of healed snake eyes piercings online. Why do you say they are so dangerous?

This is a classic case of “survivor bias.” You are only seeing the small handful of cases that, through sheer luck, have not yet resulted in a catastrophic failure. You are not seeing the thousands of people who have had to have them removed after chipping a tooth, developing a severe lisp, or suffering from painful gum recession. Just because some people get lucky does not negate the enormous and well-documented risks.

2. Can’t you just use a flexible plastic (PTFE) bar to make it safer?

No. While a flexible bar may slightly reduce the immediate risk of chipping a tooth, it does not solve the primary and most serious problem: it still binds the two independent muscles of the tongue together, risking speech impediments. Furthermore, PTFE is a porous material that can degrade over time and harbour more bacteria than implant-grade titanium, and it still causes gum recession. It is not a safe solution.

3. So, to be clear, will your studio perform a Snake Eyes Piercing in London under any circumstances?

No, absolutely not. Our commitment to your long-term health is our highest priority. We will never perform a procedure that is condemned by our professional organisations and is known to be fundamentally unsafe. It would be a violation of our professional ethics.

4. What should I do if I already have a snake eyes piercing and I’m now worried about it?

We are so glad you are now informed. The most responsible thing to do is to have it professionally removed to prevent any further damage. Do not attempt to remove it yourself, especially if it is irritated. Please book a “Jewellery Removal” or “Troubleshooting” consultation with us. We will provide a non-judgmental, safe, and clinical service to remove the jewellery for you with minimal trauma, allowing the tissue to heal.

5. How much would a safe alternative, like venom bites, cost?

The cost would be for two separate vertical tongue piercings. At a premier studio offering expert Piercing Services in London in 2025, you should expect to pay a service fee for each piercing (often with a discount for the second), plus the cost of the two separate implant-grade titanium barbells. A full, transparent quote would be provided during your consultation.

Snake Eyes Piercing

Snake Eyes Piercing

Conclusion

The snake eyes piercing is a powerful example of how an aesthetic trend can exist in direct opposition to the principles of safety and long-term health. While its look may be appealing, the unavoidable risks to your speech, teeth, and gums are simply too severe for any ethical professional to ignore.

Our refusal to perform a Snake Eyes Piercing in London is not a limitation of our skill; it is the ultimate expression of it. It is a testament to our deep knowledge of anatomy, our commitment to our professional code of ethics, and our unwavering dedication to your lifelong well-being. We invite you to book a complimentary consultation with our experts, not to discuss this specific procedure, but to explore the vast and exciting world of safe, beautiful, and professionally executed body art that we are proud to offer.