Simple GQ:
Are tongue rings as easy to remove as, say earrings?
Bonus IMHO question:
Assuming they can be removed, is it reasonable to expect someone to remove their tongue ring before interviewing for a professional position in a Fortune 500 company?
My company is pretty relaxed generally, particularly in the (lack of a) dress code, but somehow wearing a tongue ring to a “serious” interview seems somehow wrong. Maybe I am just an old fart.
I have found my tongue ring to be removable for stretches of months at a time. Replacing it is a hassle, as it requires some force and could produce some blood. I have had my tongue pierced for 5 years. YMMV
Re: Tongue jewelry and interviews. I think it’s reasonable to expect an interviewee to remove any and all “extreme” jewelry. I, however, did not. Partly because I forgot, but mostly because my mouth is constructed somehow that makes it difficult for people to notice my tongue until I laugh out loud.
Answer: It depends.
In general, I would say, no. Soon (say, a year) after my wife had hers put in, she removed it for an hour to go to the dentist (family dentist who would have freaked out … it would have “reflected badly” upon her mother, etc.) and nearly didn’t get it back in. Now, several years later, she can take it out for hours at a stretch, if needed, without any reinsertion difficulties.
So, it probably depends on a) your tongue b) how long it’s been in c) the gauge of the bar (I imagine smaller gauges would be easier).
Be careful of one thing though – can you talk with it out? Just as it was an adjustment to learn how to talk normally after she had it put in, my wife now has a hell of a time talking normally when she takes it out.
They do make clear plastic ones that aren’t very visible once in. This would keep the hole open and enable the wearer to talk normally, I suppose (I don’t know, as I have no piercings).
I went into a Krispy Kreme restroom recently to discover an employee who appeared to be driving a transparent plastic pop riviet through his tongue. Once he got it in and could talk normally he explained that he had to put a clear one in for work. According to him, it’s Krispy Kreme regulation.
Just wanted to pop in with a reminder: the higher the gauge number, the thinner the bar or wire. Gauges in the high 20s to 30s are like dental floss. I think 10-12 is about as wide as the diameter of the lead in pencils.
what about an eyebrow ring? I just my eyebrow pierced, and although I’m not worried about it right now ( I work on campus, so strange piercings are pretty much the norm) but what about later, I mean like in a couple of years? is it something I could take out for a day of work, and then put back in at night without any problems?
well, the main issue with tongue piercings (or oral piercings in general) is they seal up rather quickly unless (as toadspittle pointed out) you’ve had the piercing for a rather long time. At the same time, you can take the jewelry out for a few hours (give or take) and it can be reinserted by a body piercer, who has the appropriate hardware. As far as the clear jewelry is concerned, the main issue with this acrylic/lucite jewelry is 1) unless it’s from a reputable source, it might not be made out of dental-quality acrylic, which means the durability is a lot less… 2) on a majority of people, it’s rather noticeable… this type of jewelry is good for very short occasions, but is not particularily suitable for everyday use. As far as retainers for other piercings are concerned, it’s pretty difficult to hide an eyebrow piercing, clear lucite/acrylic is just slightly less noticeable. At the same time, eyebrow piercings (after being healed for a year or so) are pretty good about not closing up in short periods of time. However, removing and re-inserting this jewelry every night is pretty rough on a piercing, so your mileage may vary. Ultimately, you may have to make the decision between keeping a piercing and keeping a specific job, it’s happened to me before.