Oral Hygiene Habits of the Interesting: L.A. Ink's Kat Von D

Q: Do you have any oral piercings?

A: I do not have any piercings at all (believe it or not!), with the exception of my left ear lobe. When it comes to piercings, I am quite the wuss! Even though both industries (tattoo and piercing) revolve around usage of needles, both worlds are very different from one another.

Q: Have you heard that oral piercings can affect one's ability to chew, talk, swallow or eat?

A: Although I'm not a professional piercer, from the little knowledge I have on the subject, oral piercings can affect your ability to chew, talk, eat, etc. I know especially with tongue piercings, often times people experience a bit of wear on the enamel, and in some cases actual chipping. But, that is not to say it happens to everyone who has their tongue pierced.

Q: Have you ever done a tattoo in someone's mouth?

A: I have tattooed the inside of people's lips. This is more of a novelty tattoo considering its not one that most people will ever see. I have the word "Truth" tattooed on the inside of my lip. These tattoos tend to heal practically overnight because your face has much higher circulation than other parts of your body. With the difference in texture, this part of your body doesn't lend itself to detail. So on an artistic level, one should never expect to be too impressed with detail, and hence why I chose to get a simple word tattooed on mine. Also, this is definitely not a very common place for a tattoo.

Q: Have you ever tattooed someone's tongue?

A. I've never tattooed a tongue, and in all honesty, the idea sounds a bit unnecessary. The texture of your tongue seems like a ridiculous place for a tattoo. As for your body's ability to maintain pigment on your tongue... well, I have a hard time envisioning that lasting.

Q: If you were not a tattoo artist you would be...

A: I have no idea -- but I know I would be creating with my hands. The act of creation is by far my biggest form of inspiration whether it is through tattooing, drawing, sewing, playing music, writing, or building things.