Although it's considered pretty normal to get a bit of body art nowadays, tongue tattoos are still considered pretty unusual.
Somewhat surprisingly, an inked tongue apparently ranks fairly low on the pain scale - with armpits and inner elbows ranking as among the most wince-worthy - however, the very thought will leave some feeling a little squeamish.
Now a tattoo artist has offered a bit of insight into what exactly goes into an inked tongue, which will no doubt cause a shudder among those with a poor gag reflex.
In footage that has since sparked a number of fascinated questions and queries, the artist demonstrated how they clean a person's mouth out with a squirty liquid, giving it a good scrub before getting cracking with the ink.
Get the news you want straight to your inbox. Sign up for a Mirror newsletter here.
The video - from the @tattoosoftruth TikTok account - has clocked up more than 37.6k likes and counting.
Although it's unclear exactly what the finished artwork looks like, the unnamed client looks pretty happy with the result, beaming as they spit out excess fluid into the sink.
Usually, videos about quirky tattoos would attract comments about what it looks like, or how agonising it must have been. However, people just couldn't stop wondering about one thing in particular: the taste.


One person wrote: "Did he use old green soap?? Lmao must’ve tasted awesome."
Another said: "The reason question is……. WHAT DID IT TASTE LIKE?"
Some were also jokingly concerned about how awkward it would be to make eye contact with the artist while they were cleaning your tongue like a bit of carpet.
However, a good number weren't put off at all and a few were even inspired to head down to the studio in Brisbane, Australia for a tongue tat of their own.
Foodies should be warned however that tongue ink does carry some risks, including the potential to affect your taste buds.
Paediatric dentist Jonelle Anamelechi told Healthline: "Your taste buds have taste receptor cells, designed for different types of taste experiences, like bitter, sour, salty, or sweet.
"A tattoo punctures, damages, and sometimes kills those cells, changing your perception of taste.”
Do you have a tattoo-related story? We pay for stories. Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com