An autopsy technician has revealed what happens to your piercings once you pass away, and there’s one particular piercing that receives special treatment.

While many of us ponder the mysteries of what comes after life—be it a spiritual afterlife, reincarnation, or simply nothingness—there’s a more tangible question for those adorned with body art: what becomes of our piercings when we die?

Fortunately, unlike some of the more profound mysteries surrounding death, this question can be answered by someone with firsthand experience.

The expert in question is Gerald Ledford, an autopsy technician who shares insights from his profession with his 1.4 million TikTok followers under the handle @big_led73.

Gerald regularly posts about the various aspects of his job, guiding his audience through the process that bodies undergo after death.

Curious followers often engage with his content, and one burning question that seems to pop up frequently in the comments is about the fate of their piercings after death.

Their concern is clear: “What about piercings. When I die I absolutely need to keep every single one. Facial and body piercings.”

It turns out, most piercings remain untouched, allowing you to take your cherished adornments with you into the afterlife, much like a Saxon king buried with his treasures or wearing your favorite earrings to the eternal gala.

He addressed the concern directly: “You worried I’m going to take your piercings out and you don’t get to take them with you?”

However, he pointed out there is one exception to this rule.

“The only one that I take out is your tongue ring,” Gerald explained. “I remove your tongue during an autopsy – we need to check if you didn’t bite down on it, or to see if there are drugs hidden at the back of your throat.”

Thus, except for the tongue piercing, all other piercings such as those on the nipples, nose, ears, eyebrows, and private parts remain in place.

The revelation sparked a flurry of comments from viewers.

One astonished viewer remarked: “So you’re telling me every time I’ve been to a funeral, the person was just chilling with no tongue and I didn’t know.”

Another was in disbelief: “Wait – you take out the tongue? Can I sign a no tongue removal clause?”

A third queried in shock: “Wait! What? Everyone’s tongue is removed?”

A fourth expressed a sentiment many could relate to, noting: “Well… that’s something I didn’t need to learn today.”