I cut off part of my tongue — now I’m a much better kisser

Her tongue is out of kiss world.

An influencer cut off part of her tongue in order to “improve” her kissing skills — and now she says that her love life is better than ever.

Rochelle Garett, who is known as Xehli G online, revealed that she has had her lingual frenulum chopped off, which is the tissue that attaches your tongue to the bottom of your mouth.

”[Until I had the surgery], I felt like I had never kissed anyone for real,” the 22-year-old told Jam Press.

She claimed that her lingual frenulum has always been short and that her pediatrician actually recommended that she have the surgery many years ago.

She said that it made her speech “compromised,” something that she was harassed for a lot at a young age.

It also meant that she was trolled online for the way that she spoke.

“I was bullied when I was younger because my speech was very compromised, and when I started making videos for the internet, all the comments and teasing came back,” she said.


Rochelle Garett underwent the painful surgery to get her lingual frenulum cut off.
Rochelle Garett underwent painful surgery to get her lingual frenulum cut off.
Jam Press Vid/CO Press Office

Rochelle Garett displays the before (left) and after of the removal of her lingual frenulum.
Rochelle Garett displays the before (left) and after of the removal of her lingual frenulum.
Jam Press/CO Press Office

She posted about her tongue surgery journey on social media.
She posted about her tongue surgery journey on social media.
XEHLI G/Instagram

Garett said that her mouth problems made her insecure and unable to flirt or even enjoy kissing – but that’s something she can do without a problem now — and she couldn’t be more thrilled about it.

”It [kissing] has been much better than any other kiss I’ve ever given in my life,” she told Jam Press. ”Now it seems that my tongue is loose when kissing – before it was blocked.”

In particular, she revealed, she’s much better at touching tongues now.


The influencer said that kissing is so much better now.
The influencer said that kissing is so much better now.
Jam Press/CO Press Office

”Whoever kissed me before must think that I didn’t know what I was doing,” the influencer admitted.

In addition to causing speech problems, having a short lingual frenulum – also known as a tongue tie, according to Healthline – can also affect the way that someone eats and drinks.

Garett explained that her mom didn’t want her to have the surgery when she was young because she was worried about her pain levels.


She said that she feels much more confident since getting the surgery.
She said that she feels much more confident since getting the surgery.
Jam Press/CO Press Office

She explained that her pediatrician wanted her to get the surgery when she was younger.
She explained that her pediatrician wanted her to get the surgery when she was younger.
XEHLI G/Instagram

“When I grew up, I was afraid to do it and that’s why it took me so many years,” she claimed.

However, Garett made it through the painful procedure, which she documented on Instagram, and is now extremely happy with the results – and can get on with her kissing.

”It’s a really unique feeling,” she gushed to Jam Press.

Garett is not the first person to have altered her body in such a way – in December, one TikToker had his belly button surgically removed.

And in 2018, a Columbian man chopped off his ears and his nose – even going so far as to say that he wanted his genitals removed.