Tongue Piercing Aftercare

Tongue piercing has emerged as a fashion trend over the past few years and is immensely popular. Along with ear piercing, belly piercing and eyebrow piercing, it has gained worldwide popularity with more and more people opting to undergo this form of body piercing. It requires a lot of determination to pierce your tongue, because the idea of sticking a barbell through your tongue itself, scares the hell out of a lot of people. But most who opt for it, find sporting a pierced tongue 'cool' and 'funky'.

If you are still in the process of making up your mind to get your tongue pierced, then I would suggest you educate yourself well on the things that can go wrong, after you get your tongue pierced. It does not necessarily happen with everyone, but it would still be wiser to be informed of the consequences. There are many things that you need to do, as well as avoid, after you get your tongue pierced, a few of which are mentioned below.

Aftercare for Tongue Piercing

The most important point to keep in mind when piercing your tongue is, to get it done by a professional. This itself, reduces the risks involved to a great extent. To begin with, there is very little pain involved in getting your tongue pierced, since the tongue is all muscles. So, do not be paranoid about the pain, because if you do, it is obviously going to hurt you more than necessary. Make sure that a clean and hygienic barbell is being used for the piercing, to avoid infections. When the tongue is freshly pierced, it might appear perfectly normal, but may start swelling up within a few hours. To avoid this, initially the tongue is pierced with a longer barbell and then replaced with a barbell of a suitable size.

Once your tongue has been pierced you will have to survive on a liquid diet for a few days, until it heals completely. Normally it takes around 10-14 days to heal well. Developing an infection is considered to be nearly impossible because of the enzymes like lingual antimicrobial peptide and ptyalin contained in the mouth. These enzymes kill the infection causing bacteria, thus eliminating the possibility of developing an infection. The overuse of the mouthwash that you would be advised to use, can kill the useful bacteria in your mouth which may lead to the development of an infection. So, use the mouthwash in adequate quantities only twice a day. You may experience swelling, over salivation and difficulty in talking and eating. These problems will get better after two weeks from the day you get your tongue pierced. A number of complications can be avoided by following the aftercare tips, mentioned below.

• Always wash your hands with an antibacterial soap before touching the piercing.
• Clean the piercing once in the morning and once before going to bed with a solution of salt and water. Use a mouthwash not more than twice a day.
• To tackle the swelling, consume cold water at frequent intervals. You can also crush some ice cubes, place them on the pierced portion and allow them to melt without sucking.
• Go on a liquid diet, have fresh fruit juices or vegetable juices. Do not eat anything that is hard like chocolates and chips, ice cream would do though.
• Before going to bed, make sure that the barbells are tightened and are in place. Do not rotate or try to move the barbell.
• Do not indulge in activities like swimming, oral sex or smoking until the piercing has healed completely.
• Do not try to remove or pull off the barbell on your own.

Following these tips, you will be able to enjoy your new piercing in a matter of few days. Be patient and do not try to experiment with it. If you are not comfortable with the piercing, get it removed by the professional. Do not wait for the symptoms to worsen, consult a doctor if necessary. And most importantly, do not ignore the tongue piercing care regimen.