After getting your tongue pierced, hopefully by a professional, you need to exercise some precautionary steps for tongue piercing aftercare in order to aid the process of healing, reduce the discomfort and avoid infection.
Aftercare for tongue piercing is important because the tongue is likely to become swollen and tender a few hours after being pierced. The pain is generally more in the morning. The best course of action in this regard is to place crushed ice on the tongue and let it melt. Ice helps to reduce the swelling and pain.
Because of tongue’s exceptional healing ability, tongue piercing healing time is usually 4 to 6 weeks but it may vary from one individual to another, depending on a number of factors like the type of jewelry used, aftercare and health in general.
Resolving Doubts Related To Aftercare for Tongue Piercing
Youngsters going for tongue piercing often have queries like “how long should I wait to smoke after a tongue piercing”, “should I use a special toothpaste now that my tongue is pierced”, “What if you burn your tongue and its pierced”, “is hydrogen peroxide bad for tongue piercings” and numerous other doubts .
Tongue piercing aftercare guidelines recommend not to smoke for at least one week after the piercing to avoid further troubles. In addition, do not drink alcoholic beverages until the swelling goes away. Avoid kissing and do not indulge in oral sex during the healing period.
Plus, you will have to subsist on soft foods and liquid diet (like mashed potatoes, soups, broths etc) for about a week. Stay away from spicy and crunchy foods. Tongue piercing is also likely to affect your speech, especially during the first 2-3 days.
As for doubts regarding yellow tongue after piercing, it is normal to have a yellow film on the surface of the tongue 2-3 days after piercing. Some believe this happens because of overuse of mouthwash. The problem mostly resolves within a few days.
Though, yellow discharge from tongue accompanied by severe swelling is more often than not, a sign of infection due to negligence towards tongue piercing aftercare.
You will have to take antibiotics advised by a doctor to get rid of tongue piercing infection. A small amount of whitish discharge, however, is not a big issue as it is just a collection of dead blood cells that are unable to form scab on the wound because of saliva.
Hydrogen peroxide is often considered bad for tongue piercings because it tends to disrupt the natural process of healing. Under normal circumstances, it is better to rely on the “good bacteria” naturally present in the saliva to avoid infections.
As for the toothpaste, it is better to use a gentle toothpaste that does not burn after tongue piercing. In case you burn your tongue severely after piercing, you should consult the piercer as soon as possible.
To avoid burning sensation, avoid having extremely hot foods and beverages. The use of mouthwash containing alcohol may also cause some stinging or burning sensation.
Practice good oral hygiene, switch to a new toothbrush with soft bristles and rinse the mouth with a non alcohol antiseptic mouthwash (preferably, dilute it with water) several times in a day, especially after eating.
You can gradually reduce the frequency of mouthwash rinses after two weeks. Needless to add, monitor your piercing (but do not play with it!) to help detect complications as soon as possible. Follow the instructions of the piercer and adopt proper tongue piercing aftercare measures until the wound heals completely.
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