You must be so excited about your tongue piercing because you cant wait to show it off to your friends and colleagues at work!
But wait; do you know how to take care of a tongue piercing so that it heals properly? Well, your piercer must have told you that it is likely to heal in a fortnights’ time.
You will also be educated about how to clean it and what to watch out for. In addition to the obvious care tips, here are certain things on how to take care of a tongue piercing you can do as part of your daily routine to help your tongue piercing heal! 🙂
Here You Go:
No hot or spicy foods for at least two weeks. There is plenty of time later to enjoy this. If you are wondering why, it is because your tongue can swell up for a few days after the piercing is done and hot or spicy stuff can irritate it.
Avoid coffee, tea and other hot beverages.
Stock up on cold food items. For example: ice cream, chilled yogurt, ice cubes etc. As soon as you wake up in the morning, the swelling is at its worst. Now is the time to take a few sips of chilled water. It soothes the swelling and brings down the pain. Cold stuff keeps the swelling from getting worse.
The moment you get the piercing done, resolve to eat soft foods like mashed veg, fruits, etc.
Be careful to take small bites. Special care must be taken when you chew to avoid accidentally knocking your teeth against the tongue stud or ring, creating pain and also risking tooth damage.
Cut down on alcohol intake as it slows healing. Some people think alcohol heals and this is not true! 😉
Don’t even touch undiluted mouthwash! Apart from feeling uncomfortable, it kills the bacteria that help in healing and even worse, gives you mouth sores. Opt for antibacterial lozenges to suck on so that you can avoid infection.
Check to see whether your jewelry is screwed on tight. Remember your hands must be totally clean when you do this!
Use germicidal soap to wash your hands.
Clean any plaque on the jewelry.
Forget kissing and oral sex until your piercing heals completely! 😉
Once the piercing heals, you can go in for the right sized jewelry. Do not retain the initial longer ring as it can irritate the teeth. Get it done by your piercer!
Well, this is about it! These steps on how to take care of a tongue piercing will definitely help you enjoy yourself!