Most people who have had a tongue piercing describe it as an erotic experience and never regret getting one!
It certainly looks very cool and unusual, though it is quite popular. You need to make sure that the tongue piercing healing process is complete if you truly want to enjoy your tongue piercing. It is no fun suffering from infections!
The good news is that it does not take very long to heal; your tongue piercing healing can take just about four to six weeks, although some people are lucky enough to heal in just two weeks!
Since the tongue is a muscle that is rich in blood vessels, it helps in speeding up the healing process. There is an enzyme called ptyalin, which along with a substance called lingual antimicrobial peptide, kills bacteria. You must take care not to use too much mouthwash since that can prevent the bacteria from doing its job of healing.
Another good thing about tongue piercing healing is that the process of getting the piercing done is not too painful. The needle does the piercing smoothly and quickly. One thing to watch out for is swelling and tenderness, so an expert piercer would use a longer barbell to accommodate this. Don’t be worried about the swelling as it will go down gradually. In fact, you may find it tough to speak or eat regular food. During the tongue piercing healing, it is better to eat soft food like mashed potatoes, soft fruit and shakes.
The glands that produce saliva in your mouth will be on an overdrive and you will end up swallowing quite a bit, but be patient as it will all become alright as the tongue piercing heals. You might even find that your taste buds are somewhat tender. The barbell’s balls may feel uncomfortable while pressing down under your tongue and roof of the mouth. Do not panic if you see a whitish fluid coming out of the piercing since this is just the natural cleansing process- getting rid of dead cells.
The swelling will reduce in eight to ten days. How quickly your tongue piercing heals will depend on the length of your tongue, where the piercing is on the tongue and the care that you follow. Longer tongues are said to take more time to heal. If the piercing is farther back on the tongue, it would take longer to heal. Usually after a couple of weeks when the swelling clears up, the right sized tongue jewelry can be fixed in!