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.
I got mine pierced Friday and the bottom closed up over the piece im freaking out how fucked am I?!?
That happened to my friend and she had to go to the doctor and get the peircing cut out of her tongue, you probably needed a bigger bar bell.
very fucked.
I would go back to the piercer and see if he can do anything for it and take it from there.
so i got my snake eyes on the tip of my tongue and well its purple around it does that mean its infected or is it normal ?
They’re probably just bruised in which would be normal. You’ve just had two needles put through your tongue! It will take time :’) I wouldn’t worry too much, but obviously go to your piercer if you are worried about it. x
I got my tongue pierced 2 day ago and the tip of my tongue is still num. Is that normal? Please reply back soon!!!!!
I got mine pierced and just the sides of my tongue was num never the tip.. You may need to consult your piercer about it if it gets any worse or if it begins to turn colors.
My toungue is very dry and its white, I got it Saturday and it doesn’t hurt I can eat normal but my speech is kinda funny and I was just curious if mine was infected ?
Nope thats exactly how mine was .. the white tongue means your over cleaning it but everything is normal.
im getting mine done sunday .. im rele nervous now if im 16 will it rele groww out ? lik the hole get bigger ?
i would say no, cuz my friend got hers done when she was like 12 and shes fine
juz got my tongue done and its really swollen i ate ice all day woke up to find it even big i cant tallk at all and it hurt what can i do?
Hey, its obviously normal for it to be swollen. I wouldn’t worry about it at all. Its new to me too and the swelling is nice but it will go down over time. Just be patient and look after it well. Keep the ice cubes at hand and let them melt on your tongue, keep rinsing and stick to a liquid/soft diet whilst it’s new. x
I got my tongue pierced 2 days ago and I smoked right after and I drank beer later that night also 1 day after same thing, no problems yet… 😉
As long as u rinse with listerine after every time u smoke drink and eat ur good
i got mine monday and today(thursday) my swelling has gone done but i still cant see my bar and i have a yellow rim around my tongue ring ball is that normal and what should i do ——–PLEASE COMMENT ASAP—-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The yellowish discharge and swelling are fairly stereotypical symptoms during the normal healing period. Keep using mouthwash and leave crushed ice on your tongue at it should become less uncomfortable within a couple of days.
So I got mine pierced on tuesday its now thursday, havnt had any problems but ave just noticed the mouth wash am using isn’t alcohol free does it matter?? X
Yes, it does matter. The alcohol in the mouth wash will kill the healing cells in your tongue, and will slow down the healing process. Just dilute the mouthwash in some water and that’ll be fine.
hi, i got my tongue pierced on a friday afternoon, its now sunday afternoon. and i had my tongue pierced at an angle because the piercer said that if you get it done right through the middle of the webbing bit under your tongue it can cause speech problems. but now since y tongue is swollen its forcing the bar to go straight and the bottom ball is pushing against my webbing bit. its pretty much right in the middle of it…im scared that its going to make a hole in my webbing bit and then that might effect my speech 🙁 is this normal for other people? i hope that once the swelling goes down it wont be forced into my webbing but im not sure…
The answer to this qusotien is going to be different for every person and every piercing. You should really ask your piercer. He or she shouldn’t mind answering any follow-up qusotiens you have to getting pierced. You can call or go in and have them see for themselves. Always ask the professional. Never trust what people tell you online.
ok so i just got mine peirced on friday and it is monday… my swelling is still going on and it is hitting my web and i cant even lift my tongue up that much…. how did yours heal? is your web fine and do u talk fine?
I have had my toungue ring for 2 months now and i am loving it. The first 4-5 days was just swelling and alittle pain, but after that the swelling went down. i did take ibuprofen every 4 hours nd sucked on ice a couple times daily. Didnt worry about the foods i had eaten just let it be, rinsed my mouth out with sea salt and water 3 times daliy, now 2 months later i cant stop playing with it. i take it out all the time and i have chipped most of my teeth just playing with it.
Well I got my tounge percied on Friday and know its Tuesday it’s still really hard to eat ? Is that normal?
I HAVE PIERCE MY TONGUE ON SATURDAY AND TODAY IS MONDAY AND AM HAVING PAIN IN MY THROAT
that’s normal. the muscles in your tongue (which are connected to your throat) are just not used to having to work around the bar. the pain should go away as it heals.
That’s part of the healing process. Swelling of tongue, soreness of throat…etc… 🙂
i need a little help would my tongue reap if i put too much pressure on it. i drank rum sat, sunday would tha affect me
I got my tongue pierced the saturday the 21st of April n now the side of my throat hurts n I’m not sicks cause I jus had a check up Sunday is it normal for it to hurt like this??? Please answer should I be worried thanks 🙂
Yes, that’s normal. It’s because the salivary glands produce a lot of saliva during the healing process so it makes them swollen. But it is normal and will go away soon (:
I’m getting my tongue pierced this Saturday and I’m super nervous !!!! Any types on how to be less scared and prepared for the pain that’s headed my way ??? Oh blythe way I’m only 15 .
well first make sure your parent tells them you’re 16 because thats how old you have to be, here at least, and once their about to put the needle on your tongue or even start just make sure to shut your eyes. because if you’re watching i heard you freak out and it hurts more.
okay so.. i got my tongue pierced yesterday. hurt like hell last night when i tried to eat stuffing! got told it was gna REALLY hurt this morning, but its not that bad. have eaten pasta, chicken chip sandwiches and drank raro.. followed by a salt water mouthwash. going good so far! swollen today, but its alright. the pain is bearable.
I got mine done yesterday, I’m 18 and have had plenty of tattoos and piercings, it doesn’t really hurt getting it done it’s just after that’s the worst!! It’s hard to eat which is annoying!! the bar is absolutely massive and rubs on the top and bottom of your mouth and just constantly feels like you have a burnt Tongue!! Lol! All I’m saying is I hope to god it’s better with a smaller bar cuz ATM it’s just annoying aha! But yeah good luck 🙂
Havin ur tongue pierced doesnt hurt its once the numbing stuff has worn off, but its not pain it just aches x
ive had mine for a week now, and had no numbing source when it was done and im still on mash potatoes, and veggie soup, i got too big of a barbell in it atm and its very annoying is why i cant eat…!
just got my tongue pierce and am scare it is swollen and it hurts have to work so i have to get it out
I was cleaning my tounge today and i noticed a string of thick puss coming from the piercing should i be concerned it looks healthy. Got it pierced a day ago.
so im getting my tongue pierced today after school, not gunna lie im pretty nervous about it, one of the things im just really worried about is i have to work sunday, and i talk at my job, and im affraid i wont be able to, which would get me in trouble. haha. also, with the sea salt stuff, do you really have to go to the store and buy it or can you just use water and put salt in it? id think salt would hurt it more, but whatever helps haha. and is there any spacific mouth wash you need to use? because i looked this up before and there was a certain one that was really good for it and didnt burn it at all.
Got it done on saturday night, still hurts like a bitch on tuesday. Still goin strong. #fearless
thanks for the advice but umm im drooling like real bad how can i swallow right? i just tried eating a frozen gogurt and it was EPICCCCC FAIL… and i just got my piercing a couple of hours ago and well when will i be able to take off the piercing? to clean it?
got touge pierced friday its now monday – its still sollowen to the point i can hardly drink let alone think about food. i have to have little bits of soup via a straw. ever time i move my touge it bleeds ?!
Hi I got my young pierced about 6 hours ago … it did hurt me when he pierced me … I’ve just taken some pain killers … Easing fine … It’s bearable … I’ve eaten noodles and drank a warm hot chocolate … My moutg feels bruised and my tongue feels burnt … The bar is maffiss … I’ve been washing my mouth out with sparkling water after everything Ive eaten about to Ice my tongue x
i got mines done thursday and its sunday and it is still swelled? and i have a coating of yellow/ white tastebuds. is that normal? should i be worried?
i got my tounge piercd 9 days ago and its still kinda sore is that normal anybody reply plz
hey yall i got my tongue pierced a while back! when you first get it try not to play with it. DONT use listerine it can dry it out. the most pain you will feel with the piercing is in the mornings when you first wake up just rinse your mouth out with non alcoholic mouthwash (biodene is the best) and it will go down my tongue was bruised for a while because of my top ball dont mess too much with your piercing it will cause it to swell! ice and ibuprofen are your best friends!!! also i used oragel on my tongue it helped TONS!!! itll all be over soon and youll LOVE it once the swelling stops
I got my tongue pierced when I was 23. Grown enough to understand the decision. Getting it in was okay, the healing process was horrible. After a couple of weeks, I felt fine. I was eating some pizza and the bottom ball came a loose. I freaked out for a minute, and thought “if it closes I’m not getting it back in, I can’t take that healing pain again.” Tongue rings are so cute, but had I known the pain that came with it, I would’ve pierced my belly first! NOLA
I just got my tongue pierce 2 days ago, getting it done hurt so bad, I can’t eat, it going to take some time to get use to, jusy hope it heals very quickly!!
I got mine done on thrusday,its now sunday the swelling has gone down abit but it still hurts, half oh my gums are swollen and teeth hurt on that side??and iv got a swollen glanze???(Throat) why’s it doing this?? Or is it not because of the peircings?PLEASE REPLY IM SCARED
I got my tongue pierced a week ago it was only swollen for two days they didn’t use any numbing solutions or nothing. There was no pain in getting it pierced just the next day when I woke up it was swollen. I ate what I wanted to and smoked like normal it didn’t affect it at all. The guy told me to use mouthwash after and i did. My tongue is already healed. If I had to I’d do it over again. I love my tongue ring.
Ive had my tongue pierced for two weeks now. I use a sea salt solution after i eat, once in the morning and before I go to bed. Ive been wondering how long should I keep cleaning it after every meal? And how long should i keep using the sea salt?
I have had my tounge peirced three times now and the one that hurt the most was my first. I use a mouth wash that is called bioteen. It helps keep your mouth moist and helps with the dry throat feeling. I rinse after I eat and just before I go to bed. my tounge is tender and a little swolllen but I got it done Tuesday 7/24/12 My job I talk on the phone all day so I keep ice next to me to help.
I got my tongue pierced a week ago
Today I went to get the bar changed to a smaller one but it was still too swollen any tips on how I can make the swelling go down .
so i just got my tongue pierced on friday and its now monday.. its still swollen and when i wake up it really hurts and bleeds a little…. i have a lot of saliva in my mouth and its giving me a sore under y tongue cause the spit wont come out… i mouth wash after everything but water and dont brush my tongue.. i can barely even lift up my tongue and the web under my tongue is swollen. i feel like my tongue is all messed up. help!
I just got my tongue pierced today and I smoked a hour or two later. What should I do for the aftercare since I’m a smoker. My piercer didn’t tell me anything about aftercare. I purchased mouthwash (alcohol free) and sea salt non iodized. Anything else I shoul know? Please HELP!!!
well i got mine done saturday and today is thursday.first few days it was pretty tender and swollen.but now for the most part its all good but still hurt when i eat curtain foods .so still sticking to soft foods.good luck every one.
I just got my tongue pierced on Tuesday, and it is not Thursday. The piercing part wasn’t bad, at all. It’s just afterward that sucks. My tongue feels like it’s on fire, I woke up this morning to a gob of blood around the top of my barbell and bottom of it. I have some white goo around the bottom of my tongue. But I’m getting used to this all. I have only been using mouthwash, but I’mgoing to start eating more ice, rinsing with a sea salt solution, and taking more ibuprofen. Hopefully things get easier.
*it is Thursday, haha.
Just pierced my tongue, it hurts more now than it did to actually have the needle go through my tongue! My Monroe took a few weeks to heal, so hopefully the tongue is a faster healing process for me! 🙂
I just got mine pierced today at like two o’clock in the afternoon. The pain is crazy. Can’t eat or anything. The piercer said that if it’s painful to eat then I should just drink cold things which is what Im doing and do mouthwash twice a day and after meals for the two days after that then stop.
I just got mine pierced today at like two o’clock in the afternoon. The pain is crazy. Can’t eat or anything. The piercer said that if it’s painful to eat then I should just drink cold things which is what Im doing and do mouthwash twice a day and after meals for the two days after that then stop. I don’t have sea salt because I’m in school but should I go get some or no? I have ice tho’
i had my tongue peirced friday and its now sunday my tongue is all yellow ald a piece of skin has came of infront of the bar.. And underneith my tongue is orange.. Now i think its infected but im not sure if it is normal? Help???????
I got my tongue pierced around a week ago and it seems to be rejecting/migrating. Only on the top though. The bottom is fine. The top however has an indent the size of the top ball on the barbell, and i can see that it has migrated a bit from the original piercing hole. Ive been using non-alcohol mouth wash and sea salt and water soaks, but is there anything else i should or can do to make the rejection stop? I really dont want to have to take the piercing out all together. Thanks.
I got my tongue pierced on saturday and today is thursday and y tongue is still swollen i use mouthwash everyday.. the ice makes my tongue feel like its getting tighter around the ring..and its like caved in. is it only like that because its swollen ?
Okay, well I got my piercing Monday. It is now Thursday! The bottom of the piercing hurts when I move it around. It feels like it’s hitting a nerve. I also have white stuff coming from it. What should I do?
Me and my friend are getting ours done Wednesday and we can’t wait we bought. Alcohol free mouthwash and sea salt for the rinse xo
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Hey I got my snake eyes yesterday my speech is so crazy the pain is mostly after and in the am when you wake is that normal and I can’t eat anything like im starving too death can u take the jewelry out until I’m done eating with out it closing