Tongue Piercing Do’s And Don’ts

What began in South America’s Mayan tribes as a ritual and was made popular by one member of a well-known girl band grew like a craze that few fads could match – tongue piercing is now accepted as the ‘here to stay’ kind. Many celebrities and pop stars abroad have joined the bandwagon and gotten the strongest and yet one of the most sensitive parts of the body pierced. This trend also makes common people – young boys and girls of impressionable age – want to take to the trend. What many of them do not pay heed to are the safety concerns of such a piercing job, which makes their mouth, jaws, gums and teeth prone to infection and all kinds of diseases due to lack of proper hygiene. Some make the mistake of getting it done by an unprofessional. While it can be considered a wonderful fad to emulate, some do’s and don’ts have to be followed during and after the piercing. Here are some do’s and don’ts for tongue piercing.

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Do's And Don’ts Of Tongue Piercing

Here are some tips that you should keep in mind to safely get your tongue pierced:

Do’s

These are some pointers that you must remember about tongue piercing:

Always have the piercing done by a registered professional. Since piercing the tongue is not native to India, most jewellers will not be very confident about it. You could, however, search the internet for registered and well-known places where tongue piercing has been done for a considerable amount of time, with minimum or no complaints from customers.
Before you get the piercing done, wash the area with antibacterial or germicidal soap.
Consult your physician before you start on the process, since the tongue is one part that will directly affect your internal body parts. Your doctor will not only instruct you in terms of the infections and allergies but will also tell you as how to take care of the pierced area, which is rather sensitive.
Wash your hands before touching the pierced part during the healing process, which will take almost a month after you have got it pierced.
If you experience swelling during the healing period, you can reduce it with the use of ice and other non-alcoholic cold liquids.
It is best to brush your teeth twice a day so as to keep away as many germs as possible. People who get their tongues pierced run the risk of facing many a dental issue during the healing period, all because they do not pay attention to oral hygiene.
When eating, put small portions of food in your mouth each time and take the time to eat slowly and chew your food several times before gulping it.
Make sure to drink plenty of water each time you eat something so that food that has gotten stuck between your teeth gets washed out.
After having eaten a major meal of the day, rinse your mouth with a non-alcoholic mouthwash.

Don’ts

Here are some things your must remember not to do in case of tongue piercing:

Never try to do the piercing yourself at home, if your parents do not give you permission for it or if your doctor advises you against it.
Do not go for jewellery that is too heavy or made of a very heavy metal or is too big in size. The size and the kind of jewellery also make a big difference when it comes to safety concerns.
Do not smoke, chew tobacco and bubble gum or bite your nails as they can help in breeding of germs inside your mouth, which might lead to infection.
Take care not to touch the jewellery repeatedly during the healing period as this can prolong the healing process.
Do not swim in the pool, in a lake or any other place, which is used by public at large, as these can be a breeding ground for infection causing bacteria.
Do not keep removing the piece of jewellery from your tongue as the hole created for the piercing can close within a matter of hours.

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