Piercings

Tongue Piercing Pain, Level, Swelling, Does It Hurt, Web, Underneath, Healing

tongue piercing pain

A look at tongue piercing pain, the level, the swelling, the web, underneath and if the piercing hurts

tongue piercing pain

tongue piercing pain

Does Tongue Piercing Hurt

For most people, to question whether or not a tongue piercing pain is based on not knowing what to expect. Unlike getting the ears pierced, tongue piercings are not as usual. In an overview of the tongue piercing process, observe the below:

Once you decide to get the tongue pierced and you’re over a legal age you’ll go to the professional piercer. Some piercers need an appointment to be made before the piercing date while other people do not.

Depending on the type of piercer, he may ask you a few questions to make sure that you are healthy to obtain a tongue piercing. For instance, tongue piercings are not too good for people who have a heart condition or even dental health problems. If you’re in recommended health, the piercer may have prepare to do the actual piercing.

For the piercing of the tongue itself, the piercer will likely have to install a surgical steel barbell. This may help the piercing in the initial healing stages. The piercer may put on his or her gloves and get to prepare the crucial tools.

You’ll be asked to rinse well using an antiseptic mouthwash so as to reduce the possibility of an infection, and then the piercer may determine the exact location for the process, clamp the tongue to hold it in place and surgically pierce the tissue and insert your barbell.

After the actual act of piercing, the piercer may rinse the area once more and may go over aftercare instructions with you.

Most of the tongue piercings pain is to some extent, but just how much they hurt , it all depends on every person’s personal pain level and threshold. While the pain may be much for some people, it is also likely than just a needle prick for other people. In some cases, all piercings hurt.

However, if you’ve ever had a piercing sometime before, you are likely to know that different types of tongue piercings are likely to hurt than others piercings. For instance, genital or even nipple piercings are far much likely to hurt than the earlobe piercing.

It is said that no pain, no gain. Even if you are not fighting back the tears when the piercer stuck the needle through the tongue, you may likely have some pain in the days that follows the tongue piercing as the tongue swells and slightly bruises.

By taking proper care of the piercing and the body is the perfect way to obtain pain relief as well as avoid infection.

Tongue Piercing Pain Level

Does tongue piercing hurt so much

Does tongue piercing hurt so much

You also require to understand that the degree of tongue piercing pain is, to an extent, individual. A piercing that proved to be very painful for the friend might not be particularly very uncomfortable for you.

There is also some truth to the belief that the more you expect it to hurt, the less it will actually hurt, because no pain can match the one in your imagination.

Tongue Piercing Swelling

Tongue piercing pain is the side effect of the piercing, especially a tongue piercing. Experiencing more significant swelling, some light bleeding, the bruising and some tenderness is very normal within the first three to five days, as researched by the Association of Professional Piercers.

After some five days, you will still have a secretion of a white-colored fluid together with some swelling. If the tongue swelling do not go down, then you also have difficulty breathing or you experience a foul-smelling discharge, ensure to contact a medical professional immediately, but do not get rid of your tongue jewelry.

Tongue Piercing After Pain

After getting the tongue pierced, by a professional, you need to do some precautionary steps for the tongue piercing aftercare so as to aid the process of healing and reduce the discomfort and even avoid infection.

Aftercare for tongue piercing is important as the tongue is more likely to be swollen and tender a few hours after going through process of piercing. The pain is more in the morning hours. The best mode of action in this particular regard is to place a crushed ice below the tongue and let it do the melting. Ice usually helps in reducing of the swelling as well as pain.

Due to the tongue’s exceptional healing ability, tongue piercing healing time is usually about 4 to 6 weeks but it may also vary from one person to another, depending on a number of several factors including the type of jewelry applied, aftercare as well as health in general.

Tongue piercing pain and aftercare advice recommend to avoiding smoking for at least a week after the piercing process to avoid any further troubles. In addition, also do not drink any alcoholic beverages until the swelling goes down. Avoid any kissing and do not indulge in any oral sex during the healing time.

Also, you will have to depend on several soft foods as well as liquid diet (including mashed potatoes, soups, etc.) for about one week. Stay away from any spicy as well as crunchy foods. Tongue piercing is likely to affect your speech, especially during 2-3 days.

As for doubts that are regarding a yellow tongue after the piercing, it is very normal to have a yellow film placed on the surface of the tongue 2-3 days after a piercing. Some believe that this happens due to overuse of a mouthwash. The problem mostly resolves within a few days.

Though, a yellow discharge from a tongue followed by severe swelling is usually often than not, a symptom of infection due to the negligence towards a tongue piercing aftercare.

You will have to take some antibiotics advised by a professional doctor to get rid of the tongue piercing infection. A small amount of a whitish discharge, however, is not a big thing as it is just a collection of several dead blood cells that are not able to form a scab on a wound due to presence of saliva.

Hydrogen peroxide is always taken as not good for tongue piercings as it tries to disrupt the natural process of healing. Under a given circumstances, it is good to rely on the mouth bacteria naturally available in the saliva to avoid any infection.

As for a toothpaste, it is good to apply a gentle toothpaste that does not burn after tongue piercing. In case that you burn the tongue severely after the piercing, then you should consult a piercer as soon as possible.
To avoid experiencing a burning sensation, avoid having extremely hot foods and beverages. The use of a mouthwash that have alcohol may also lead to some stinging or burning sensation.

The objectives of the research that was carried out are as follows:

  1. To show the usefulness of any integrative medicine treatment approach that are in two cases of patients of chronic abdominal pain, some nausea, as well as vomiting of the unclear etiology that have a failed standard medical management.
  2. To identify scars that are from tongue piercings also a possible contributing factor in the chronic upper gastrointestinal symptoms of unclear etiology. Two retrospective case studies were presented consisting of two young adult females who were observed in a private multi-physician integrative medicine practice in the US.
  3. The patients were treated using neural therapy as well as acupuncture. The required outcome was the cessation or even a reduction of the frequency of abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Both patients had resolution of their symptoms. From the study, it was concluded in the following ways:
    • Tongue scars that emanate from tongue rings can cause of chronic lower gastrointestinal symptoms.
    • Neural therapy and also acupuncture can be helpful in the treatment of chronic upper gastrointestinal symptoms that are related to the tongue scars.

Tongue Piercing Healing Process

tongue piercing healing

tongue piercing healing

The piercer may check the underside of the tongue for a presence of large blood vessels, sometimes using a bright light, and even mark a safe placement for the piercing.

The tongue is then clamped using forceps and is then pierced using a needle, which is usually from top to bottom using  a piercing needle or even from bottom to top using a cannula type of needle. Initial jewelry should at all times be considerably longer than will ultimately be needed to allow for a swelling, which is very common following a piercing.

Within about two days of after getting a piercing of the tongue, it can swell up to double its normal size. This can result to pain when speaking or eating, but this is not to be permanent. Piercers usually recommend drinking of cold beverages and even sucking on a crushed ice to help minimize the swelling.

Some people also find that taking of Ibuprofen or similar anti-inflammatory drugs to greatly reduce the swelling and tongue piercing pain related to a tongue piercing. It is also advisable not to drink alcohol, smoke, or even eat spicy food until the piercing is partially healed (about two weeks), and alcohol-free mouthwash may be used after drinking or smoking.

After the swelling goes down, a period of mild tongue and even oral mucosa irritation can follow, sometimes discouraging the recently pierced person from keeping the piercing. Appropriate mouth washing, care during meals and some patience will usually be sufficient to come to a sufficiently healed state.

After a full healing the pierced person is always advised to replace the first long barbell (to accommodate the initial swelling) using a short barbell. This second barbell is at times included in the price of the initial piercing process. It can be very difficult for an inexperienced pierced person to replace the barbell using a shorter version, so you should often use the help of the piercer.

The second barbell is usually about 4 mm shorter than the first barbell, but you should be well adapted to the person’s anatomy. After the replacement, a second (shorter) healing process is taken into concern. In case of any absence of the irritation, the further of the stretching process can be initialized.

Due to the tongue’s exceptional healing ability, piercings can also close very fast. Even completely healed holes might close up in a matter of few hours, and a larger-stretched holes may close in a few days.

The length of duration for the hole to heal can vary greatly from a person to another – some people who have a larger-stretched holes that are greater than 5 mm may still fit jewelry that are albeit smaller in their piercing after several months or even few years. It is usually recommended to avoid the piercing in the bodies under development or to people who are not capable of taking care of any recent piercing.

Taking Care of the Tongue Piercing

tongue piercing cleaning

tongue piercing cleaning

After the tongue piercing ensure to get it heal faster as the tongue affects so many aspects of the life and very fancy jewelries can only be worn after the piercing is healed. So to minimize the healing time, follow the below instructions:

  1. Alleviate Swelling

To minimize the swelling on the tongue including the tongue piercing pain, you need to drink a lot of cold water through most part the day. Also put some small ice slivers in your mouth and allow them to melt. Don’t suck on them, but let them melt on their own.

  1. Clean Your Piercing

You need to ensure that you maintain a good oral hygiene after a tongue piercing process.

Rinse the mouth at least 6 times a day, especially after the meals or before bed, with an anti-bacterial mouthwash that is alcohol and fluoride free.

Clean the piercing by dabbing it using the sea salt about 3 times a day and wash it using an anti-microbial soap.

Always ensure wash the hands before you touch the piercing; but you shouldn’t touch it except for the cleaning.

After washing, pat the piercing dry using a clean and disposable paper towels other than use of cloth towels.

  1. Tighten the Barbell Balls

The balls of the barbells can at times get loosened or unscrewed over a given period of time. You should ensure to check regularly and keep them tightened at all times in order to reduce the tongue piercing healing time. Always ensure to hold the bottom ball while twisting the top ball in the clockwise direction so as to tighten them and even loosen them also by twisting in the anti-clockwise direction.

  1. Change Your Jewelry

After the swelling on the tongue has disappeared, visit the piercer to get the jewelry replaced using a shorter barbell. You can also choose from the many of the designs and styles of beads that are found in the market after the pierce has completely healed. However, you can use caution moresore if you are allergic or even sensitive to certain types of metals or materials that make the jewelry.

  1. Brush Your Teeth Properly

You need to buy a soft bristled toothbrush to brush your teeth after your piercing. It is advisable to only brush your front teeth for the first week of your healing process. From the second week onwards, you can progress gradually to brush your back teeth and your tongue. Remember to brush at least thrice a day to avoid bacterial infections and food particles from lodging in the mouth. Also, brush your jewelry to avoid plaque buildup.

  1. Rinse with Mouthwashes

You need to rinse the mouth using a medical grade mouthwash for about a minute after every meal for about 5-6 weeks after a tongue piercing processing.

Alternatively, you may also apply the use of your regular oral rinse by diluting it using half a cup of water. This may dilute the available antiseptic so that it would not irritate the piercing.

Also clean the piercing, but do not overdo it, as it could delay your healing process and increase your tongue piercing healing time.

  1. Gargle with Sea Salt Water

Together with an oral rinse after the meals, use of sea salt soaks may also help to heal the tongue piercings. Add a fourth of teaspoon of sea salt in one cup of water and stir it well until it dissolves completely. Rinse the mouth using it after smoking or even drinking anything (except water) for about 20 seconds.

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