SWELLING

Tongue piercings require longer jewellery for the initial healing period to allow for swelling that occurs quickly and prominently. If the jewellery is too small it can lead to a vast array of problems such as embedding and infection. For surface tongue piercings, we recommend getting your jewellery cut down between 3-6weeks and we do this service for you at no charge.

To help reduce swelling and discomfort we recommend cooling the area as frequently as convenient by gently sucking on crushed ice or drinking cold water during the first 1-2 weeks.

CLEANING

It is crucial that you keep your new piercing clean during the initial healing period but keep it simple.

The use of an alcohol-free mouthwash is recommended, 3-4 times a day, for the first months. Mouthwash after eating food, and smoking cigarettes. If you have an alcohol-based mouthwash at home, this can be used if diluted with water.

MAKE A SALTWATER SOLUTION AT HOME BY DISSOLVING A ¼ TSP OF NON-IODISED SALT IN 100MLS OF WARM WATER. STORE IN A CLEAN, SEALED CONTAINER FOR FUTURE USE.

CHANGING JEWELLERY

We recommend waiting between 7-21 days before changing your jewellery to a shorter length. The hole will not be fully healed but should be stable enough by this time to change to a shorter barbell. 

If you are changing your jewellery yourself, always wash your hands and clean your piercing BEFORE moving or changing your jewellery. We also recommended that you clean the jewellery you are changing to, prior to use.

If you don’t feel comfortable changing your jewellery, no problem, we can help! We offer a jewellery change service for a small fee.

HELPFUL HINTS

Have a big meal prior to the piercing as it is recommended that you eat only soft foods during the first couple of days. When eating try to place small portions on your of food on your back molars and avoid moving food around your mouth with your tongue (this can be quite difficult). You may find having a glass of water while eating will assist this by washing all the food down.

Always wash your hands thoroughly and rinse your mouth with mouthwash before changing your jewellery. It is an open wound and hands carry many gems and bacteria that can be transferred to your piercing and cause problems.

With threaded jewellery, you need to regularly check it to ensure the balls/ends are tight. Hold onto one side of your jewellery and turn the other; right to tight or left to loosen.

Avoid large quantities of the following during healing: alcohol, caffeine, cigarette smoking, vaping, foods that are very spicy, salty, acidic or hot in temperature.

We also recommend that you avoid: recreational drug use, kissing, and providing oral sex during the initial healing period.

Some amount of damage to tooth enamel, gums or retainers is inevitable but can be minimised by downsizing jewellery to an appropriate length once swelling has subsided as well as the use of acrylic barbells and balls.

Avoid playing with your jewellery; biting, tapping, tugging, or by running the jewellery against your teeth. This can not only injure your piercing but increase the chance of permanent damage to teeth and gums.