If you are thinking about getting a tongue piercing you may have lots of questions. You might be seeking first hand knowledge and if so, you have found the right place. I have actually had my tongue pierced twice. The first time I had my tongue pierced I was in college. I wore my first tongue ring for about 2 years and it’s still beyond me why I took it out in the first place. There is one thing I can attest to about piercing your tongue; make sure you really want a tongue ring before you decide to get it. It is permanent but if you take it out, it will heal very quickly. Getting a tongue ring is not something you just do on a whim. Plan it out and be prepared. Here is a day by day summary of my tongue piercing experience that I hope you find helpful on your path to piercing.
Before getting a tongue piercing
Okay, so there’s not really much you need to do before getting a tongue piercing. Good oral hygiene is a great idea so brush your teeth, floss, and rinse with mouthwash before going to the piercing parlor. No one wants to smell your stinking breath, especially the piercing artist. Eat a FULL meal before you get your tongue pierced. It’s going to be quite a few days before you can handle whole foods. Don’t do like I did; I was drunk the night before, slept until 2 in the afternoon, drank a few cups of coffee, and then got my tongue pierced. Afterwards I was hungover and hungry with a sore tongue.
Day 1
So I went and got my tongue pierced and it was easy. It was easier to get my tongue pierced the second time than it was the first. I remember the first time there was some serious pain, but the second time there was a slight pinch, a little blood, and it was over. I’m not going to go into the details of what to look for in a piercing studio, or how the artist should treat your tongue, or anything like that because that’s not what I’m writing for. I just want to share my experience with people that are interested in what it’s like to get a tongue piercing. I will say though, it’s probably best to pay somewhere between $40 and $50 (tip included). If it’s less than $30 it’s probably not the best place to get your tongue pierced.
Immediately after getting my tongue pierced I started sucking ice to help reduce the swelling. I continued to do this for the rest of the evening until I fell asleep later that night. I also drank a lot of water; about 4 glasses before going to bed. Water helps the body heal so make sure you are hydrated. About an hour after getting my tongue pierced I took two Aleve and continued taking a double dose every 12 hours for the next few days. Later that night I tried to eat a pita but it didn’t work out too well. I got it down but it was difficult and I had to rinse my mouth out a few times after eating. As instructed by the piercing artist after putting food, drink, or smoking I rinsed my mouth out with diluted Listerine (50/50). After day 1, I was getting tired of the taste of plain Listerine. I suggest getting a flavor that you like, as long as it’s antiseptic. So I pretty much went hungry for the rest of that night because I didn’t want to deal with my tongue. I did eat some chocolates but they were pretty easy, other than the chocolate stuck to my teeth.
Day 2
I took today off from work and if you have to talk a lot, you might want to do the same. I was glad I had the day off because my tongue was sore and swollen. I continued taking Aleve every 12 hours and sucking ice all day. I didn’t really do much with my day off. Mostly rested, watched movies, and napped for a few hours. I tried to eat a banana in the morning and that was pretty easy but you can’t survive off bananas alone. I drank a few cups of coffee (rinsing my mouth 2-3 times an hour). The first day I used half a water bottle full of the Listerine solution. You really want to give 100% on the rinsing; it helps keeps germs away and will help heal your tongue faster. I went to McDonalds and got an egg and sausage biscuit (no cheese). The biscuit was too hard to chew with my sore tongue so I just ate the sausage and egg because they were soft and easy.
So later in the day I tried to eat a bagel (no cream cheese, stay away from dairy for a couple weeks), but that was too hard and I ended up throwing it away. I kind of just gave up on eating for a few more hours, munched another banana, and went back to sleep. When I woke up I made shrimp scampi with angel hair. The scampi was super easy to eat because it was soft, but the angel hair was pretty difficult and I saved it in the fridge. So I ended up eating a dozen shrimp and not much of anything else. Later on that night I had a bowl of orange Jello with fruit in it, and that was good.
Day 3
Today, my tongue is a lot less sore but I can tell it’s still swollen. I have a bit of slurred speech but not like a lisp as everyone says. It sounds like I’ve been drinking when I try to pronounce certain words. I can’t lick the corners of my mouth and I still can’t clean my teeth with my tongue. So I skipped breakfast because I woke up late and I didn’t want to deal with the soreness of my tongue piercing. On the way to work I had a cup of coffee and a cigarette; rinsing with the Listerine solution diligently as ever. For lunch and dinner I had cheeseburgers that I cut up into small bite sized pieces and I continued to suck ice, and drink water during the day. The cheese didn’t really bother my tongue, but the piercing artist told me to stay away from dairy for about a week. I didn’t notice a marked difference from eating cheeseburgers. That night when I got home from work I had another cup of coffee and some apple crisp. All in all day 3 was not bad.
Day 4
The swelling has gone down a lot and I have more movement in my tongue, but the hole is still sore. I still can’t clean my teeth with my tongue, but I can now reach the corners of my mouth without pain. Honestly, I ate two more cheeseburgers today because they are easy to chew and my tongue is still sort of sore. I took a single Aleve in the mid afternoon before I went to work. Day 4 is very similar to day 3 and there really wasn’t much change in the feel or appearance of my tongue piercing. Still rinsing and still avoiding dairy, and going a little hungry cause I don’t feel like eating much, mainly because it’s not quite easy yet. I did eat a baked potato and some finely chopped chicken when I got home from work. I didn’t bother to take a second dose of Aleve at night and I instead opted for a glass of ice to suck on before going to bed.
Day 5
Not much soreness in my tongue now. The piercing is healing very well. I can clean off my front teeth but not the back or sides. But my tongue is feeling great. Had a bagel with butter for breakfast and I was able to chew it, but still in small bites. I’m not taking any Aleve today either; I don’t feel like I need it. I’m still rinsing, but not as often; more like 1-2 times an hour. I tried to eat some potato chips in the afternoon, but that is still proving to be a difficult task. I never did eat lunch today because I was late to work. So, I just munched during the day. I had a few oatmeal cookies, some banana bread, coffee, and another cheeseburger. When I got home from work, another glass of ice and off to bed.
Day 6
Today is Friday, yay! My tongue feels great and I can move it all around my mouth, almost pain free. I’m having no trouble eating anything; pizza, salad, hard candies, and I had some pasta. I have continued to rinse today but not as often as before and I have not taken any Aleve. After work I decided to go out and see a band. The piercing artist told me not to drink beer or wine for 7-14 days so I had vodka and soda. A few hours after drinking my tongue started feeling sore and I have a feeling it was the alcohol. When I got home late that night I had some ice cream and fell asleep without washing out my mouth.
Day 7
Eating ice cream late at night, drinking, and not washing out my mouth was a bad idea. I woke up at 6 am with my tongue throbbing and hurting. I guess the piercing artist was right about the dairy and alcohol. I brushed my teeth, took a double dose of Aleve, smoked a cigarette, rinsed my mouth, and went back to bed. I woke up around 1pm and the swelling had mostly gone down but the hole was kind of sore. The rest of the day I pretty much just drank coffee and slept. Around four in the afternoon I took my mind off it and went a got some fresh ink.
Day 8
Today my tongue feels just like it always did. No soreness, I can move it all around my mouth, and I can stick it all the way out without pain. I can feel the length now in the bar going through my tongue. It is long and I have lots of room to play with it. I can’t wait to get it out and get a shorter bar put in. The piercing artist advised me to change the jewelry in 4-6 weeks but I want to do it now. If I do, I’ll be sorry though. I remember when I got it pierced the first time in college I took it out too soon and getting the new jewelry in was difficult, and there was some pain. It’s really best to wait at least 4 weeks if not longer.
So, that’s how my tongue piercing felt and how I treated it. I know the hole is still healing so I am trying not to play with it too much because that tends to make it sore again. But, I can’t wait to change the jewelry and show it off. Once your tongue ring heals it will feel like you’ve always had it. The first time I had my tongue pierced I loved it and even though I had to go through the pain twice (because of my own stupidity) I know I’m going to love it this time too!
Piercing for me is more than a fad and I enjoy it on myself and others. Piercing is artistic and a great way to express yourself emotionally, physically, and even sexually! Piercing the tongue is sort or scary at first and thrilling the moment it happens, but seriously the pain lasts only a few seconds and then it’s kind of like a sore muscle for about a week. If this changes your mind, I’m glad you’ve got some real life perspective. If you’re going to go for it and get your tongue pierced, good luck!
