Do you know how to clean your tongue piercing properly? Discover the correct method using a saline solution. Shorten the healing process and be pain-free!
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How do you know if your tongue piercing is infected?
Tongue piercings can be quite sensitive because it’s inside the mouth, and the mouth has saliva, bacteria and is continuously equal to body temperature. If you want your tongue piercing to recover and heal properly, you have to protect yourself from tongue piercing infection. Several signs point to the possibility of ongoing infection in the mouth, especially when the tongue has been wounded.
How do you know if your tongue piercing is infected?
Minor Signs of a Tongue Piercing Infection
During the first 14 days after getting a tongue piercing, the following minor symptoms may emerge. These symptoms may or may not point to an ongoing infection because the wound is so fresh at this point.
- Whitish or clear discharge from the site of the piercing
- A persistent warmth (mild)
- A slight feeling of throbbing at and around the piercing
- There is some minor swelling of the tongue
- There is a localized redness of the site around the piercing
Again, these are all just minor signs that point to the presence of a wound. Whether or not they may develop into something worse will depend on the aftercare of the person who got the piercing in the first place.
Let’s get to it:
Symptoms when there is a higher chance of infection
- The person develops sudden fever days or weeks after getting the piercing
- A bump forms either behind or above the site of the tongue piercing
- There is a yellow discharge or even green discharge directly from the piercing site
- There is excessive bleeding
- The person experiences severe pain
- There is a higher level of persistent warmth
- The tongue swells most uncomfortably that it begins to get harder to eat at all
Keep in mind that minor infections occur with tongue piercings all the time. It is sometimes unavoidable because the site of the piercing is not ideal. Ideally, piercings should be done on spots that are usually dry and are exposed to open air, to speed up the healing. Of course, this isn’t possible when you have had your tongue pierced. So all we can do is to take care of the piercing the best we can.
How Do You Treat Your Infected Tongue Piercing?
How do you treat an infected tongue piercing?
If there is an only mild infection, continue performing the basic piercing aftercare guidelines that your professional piercer gave you. The minimum cleaning frequency is two to three times per day with either a saline solution or a DIY saline solution (water and salt).
How to Clean and Take Care of Your Tongue Piercing?
Cleaning the site of the piercing is of paramount importance. This is one aftercare routine that you should never stop for weeks.
The simplest way to clean your pierced tongue is with a clean piece of cloth. Dip the cloth into some saline solution (make sure the cloth swells) and gently wipe all the sides around the piercing. Make sure to get a bit close to the wound itself to remove any crusting or discharges. Avoid getting too much of the saline solution into the wound because it will sting a lot. The salt in the solution will cause a lot of pain if there is too much of it.
Continue wiping down the sides of the piercing until you get all of the bits of food and crusting from the wound itself.
Some people may also be thinking: can they safely use mouthwash instead of the saline solution?
Yes, you may use alcohol-free mouthwash temporarily, but it is not a substitute for saline solution and wiping. Also, be sure that you avoid rubbing the area as this can result in irritation or, worse, tissue damage. It’s essential that you leave the area as much as possible and just let it heal on its own.
Can you gargle salt water or saline solution?
You may, but this is only for general oral care. Gargling won’t precisely remove bits of debris from the area adjacent to the piercing.
It is still highly necessary to continue wiping down the area two to three times per day with a clean cloth doused with saline solution. It might be a little bit of a hassle, but we are sure that it will work beautifully in treating mild tongue piercing infections.
Read more: Do’s and Don’ts for Tongue Piercing and Aftercare
How to Prevent a Piecing from Getting Infected?
Do
- it’s vital that you listen to some sage advice and just stick to using a saline solution.
Don’t
-  Regular antibiotic creams are not meant for the inside of your mouth. Ingesting these might cause problems with your organs, so don’t.
- Â If someone recommends any mouthwashes to you with hydrogen peroxide and alcohol, we advise against these mouthwashes too. The huge problem with either of these active ingredients is they destroy both bacteria and healthy tissues. In the case of a tongue piercing, the use of such products can delay the healing of the piercing, which is counter-intuitive to what we are trying to do in the first place.
When is it Time to See a Doctor About Your Tongue Piercing?
See your doctor immediately when there is bleeding, throbbing, or extreme swelling of the tongue. Granted, you should expect some swelling around the tongue after getting a piercing, but there shouldn’t be excessive blood spurting from the wound or lots of pus.
How to Know if a Tongue Piercing is Healed?
Tongue piercing healing occurs after several months of conscientious aftercare. You will know when your piercing is fully healed when there is no more pain, and you can change tongue posts easily with little effort or pain. Around this time, you can begin enjoying the variety of jewelry that you can use to beautify yourself. Be proud of yourself, because you took good care of your tongue piercing.
