Considering what you’ll eat after getting a tongue piercing is essential to aftercare. General oral discomfort, irritation, and swelling are to be expected with a new tongue piercing.
A tongue piercing probably takes about three to four weeks to heal. Watching what you eat and how you eat it is vital during healing. You’ll have to cling to softer, chew-slowly, and blander foods. Even after being precautious, complications can, however, still occur.
In addition, you must ascertain that you are being gentle with yourself, based on the healing tissue, to avoid complications. This has led professional piercers to recommend a diet of soft foods and a lot of water for at least the first couple of days (probably weeks) of healing.
The piercing of the tongue comes in two major types; the side tongue piercing, located either to the right or left of the centre, and the midline tongue piercing, situated in the centre of the tongue. The most popular is the midline tongue piercing. However, depending on the location of veins in the tongue, some people cannot get their tongue pierced directly in the middle.
But it’s nothing to worry about if you ask. Wherever you pierce your tongue, it will still serve its purpose. At the point of piercing your tongue, it may seem like it would be sensitive, but many people have experienced low piercing pain.
You will feel a pinch, which might go almost unnoticed if an experienced piercer carries out the procedure. This is because they will conduct the process so quickly and very fast. However, the real pain comes in the days afterwards.
Your tongue is integral to your daily existence, so it’s almost impossible not to focus on how the pain can subside quickly. As your healing tongue is on the move, it will lead to more healing pain and swelling. But here is the good news – tongues heal insanely fast! Just avoid some foods so the healing process can be as fast as possible.
Foods to avoid
Hot and spicy food
Very hot or spicy should be mostly avoided. Such foods can irritate your tongue, causing added pain and discomfort upon getting to the open wound. Also, the jewellery in your mouth can conduct cold and hot temperatures; your tongue may get burnt if the spicy food you’re eating is too warm.
Acidic food
Foods like citrus fruits, including pineapples, lemons, oranges, tomatoes, and grapefruit, and these fruits’ juices can perhaps irritate your piercing during its healing points.
Food with a sticky texture
During healing, foods like mashed potatoes or oatmeal should be avoided as these can be hard to clear from your mouth. If not, you may run the risk of developing an infection. To further curb microbial growth, cleanse your mouth with an antimicrobial mouthwash.
Food with crunchy or hard texture
Crunchy or hard texture foods such as popcorn, toast, or cookies require more chewing. Such foods should be avoided because they can be uncomfortable for your pierced tongue. Those foods can even increase the risk of infections from swelling.
Good to note:
If you are mindful and follow every instruction, infection will not likely pop up. Nevertheless, if it still happens, you should book an appointment to speak with your doctor or dentist so they can evaluate if an antibiotic is needed.
