Eat with a Tongue Piercing

The tongue is the fastest healing part of your body- that said, you still shouldn't neglect it after getting it pierced. This article will focus on what foods you can eat- without agitating your new oral jewelry!

Steps

  1. Be prepared to give up some of your favorite foods if you're into spicy dishes- such as curry, or hot wings. Don't worry, you will be able to eat them once your piercing heals a bit more- but immediately after getting pierced, eating/drinking something very acidic (such as lemonade), or eating something fiery (such as jalapenos) will sting and burn your tongue, causing you a lot of pain. Right after getting your piercing done, it's recommended that you only consume cold liquids for at least a few hours. Try to avoid carbonated drinks- if you're very worried, water is always a safe bet.
  2. For the first few days, most piercers actually suggest you stick to cold, soothing foods, such as ice cream. However, if you are lactose intolerant or have been advised to avoid dairy, water ice is a delicious alternative.
  3. You don't realize how often you use your tongue to push food around your mouth as you chew. Once your piercing is able to handle warm foods, and not just frozen ones, begin eating foods that are soft, or involve little to no chewing. Brothy soups and applesauce are a good idea.
  4. After carefully following this regimen for one to two weeks- the time varies from person to person, depending on your immune system, diet, etc.- your tongue should be significantly healed, and able to handle solid food again! That aside, it's advisable to avoid foods that could become troublesome unless you have mouthwash or a bottle of water on hand to swish with, such as popcorn (the kernels and little bits of it can easily get trapped on or around your piercing). No matter what you eat, be sure to use alcohol-free mouthwash after every meal while out of the house (consider buying a lot of those handy travel-size bottles), as having food stuck around your piercing greatly increases your risk of infection- and is a not-so-flattering look. While at home, you should still use mouthwash after meals, but not necessarily every time you eat, as using mouthwash too often will destroy the natural enzymes in your mouth which kill bacteria.

Tips

  • Tongue piercings take about four weeks (a month) to heal completely. After your first two weeks, the swelling should be practically gone. When you first get it pierced, they will use a longer barbell to accommodate the swelling, but once your tongue is less swollen, it will be too large for you and you could accidentally bite down on it while eating and hurt yourself. Be sure to return to your piercer once the swelling has gone down to get your jewelry changed for something shorter.
  • An alternative to mouthwash that can be used to clean any piercing is sterile saline. You can make this at home with non-iodized salt and water, or buy it. It is NOT the saline for contacts, as those contain chemicals and other things engineered to keep your eyes moist. It can generally be found in the first-aid aisle in drugstores. It should contain nothing but water and sodium chloride.
  • Avoid drinking and smoking until your tongue has totally healed- if you smoke a pack daily, this might be very difficult, and you may want to consider getting a different piercing.
  • The best way to take care of any piercing is to take care of yourself in general.
  • Don't touch the piercing while it's healing.

Warnings

  • Avoid contact with bodily fluids that are not your own- that isn't just limited to sexual things, it includes making out- until your piercing has COMPLETELY healed.
  • DO NOT CHEW GUM, or be prepared to handle quite a mess.
  • Make sure that the balls on your barbell (assuming you have that style of tongue piercing, as it is the most common) are screwed on nice and tight! Don't fiddle with them- if they come loose, you could accidentally swallow one.

Things You'll Need

  • Alcohol-free mouthwash, or sterile saline.

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Sources and Citations

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