For most people, tongue piercing doesn’t hurt much at all. Much like lip or labret piercings, the tongue piercing is one of the easiest piercings to sit through—but it can be one of the more uncomfortable piercings during healing. Swelling is usually fairly substantial, and it will probably make speaking and eating difficult for a few days, but sitting through the procedure is usually not too bad.

By the time you feel any discomfort, the piercing is already done. The piercer will have a firm grip on your tongue—either with his or her fingers or with a pair of forceps—so with an experienced piercer there is actually very little you can do to mess the procedure up.

Because of swelling, eating may be uncomfortable for the first couple of days. During this time, try not to eat anything that further irritates the area, such as solid, tough, crunchy, or hot (spicy or in temperature) foods. It is best to stick with foods that are softer and do not involve much chewing. Chilled smoothies are always a good idea.

You will have some readjusting to do in the first week or so while your tongue is swollen. If you simply speak more slowly and carefully, you should be fine. (It’s sort of like speaking with a wad of gum in your mouth you’re trying to hide.) The day after getting pierced is typically the worst; by day three, at least you can fake it.

You know that burning, tingling sensation you get when you use Listerine? Despite how it is marketed, that’s not a good thing when it comes to healing. Listerine is formulated for once a day use; it’s far too harsh to use repeatedly during the day, as it can upset the natural flora in your mouth. (This applies to any mouthwash with a high alcohol content.) Overuse of Listerine or a similar mouthwash can sometimes lead to oral yeast infections (called thrush in children), especially in people with a compromised immune system. If you see a thick, white film developing on your tongue and the back of your throat, quit the Listerine and switch to sea-salt gargles instead.

You will need to switch to a shorter post after healing, but with our jewelry, because both balls unscrew from the barbell itself, you’ll only have to buy a new, shorter middle post (not an entirely new barbell). Once all the swelling is gone and you are fully healed (about four weeks), you should change your jewelry to something that fits more snugly to your tongue. A smaller barbell usually makes it easier to talk, easier to hide, and makes it less likely that you will damage your gums or teeth.

Yes, you can. Much like lip or labret piercings, tongue piercings also have the potential to cause damage to your teeth. The best way to minimize this risk is to make sure your jewelry fits properly; this mean putting in a shorter barbell after the first month. Since most damage comes from wearing jewelry that is too long—such as extra-long barbells rubbing against gums, biting the barbell, playing with the jewelry, etc.—it is vital that jewelry be downsized after healing.

During the healing period, the initial jewelry needs to remain in the piercing. You can get pierced with a tongue-colored disc (instead of a ball) on top, but it’s still in your best interest not to laugh or open your mouth too wide in front of the person you are hiding it from—and be sure to cover your mouth when you yawn. Downsizing your jewelry when healed can help minimize its visibility as well. We sell retainers, but they can only be worn for short periods of time, for use while eating or keeping in overnight.

Grade school science class taught us that our tongue is covered with hundreds of taste buds, not just one or two. What’s more, these taste buds are replaced every couple of days—this is why you can burn your tongue with some super-heated café latte on Tuesday and taste buffalo wings and beer by Friday. Plus, most of your tasting is done with the edges of your tongue anyway. So no, a tongue piercing will not cause you to lose your sense of taste.

Absolutely. Since each of the balls unscrews from the barbell, you simply need to unscrew one end, pull the entire piece of jewelry out, and then slide the new one in. The tongue piercing is also extremely easy to stretch; usually, this is done by just inserting the next size every couple of months. However, if you do encounter any resistance when attempting to stretch your tongue piercing, you may want to try drinking something hot first, just make sure not to leave the piercing empty as it can tighten up after just ten or twenty minutes. If this happens, try drinking something hot to loosen it up, and see if you can ease your jewelry back into the piercing.

While this is rare, there are some who are not able to stick their tongue far enough out of their mouths for it to be pierced. Short tongues are more often caused by tight webbing on the underside of your tongue as opposed to the tongue length itself. For individuals whose tongues are shorter, we usually just pierce them closer—but not too close—to the tip. If the webbing is the problem, you can have the webbing itself cut and give the tongue more movement and perceived length. If you want more information on this procedure, ask your dentist on your next visit.

Like any oral piercing, you should wait until the piercing has healed before exchanging bodily fluids. It’s important to remember you have an open wound in your mouth, so you’re exchanging not only saliva but blood, lymph, bacteria, and whatever else. Even if you are already sharing fluids with your partner, an open wound opens up the possibility to pick up bacteria from them, as their body’s normal bacteria is still foreign to your body. If you do decide to kiss your partner anyway, rinse your mouth—and have your partner rinse his or her mouth—with an antiseptic mouthwash before and after. At the very least, you’ll be kissing clean, fresh breath—but, more importantly, you could be avoiding an unhappy infection. If you do choose to participate in oral sex, make sure it is fluid-safe by using condoms, dental dams, non-porous plastic wrap, etc., even if you do not usually use protection with your partner.

We know you want to try out your new piercing, but trust us; good things come to those who wait.