Most people have a fear of needles to some degree. Its not surprising – they are assosiated with pain and sickness.

For most people, this fear will not lead to avoidance behaviour, but for around 10% of the population, the fear can be irrational and excessive.

When this happens, it becomes a phobia. The phobia is called Balonephobia – a specific fear of needles. Some may use the term Trypanophobia but this is incorrect. Trypanophobia is the fear of all types of injections.

Many more people would have their tongues pierced were it not for this. So what can be done to get over this fear? The most popular technique used by those who suffer is set out in 3 stages.

This article refers to Tongue piercing but may be used in other settings.

STEP ONE – PREPERATION

Research. Find out what the piercing entails. Find information on piercing procedure. Read about the type of piercing available and piercing aftercare. The key here is knowledge. Balonephobia is partly fear of the unknown – be in the know – arm youself with knowledge.

STEP TWO – CONTROL

Stay in control. Make all your own decisions. Choose the piercing studio and time you want the piercing done. Choose your ideal tongue piercing. Visit a few studios to find one you’re comfortable in. Some advice from friends may be helpful here but be sure to visit before you make an appointment.

STEP THREE – GRADUAL EXPOSURE

Your tongue piercing doesn’t have to be today or tomorrow. Let your piercing studio know that you’re anxious and visit a couple of times. See the equipment, see the procedure. Ask questions!! No matter how silly the questions seem, always ask!! If you dont, you relapse back to the unknown so all your prep might be in vain. When you appointment comes round, bring someone with you. Parent, best friend, someone you trust.

Many people with fears believe the best way to conquer their fears is to face the fear. I had a great fear of heights. I wouldn’t admit this to my better half when we first met. We were at a theme park and she wanted to ride on the highest roller-coaster in there. I still wouldn’t admit I was scared. By the time I got to the top, I thought my chest would burst! I got on anyway. It was the fastest way back down. I have never been afraid of heights since that day. True story. It really worked!! To face a fear and win makes the experience much sweeter. Its something you will never forget.

So you have finally got a tongue piercing. It is fun and pretty cool. But to make sure that it heals properly, there are several things that you can do! The piercing will take a few weeks to heal fully. Apart from following the aftercare instructions specified by your piercer, you can follow these easy tips:

Soft Foods

So if you’re wondering how to take care of a tongue piercing properly – here’s the thing number one – avoid hot spicy foods! Since the tongue can swell soon after the piercing, hot or spicy food will worsen the condition, slowing down the healing process. This means cutting down on coffee, tea and other hot liquids as well. Instead, go for cold foods like ice cream, yogurt, etc. for a few days immediately after the piercing, as this helps in keeping the swelling under control!

It is a good idea to keep chilled water in your refrigerator. Take a few sips when you wake up to soothe the swelling as it is usually at its worst in the morning. You might even find that sucking on a bit of ice lessens the pain!

The first food that you eat after you get the piercing should preferably be soft. Take small bites and chew carefully. You must be cautious and make sure that the tongue ring or stud does not strike against your teeth and damage them.

Keeping it free from infection

Since alcohol does not aid in the healing process, do not use undiluted mouthwash! The alcohol content in it will slow down the healing. The last thing you would want is mouth ulcers at this time. Instead, go in for antibacterial and antiinflammatory lozenges to keep infections at bay and quicken the healing process.

Don’t talk too much for the first couple of weeks as the longer tongue ring can irritate your teeth. Make sure that the jewelry you are wearing is screwed on tight. Before doing this, clean your hands with a germicidal soap.

Avoid kissing and oral sex for at least two weeks after you get a tongue piercing done!

Any plaque on the jewelry must be carefully removed during the healing period. After your tongue piercing heals completely, you can remove the tongue ring and clean it.

Finally, after the swelling on the tongue subsides in around ten days, get a shorter tongue ring. Keeping a longer ring that had been inserted when the piercing was done can be a problem because it may get caught in your teeth!

Well, that’s about it on how to take care of a tongue piercing!

You have to admit that tongue piercings look sexy and erotic even though you might hear about the dangers of tongue piercing.

Ask anyone with a tongue piercing and they will have a lot of positive experiences to share both about the piercing as well as its effect on their lives.

Tongue piercing is considered quite fashionable among the celebs and people like you and me. However, on the flip side, as with any body piercing, there are dangers of tongue piercing like the risk of infections, problems with speech, respiratory issues and broken teeth.

Here is what you should know about the dangers of tongue piercing. We all know that tongue piercing swelling is common. If it gets infected it could block the airways making it tough to breathe. Also, mouth bacteria can spread quite fast and lead to a fatal toxic shock syndrome and even blood poisoning.

Just in case your piercer does not take care to sterilize the piercing equipment there is a risk of catching an HIV and hepatitis infection. Once the piercing is done if the right jewelry is not fitted, it can come loose resulting in swallowing it. If it travels to the lung, you can imagine the panic. Some people tend to bite their tongue stud by mistake and this can lead to a broken tooth. Some people have had to go in for gum surgery. Jewelry material can also cause allergic reactions.

But relax. This is not to scare you off tongue piercings. The point is – it is always good to be aware of the dangers of tongue piercing before you get yours done. You are probably wondering whether you can avoid them. Of course you can!

First of all, check out your piercer to ensure that he or she is professional, experienced and licensed. Choose a high quality piercing studio. You also want to make sure the piercer has an “autoclave” and all equipment is sterilized and ask to see the needles and jewelry before you get your piercing done.

Non-sterile piercing needles and other equipment are the best way to catch an infection. Your piercer should also wear gloves. A good piercer will give you detailed aftercare instructions that you must follow to avoid the dangers of tongue piercing. Know about oral hygiene during the healing period because you must keep your mouth clean.

As you can see, all you need to do to avoid the dangers of tongue piercing is to take a few precautions and follow aftercare instructions – 99% of the time you will be just fine!

Tongue piercings are erotic and fun! But do you know the facts about kissing with tongue piercings?

You have got to make sure the tongue piercing heals before you show your love kissing. When you get your tongue pierced, it is normal for it to develop a swelling. You need to wait for the swelling to subside and this may take a week or ten days.

The swelling normally begins to go down in three or four days.  But soon after the piercing, the swelling can make your tongue almost twice its size! Can you imagine kissing with that when you can barely talk?

So just wait for a week, or max, ten days to allow the swelling to go down completely. After that, kissing with tongue piercings is okay. In any case, you want to be careful and not go rough on the tongue as it can irritate the piercing.

If you swap saliva when you kiss, there is the risk of foreign bacteria getting into the piercing and you know what that means – infection and pain that prolong the healing. Probably the best thing to do would be to just hang in there until the piercing is totally healed. Even after it has healed you want to take care not to chip your teeth or your partner’s teeth on the jewelry. Who wants to end up in the dentist’s chair getting teeth capped? So just watch out for the swelling and the healing before kissing with tongue piercings.

Generally, while kissing with tongue piercings, regardless of whether you are the one with the piercing or your partner, or both, it is not very different from when you kiss without the piercing. Usually the tongue piercing is far back into the tongue and you can be quite careful. It is simply a matter of adjustment once your swelling has gone and your piercing has healed.

You must make sure that you get the longer barbell changed for the right size after the healing is complete, since long barbells can be pretty awkward when kissing with tongue piercings.

Tongue piercing swelling is normal after you have had your tongue pierced. How much swelling, of course, varies from person to person.

You can however, do a few things to bring down the swelling within the first week or so. The good news is that because of the constant blood flow to the tongue, it is the fastest healing body piercing!

The tongue piercing itself is hardly painful as the needle passes through it easily. To allow for the tongue piercing swelling, your piercer will initially use a longer barbell so that you are not uncomfortable when it swells. Later this is replaced with the right sized barbell of shorter length.

Tongue piercing swelling is usually more when the piercing is done farther away from the tongue tip. If you happen to have a dimple on the front of your tongue, that spot is considered the perfect spot for the piercing.

The swelling starts up soon after your tongue is pierced. It is very rare to develop an infection on a tongue piercing because the mouth has an enzyme called Ptyalin and lingual antimicrobial peptides that destroy bacteria. Just don’t go overdosing on mouthwash, which can make the tongue lose its natural ability to heal. Your piercer will tell you to stick to soft food; cold beverages and ice cream, which can all help the tongue swelling go down!

Till you get your shorter barbell into your piercing, it is a good idea to use the throat lozenges your piercer recommends to prevent infection and relieve swelling. Don’t even think about trying to change your barbell before your tongue heals! Make sure you have cold water and ice in the fridge. Sip this as soon as you wake up in the morning, as the tongue piercing swelling is usually worse at this time.

Now is the time to check out all your favorite ice cream flavors! Sucking on crushed ice also helps. Avoid talking too much, though, as it can aggravate the tongue piercing swelling.

While tongue piercing swelling is expected, you also have to remember that for a few days following the piercing you will not be able to eat your favorite pizza or sink your teeth into that burger. In fact, you won’t be able to eat any solid foods.

But it will all be worth it in a few weeks when your tongue piercing swelling will come down and your tongue heals completely, because you will be able to wear different kinds of tongue jewelry!

You have finally gone and got your tongue pierced. You are wearing an exciting tongue barbell and you can’t wait to show it off to all your friends at this evening’s party. The beer will flow and you are very much looking forward to enjoying yourself. But wait!

Did someone tell you that drinking beer after your tongue piercing is not safe because it can cause an infection? If you are worrying, then stop, because it is not true. You will soon learn why!

Yeast is used in a variety of preparations like the bread and other bakery items we love so much to raise the flour to give it that yummy taste. Yeast is also used to brew beer. But you know what?

There are different kinds of yeast, which we can broadly divide into the good and bad. The good yeast is the type that is used in edible stuff. The bad yeast is the one that causes infections and diseases. In this scenario, what we need to know, without going into the different strains of yeast, is that brewers and bakers definitely do not use yeast that would cause infections in their products!

So you need not worry about the safety of drinking beer after a tongue piercing.

As far as oral yeast infections are concerned, there is a strain of yeast called Candida present in varying degrees in the mucus membrane of all human beings. It thrives in all those warm and moist places in our body usually without causing any problems. There are different factors that play a role in causing a oral yeast infections through Candida.

Oral yeast infections occur as a result of bad hygiene and also because the aftercare instructions were not properly followed. Infection causing yeast has nothing to do with beer! There are several strains of yeast used in different beer brewing flavors and styles and none of them are responsible for causing oral yeast infections.

Therefore, you can safely drink beer after having a tongue piercing. Tell your friends about this, because you might be able to clear up any misconceptions they might be having about this.

Go ahead, then, and enjoy your party!

After you get your tongue pierced, your piercer will likely give you a list of aftercare instructions that you must follow carefully to avoid infections. This will help your tongue heal as quickly as possible and you can enjoy wearing all that tongue jewelry you have been checking out!

Here is how you should go ahead with your tongue piercing cleaning:

The main thing with tongue piercing cleaning is oral hygiene. So go in for a non-alcohol anti-bacterial mouth rinse. If you want to use Listerine, remember that it can be quite strong and you may need to dilute it with water before use at least for the first two weeks. Undiluted mouthwash can cause ulcers and slow down your tongue’s natural ability to heal. Rinse out your mouth after each meal and snack!

When you brush your teeth, do not brush your tongue as it can irritate the tongue piercing. If there is a yellowish film on your tongue or a whitish ring around the barbell under the tongue after a couple of days, there is no need to worry, as it is part of the healing process!

Remember never to use the following with a fresh tongue piercing cleaning: Hydrogen peroxide, Epsom salts, table salt, tea tree oil, Betadine, Neosporin or any other ointment. Only use items that the aftercare instructions specifically list.

Some plaque can form on your jewelry and this must be removed carefully. You can use a very soft toothbrush to do this. Once the piercing heals, you can use an anti-plaque mouthwash. The jewelry can also be removed and cleaned once a month.

First mornings after the tongue piercing make sure you have cold water and ice cubes at hand, since the swelling is maximum during this time.

Avoid very hot or spicy food. Stick with cold foods instead during the healing process.

You may want to ensure that the balls on the barbell are tight, so remember to wash your hands clean with germicidal soap before you touch your piercing.

Another thing: don’t chew fingernails or put your pen in your mouth. No oral sex or kissing at least for two weeks to avoid infections!

At the first sign of any problem with your piercing, get in touch with your piercer. Never attempt to remove the barbell on your own. After a couple of weeks, go back to your piercer to get a shorter barbell on your tongue piercing as the right size will keep your teeth getting damaged!

It can be exciting to look forward to getting a tongue piercing. But it is also natural to get a little tense when you don’t know what to expect!

Among various body piercings, tongue piercings are said to heal the fastest. So read on to find out what to expect, step by step in your tongue piercing procedure so that you can go with confidence. Here is what your piercer will do:

You will be seated in a chair with a paper towel under your chin;

You will be asked to rinse your mouth with a special mouthwash;

Your piercer will wear a pair of gloves and unpack the sterilized piercing needle;

You will be asked to stick out your tongue

A clamp is applied on your tongue to numb the pain and keep the tongue in the right position;

The spot where the piercing will be done on the tongue is marked;

When you are ready, the piercer will quickly pass the needle through the marked spot. This is over in seconds.

Immediately, the barbell is slid through the piercing. This barbell is longer than the regular size to allow space for swelling.

The next step in tongue piercing procedure – screwing on the ball on the tongue ring’s shaft. It’s usually done under the tongue to reduce the chance of losing it and swallowing it!

Your piercer will give you instructions about how to take care of it!

While some people claim that the clamps and the piercing are painful, it is mainly a matter of each person’s tolerance for pain. So when you go for your piercing, you will probably find that it is not as painful as it was made out to be!

You might be advised to eat well before you arrive for your tongue piercing procedure since it might a little difficult to handle food due to the swelling. You will be also advised to drink cold beverages. Chewing on ice also helps to bring down the swelling.

The good news is the tongue heals very quickly with the proper care. Your piercer will ask you to gargle after each meal or snack to avoid infection. In a couple of weeks your tongue piercing procedure will be a thing of the past and you are likely to be healed completely.

And yes – don’t forget to contact your piercer if you notice anything unusual!

So you have finally got a tongue piercing! It is fun and pretty cool. But to make sure that it heals properly, there are several things that you can do.

The piercing can take a couple of weeks to heal fully. Apart from following the tongue piercing aftercare instructions specified by your piercer, you can follow these easy tips on how to take care of a tongue piercing!

Soft Foods

Avoid hot spicy foods! Since the tongue can swell soon after the piercing, hot or spicy food will worsen the condition, slowing down the healing process. This means cutting down on coffee, tea and other hot liquids as well. Instead, go for cold foods like ice cream, yogurt, etc. for a few days immediately after the piercing, as this helps in keeping the swelling under control.

It is a good idea to keep chilled water in your refrigerator. Take a few sips when you wake up to soothe the swelling as it is usually at its worst in the morning. You might even find that sucking on a bit of ice lessens the pain.

The first food that you eat after you get the piercing should preferably be soft. Take small bites and chew carefully. You must be cautious and make sure that the tongue ring or stud does not strike against your teeth and damage them.

Keeping it free from infection

Since alcohol does not aid in the healing process, DO NOT use undiluted mouthwash! The alcohol content in it will slow down the healing. The last thing you would want is mouth ulcers at this time. Instead, go in for anti bacterial and anti inflammatory lozenges to keep infections at bay and quicken the healing process.

Don’t talk too much for the first couple of weeks as the longer tongue ring can irritate your teeth. Make sure that the jewelry you are wearing is screwed on tight. Before doing this, clean your hands with a germicidal soap.

Avoid kissing and oral sex for at least two weeks after you get a tongue piercing done!

Any plaque on the jewelry must be carefully removed during the healing period. After your tongue piercing heals completely, you can remove the tongue ring and clean it.

Finally, after the swelling on the tongue subsides in around ten days, get a shorter tongue ring. Keeping a longer ring that had been inserted when the piercing was done can be a problem because it may get caught in your teeth. Remember to change the initial tongue ring inserted by the piercer!

Well, if you read all the above mentioned, I hope there are no more questions about how to take care of a tongue piercing!

Most people who have had a tongue piercing describe it as an erotic experience and never regret getting one!

It certainly looks very cool and unusual, though it is quite popular. You need to make sure that the tongue piercing healing process is complete if you truly want to enjoy your tongue piercing. It is no fun suffering from infections!

The good news is that it does not take very long to heal; your tongue piercing healing can take just about four to six weeks, although some people are lucky enough to heal in just two weeks!

Since the tongue is a muscle that is rich in blood vessels, it helps in speeding up the healing process. There is an enzyme called ptyalin, which along with a substance called lingual antimicrobial peptide, kills bacteria. You must take care not to use too much mouthwash since that can prevent the bacteria from doing its job of healing.

Another good thing about tongue piercing healing is that the process of getting the piercing done is not too painful. The needle does the piercing smoothly and quickly. One thing to watch out for is swelling and tenderness, so an expert piercer would use a longer barbell to accommodate this. Don’t be worried about the swelling as it will go down gradually. In fact, you may find it tough to speak or eat regular food. During the tongue piercing healing, it is better to eat soft food like mashed potatoes, soft fruit and shakes.

The glands that produce saliva in your mouth will be on an overdrive and you will end up swallowing quite a bit, but be patient as it will all become alright as the tongue piercing heals. You might even find that your taste buds are somewhat tender. The barbell’s balls may feel uncomfortable while pressing down under your tongue and roof of the mouth. Do not panic if you see a whitish fluid coming out of the piercing since this is just the natural cleansing process- getting rid of dead cells.

The swelling will reduce in eight to ten days. How quickly your tongue piercing heals will depend on the length of your tongue, where the piercing is on the tongue and the care that you follow. Longer tongues are said to take more time to heal. If the piercing is farther back on the tongue, it would take longer to heal. Usually after a couple of weeks when the swelling clears up, the right sized tongue jewelry can be fixed in!