People express themselves in different ways, and body piercings are a popular method. Piercing the tongue is one of the most popular piercings, especially among the young.
Just as it is popular, it is also risky. It is proactive to want to know how different activities, such as smoking, can affect you when you get a tongue piercing.
Generally, it is advisable to steer off smoking for as long as your tongue piercing is in the healing process. The healing process can take between 2 weeks and 4 weeks, depending on different individuals.
Even so, if you have to smoke, it is imperative to rinse your mouth immediately with saline water or a non-alcoholic mouthwash.
If you are thinking of getting a tongue piercing or got one recently, this article will provide you with information about smoking with a tongue piercing. So, read on.
Smoking With a Tongue Piercing
A tongue piercing is one of the riskiest types of piercing. Oral piercings are risky because they always come into contact with the millions of bacteria that are contained in the mouth.
They are, therefore, prone to infections, especially during the healing stage.
Essentially, if you’ve had your piercing for a while and it is completely healed, there would not be direct repercussions if you smoked. However, if your piercing is fresh, you could easily get an infection, and thus, not advisable.
Note: Still, it does not mean that you can’t smoke with a new piercing, but there is a condition. You have to maintain excellent oral hygiene throughout the healing state.
This involves rinsing your mouth immediately after you finish smoking. Waiting for even a few minutes will give bacteria enough time to cause damage.
You can use pure water to rinse your mouth, but a solution of warm water and sea salt is more effective. Alternatively, you can use non-alcoholic mouthwash to kill the bacteria therein.
Note: Excessive rinsing can be counterproductive, as it may destroy the natural enzymes in the mouth that help to fight bacteria.
An alternative to rinsing every time is placing a wet teabag over the piercing every time you smoke.
There are three major forms of smoking: cigarettes, marijuana, and vape. Each of them reacts differently to a tongue piercing, as shall be discussed below. First, let’s take a look at what happens when you smoke before your tongue piercing heals completely.
What Happens When You Smoke Before Your Tongue Piercing Heals Completely?
We have established by now that the mouth is one of the most delicate places to get a piercing because of how easily one can contract an infection. Thus, proper hygiene and aftercare after a piercing are vital for successful healing.
If you rinse your mouth accordingly every time you smoke, you will be good for the most part. However, if you fail to observe the appropriate measures, there will be repercussions. For one, you will expose your mouth to infections.
The after-smoke residue will invite bacteria which will interfere with the healing bit of your tongue. The aftermath will be pus discharge and, quite possibly, pain.
You will experience discomfort, especially when you try to do anything with your mouth, such as talking and eating. The degree of discomfort will increase exponentially if your tongue swells.
When you experience these symptoms, it is best if you put off smoking and consult with your piercer or medical practitioner.
Here is a video you should watch if you’d like to have a first-hand experience on how it feels like to smoke after a tongue piercing session:
Can You Smoke Cigarettes with A Tongue Piercing?
Cigarettes contain tobacco, which, generally speaking, is not great for your health. Tobacco has a substance called nicotine that is responsible for the discoloration of one’s teeth and even slows down blood flow.
Smoking a cigarette during the healing stage of a tongue piercing will greatly slow down the healing process due to the reduced rate of blood flow. Also, if you don’t practice excellent oral hygiene, the nicotine may collect upon the pierced bit and increase the chances of eventual tongue cancer.
Not to mention, it will increase the risk of getting infections and causing irritability in the mouth. It is safer to steer off cigarettes until your piercing heals completely. The Association of professional piercers recommends that you wait for at least two weeks before indulging in cigarettes.
Can You Smoke Weed With A Tongue Piercing?
Smoking weed causes a dry mouth, which according to the American Dental Association, increases the risk of infections. Also, weed is associated with poor quality of dental health. You want to be in your best dental health situation as your tongue piercing heals.
Therefore, it is also advisable to keep off smoking weed as your piercing heals. If you really want to get high, edibles are a good alternative to smoking weed.
The types of edibles must also be approved by the piercer, as some foods are forbidden as the piercing heals.
Can You Vape with A Tongue Piercing?
Vaping is fine as long as you rinse your mouth immediately after. Advisably, it is not super okay since the sucking motion can cause a dislodge and lead to uneven healing of the piercing.
Either way, vaping is not nearly as risky as smoking cigarettes because, for one, it lacks nicotine.
Secondly, the smoke is not so hot that it will dry your mouth as much as tobacco and weed would. Still, it is best if you just wait it out until the piercing heals sufficiently, and then you can vape as freely as you want.
How Long After an Oral Piercing Can I Smoke?
You can smoke immediately if you want, but it is best to wait until you heal. Fortunately, tongue piercings heal fast, and according to Act For Libraries, you should be good in about ten days.
Still, the pace of healing varies for different people. Some people heal faster than others. While it is a matter of days for some people, it can take up to a month for others.
If you smoke soon after the piercing, ensure that you observe the oral hygiene measures discussed in the article. On top of rinsing your mouth after every smoke session, see that you brush your teeth regularly and floss daily.
Final Thoughts
Tongue piercings are beautiful but can put you at risk if you observe proper aftercare during the healing stage. If you are a smoker or enjoy the occasional vaping session, you have to be very careful as your piercing heals.
While it is best to abstain until you heal completely, it is still possible to smoke if you observe proper dental hygiene. Unfortunately, smoking will prolong the healing period, usually between 2 to 4 weeks. It is safer to just wait it out.
