Getting a new piercing is an exciting time, whether you’re looking at belly button rings, tongue piercings, or anything else. But, you also need to make sure that you are being as safe as you can with the procedure. A piercing can easily go wrong, even when the procedure is done correctly, and the risk of infection is always high. It’s important that you keep it clean, get the piercing done by a professional who uses sterile equipment, and be on the lookout for signs of infection in the week or so after you get the procedure done.
It’s not really a surprise that a piercing has a high risk of infection – you are sticking yourself with a piece of metal after all. The parts of your body you pierce make a difference too. If you’re looking into barbell tongue rings for instance, you’re going to have to be extremely careful to keep your mouth clean afterwards. Most people recommend using non-alcoholic mouthrinse after every meal for at least a week, and trying to eat softer foods, to avoid breaking the piercing open. A tongue piercing looks good when it’s all said and done, but there’s a week worth of work to do to make it that way.
You need to make sure the person doing it knows what they are doing too. Make sure they are licensed, they’re using sterile equipment, and that you feel you can trust them. Don’t let them rush you – take the time to ask any questions you want, to make sure you get satisfactory answers from them.
Finally, watch carefully for infection afterwards. Even when everything is clean, the risk is there, so be on the lookout for it, for any swelling or tenderness.
Keep these points in mind and your piercing should go great. It will look terrific, just cover your own back and keep yourself safe first.