WARNING - this post will include a disgusting picture of my tongue.
The story:
I woke up at 4:45 AM with a taste of blood in my mouth. I started feeling a soft (fleshy feeling) lump against the roof on my mouth. I looked in the mirror and got scared half to death; my tongue was invisible underneath a layer of blood and there was a lump of over on centimeter (about half an inch) wide and thick in front of my piercing. The lump did not hurt. After gargling water, I found the lump was still covered in blood, no matter how many times I rinsed. At first I thought flesh had come out of my tongue through my piercing hole (since it was soft and felt fleshy). Since I started feeling small amounts of blood 'exploding' into my mouth every 10 minutes or so, I figured it must be a blood blister; releasing blood into my mouth as it was growing. I was very scared to use mouth wash, so I decided not to, and called my doctor after a few hours of misery. My doctor (who is a notorious idiot) freaked me out by telling me I had to go to the emergency room immediately and get it out. Having arrived at the emergency room, the doctor checked my temperature, asked me some questions, and told me she was quite sure it wasn't a blood blister. She poked it with Q-tips for a bit, after which she told me it was simply coagulated blood, took a paper towel, and wiped it off. My tongue looked perfect and pink, apart from a small cut in front of my piercing. I was in and out withing 5 minutes, feeling like a complete idiot. On the way home, I felt the cut bleeding again. 15 minutes later, I arrived home it looked as disgusting as before I left. I rinsed with water again, grabbed a tissue, removed the coagulation, and rinsed with 50% diluted mouth wash (which I had previously gotten from my piercer). After rinsing with the mouth wash, the bleeding stopped instantly. I started icing again, and it helped (especially mentally, I suppose). I was scared all day it would start bleeding again, but I followed the aftercare regime as my piercer had instructed, and it hasn't bled again since (this was a little over a week ago). All I have left now is a small pink bump, and I have started eating lots of licorice and drinking aloe vera juice to try and reduce it (I read about this in a university research publication, and figured I would give it a try - nothing to lose, right?).
The short answer:
If you have a bloody, fleshy-feeling, non-painful lump on your tongue piercing (which seems to be releasing blood at intervals), that looks something like this after being rinsed with water:
Try carefully poking it with Q-tips. If it doesn't cave in all too much and doesn't hurt at all (it will, however, feel really strange on the surface of your tongue while poking it), try to wipe it gently with a tissue, starting on the side. If the side moves and it does indeed seem like a coagulation, try wiping the entire thing with the tissue. Some blood will probably be released from around your piercing hole (where the wound is). You will probably have to grab the coagulation with the tissue, and carefully pull it off of the piercing (keep in mind that you're basically pulling a crust off of a wound!) Once it's off, the wound will most likely release some blood. Immediately rinse with mouth wash and the bleeding will stop. *If the bleeding persists or increases, SEE YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY.* Take ice chips, crushed ice, or small ice cubes and put them on your tongue. Continue your piercing aftercare regime as usual, and be extra careful about biting your piercing. You will most likely get a small pink bump - which you'll have for a while - in the spot where you had the wound (I still have mine one week later).
DISCLAIMER: I am not a healthcare professional, I am merely speaking from personal experience. I am trying to save you the €350 I had to pay the hospital for taking off a small coagulation, but if you feel your problem is a serious one, SEE A DOCTOR.
Painful mouth, barbell too long
The short answer:
After my swelling had gone down completely (day 9) and the bar was sticking out about 4 - 5 mm, I noticed the roof of my mouth, the soft palate below my tongue and my gums were getting really sore. This persisted for a few days until I finally changed my barbell for a shorter one. My piercer told me it was completely normal.
Can I eat dairy products while my new tongue piercing is healing?
The story:
Lots of piercers used to tell their clients not to eat dairy products while their piercing is healing, and some still do - including mine. She told me it could cause a yeast infection. Being upset about not being able to have cookie dough ice cream, I did a LOT of searching. I can't remember where I found it - and so I could be wrong - but I found that the theory has been disproven! I remember thinking this was a very reliable source, and I am very critical about what I read.
The short answer:
Go eat some ice cream! The theory that dairy products can cause yeast infections has been disproven, and so the advice not to eat dairy products is outdated.
White film on tongue that can't be brushed off
The short answer:
When you get a tongue piercing, your mouth has to get used to a foreign object in it. With the swelling and the metal ball on your tongue, your mouth has trouble creating a vacuum when swallowing. The white film on your tongue is just built up plaque which is usually swallowed. After a week or so, your mouth will have adjusted to the tongue piercing, and the white film will disappear.
Volcano / crater around tongue piercing
The short answer:
This happens to everyone. Your tongue is adjusting to the piercing and you'll get a crater where the ball sits. This part differs, but my crater was gone when the swelling was gone. I just have a dent now, which will also mostly disappear.
Tongue feels burnt when I wake up
The short answer:
It is normal to wake up with a burnt feeling while your tongue piercing is healing. This happens because your mouth gets dehydrated overnight. Drink some water, rinse with your mouth wash or sea salt solution (whichever you prefer) and the burnt feeling should be gone.
