As has been said, anytime you get a piercing you should have it done professionally to minimize the risk of infection or nerve damage.
Unless you have a labret bar in your piercing and everything was sterilized you should probably just take out the piercing, let it heal, and have a professional do it.
It is difficult to sterilize things at home, so the chances of your jewelry and piercing instrument of being contaminated are high.
If you insist on keeping it in, you shouldn't eat anything acidic for the first week (tomatoes, citrus fruit, etc) to avoid irritating it. You also need to rinse your mouth after you eat or drink anything but water with ALCOHOL free mouth wash. Swishing sea salt (without iodine) and water in your mouth twice a day can also help healing.
Don't play with the piercing (with your tongue or fingers), touch any part of anyone elses body with your mouth (kissing, oral sex), change the piercing for at least 4 weeks, or take it out and put it back in if you think it's getting infected.
You may try calling or visiting a local piercing shop as they usually have handouts on piercing care.
If it gets infected, or starts showing signs of infection, make an appointment with your GP to get it seen to. Don't take it out or anything, as oral infections can spread very easily to the brain if they aren't treated properly.
Last edited by Aidee : 05-08-2007 at 05:26 PM.
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