Q: Does a lip or tongue piercing really mess with your gums or teeth long term? - Ashley M.

A: I'm going to give you the honest version on this one because it's your teeth and gums we're talking about here, and those don't grow back. The short answer is: it can, yes. Not "will," but the risk is real enough that you want to go in with your eyes open rather than find out later.

Here's why. A little piece of metal sitting in your mouth spends all day gently tapping and rubbing against your teeth and gums, way more than you'd notice in the moment. Over the long haul, that contact is what can cause the two main issues:

• Your teeth: metal knocking against enamel can wear it down, and over time chip or even crack a tooth. Back-of-the-mouth contact from a tongue bar is a common culprit.

• Your gums: jewelry resting against the gumline can rub it and contribute to gum recession, where the gum pulls back from the tooth. Receded gums don't come back on their own.

This isn't all doom though:

• Sizing is huge. A piece that's too long swings and hits more. Getting downsized to a shorter, well-fitted piece once you're healed cuts down a lot of the contact.

• Material helps. Some people do better with softer, lower-profile ends, even bioflex/soft backings for the side that faces your teeth, specifically to protect enamel. A good piercer can point you to those.

• Habits matter. Playing with it, clicking it against your teeth, is where a lot of the damage sneaks in. Being mindful about that genuinely helps.

• Tell your dentist. They'll keep an eye on your enamel and gumline at checkups and catch any wear early, while it's still easy to manage.

So, we're not saying don't get the piercing, we're just saying be mindful about your piercings and your oral health. Doing it the right way can make a world of difference.

Q: My mom swears by rubbing alcohol and peroxide for piercings. I've heard otherwise though... - Bailey P.

A:  You've heard right, and your mom isn't crazy either, so nobody's in trouble here. This is just one of those things where the advice genuinely changed. Rubbing alcohol and peroxide were the go-to for years, so a whole generation learned it and passed it down. It made sense at the time. We just know more now.

Alcohol and peroxide are really good at one thing: being harsh. They don't politely clean only the bad stuff, they blast everything, including the brand-new cells your body is building to heal the piercing. So every time you swab with them, you're basically wiping out a little of the repair work in progress. They also dry the skin out and irritate it, and an irritated piercing is exactly what leads to redness, crustiness, and those annoying bumps. You end up making the thing you're trying to prevent.

What piercers and the people who set aftercare guidelines actually recommend now is much gentler: plain sterile saline. It cleans without stripping, it matches what your skin wants, and it lets your body do the healing instead of fighting it. Boring, but boring is the goal when something's healing.

So...

• Skip the alcohol and peroxide. Too harsh, slows healing, dries things out.

• Use sterile saline spray, the "wound wash" kind that's just salt and water, two or three times a day.

• Hands off otherwise. No twisting, no over-cleaning. Less fussing heals faster than more.

And a sweet way to handle the mom thing... she wasn't wrong for her time, the guidance just updated, kind of like how car seats and sunscreen advice changed too. You can tell her the piercer's playbook got a gentle upgrade.

Shop sterile saline spray - Click here >

Disclaimer: Body Candy is only here to give you fun and helpful advice and information when it comes to getting pierced. Always consult a professional piercer to make sure a new piercing is right for you!