Vaper’s tongue is a colloquial name for losing the ability to taste the flavour of an e-liquid when vaping. The condition has been a part of vaping since it grew to popularity, and for those less familiar with vaping in general, could be quite distressing or at least surprising.
The good news is that in almost every case the effect shouldn’t be permanent, and there are a few tricks you can try to remedy the situation. It may last longer for some than others, but generally you should expect it to pass after no more than three days. If the effect lasts longer than this, you should consider speaking to your GP for advice, as there cold be something other than vaping causing it.
What causes Vapers Tongue?
There are a few things that could cause a case of vaper’s tongue, from vape-related to potentially medical reasons:
- Vaping one flavour too often, for too long – this is a very common cause of vaper’s tongue. It’s a literal case of too much of a good thing! Like many things in life once they become ingrained in our routines, we almost go through the motions without noticing them, the same can be true of vaping. Using the same flavour day-in day-out, whether it be fruit, or tobacco, can make us a little numb to the subtleties of the flavour, and when that reaches extremes, it can manifest as vaper’s tongue.
- Check your coil – vape coils don’t last forever, and a classic sign that yours is past its best is a loss of flavour. If your vape kit has removable coils or refillable pods, replacing the old unit can help remedy the issue.
- Using old vape juice – If you happen to be using an older bottle of e-liquid that has been open for some time, then it could lead you to believe you have vaper’s tongue. In this case it is not really true, it is the e-liquid itself that has the issue, rather than your tongue. E-liquids steep once they are made, which is a process by which the flavour changes and mature with exposure to oxygen. Over longer periods of time the effects of the steeping process can become unpredictable with some flavours taking on strong unpleasant flavours. Others however, can lose their flavour, you could be vaping a juice that is past its best.
- Being a recent ex-smoker – if you have only just made the switch to vaping from smoking, firstly congratulations! You’ve taken a great step! With that said, smoking is known to impair your senses of taste and smell. This effect can last for a while after you quit and could very well be the reason your new vape doesn’t have much flavour. In this case, give it a little time for your body to start bouncing back after stopping smoking, your sense of taste should improve after a little while.
- Dehydration – We have thousands of tastebuds in our mouths that require saliva to function properly. If you have anything reducing the amount of saliva, causing dry-mouth, this can impair your ability to taste. The act of vaping itself can cause this, as regularly inhaling dries out your mouth along with inhaling hot vapour, although to a far lesser extent than smoking would.
- Feeling under the weather? – while a little obvious, if you have suddenly noticed your vape juice has reduced flavour, you might just be coming down with a common cold. Loss of taste is also a common side-effect of many medications, so if you are taking anything you should check the label or leaflet, and if you have any questions speak to your GP.
How to Cure vaper’s Tongue
Thankfully, while there are a few ways you may end up experiencing vaper’s tongue, there are a number of ways to remedy it also:
- Switch-up your flavour – if you’ve been vaping the same juice for a long time, switching it up for a while can help restimulate your taste buds and get rid of vaper’s tongue. Once you’ve got your taste back, you can always switch back to your old favourite again, but there are plenty to choose from in our range!
- Turn up the wattage – if you are using a vape kit that has variable wattage like the VooPoo Argus range, sometimes boosting the power can help your coil perform better. Especially when starting out as a vaper, coils can be confusing, but most have an optimum range. Ensure your devices power is within this range to get the most flavour from your device!
- Stay Hydrated – as we mentioned above, your tastebuds need saliva to work properly. Drinking plenty of water will help you stay hydrated and producing the right amount of saliva for you to taste things properly. If you experience vaper’s tongue, consider upping your daily hydration goals!
- Clean your tongue – while it may sound a little obvious, keeping your oral hygiene in check will help prevent vaper’s tongue. Brushing your tongue is as important as brushing your teeth so don’t skip this step if you want to avoid vaper’s tongue.
- Reduce your vape frequency – if you find yourself vaping a lot you are more likely to experience vaper’s tongue. Reduce the amount you vape through the day and you may find you enjoy the experience more. Excessive vaping can be a sign that you are not using a high enough nicotine strength to manage your cravings, so consider using a higher strength like 12mg or
- Try menthol or even unflavoured – menthol vape juice can be a good palate cleanser that can refresh your tastebuds. Equally, flavourless vape juice can also act as the equivalent of taking a break form vaping to ret your tastebuds without denying yourself craving satisfaction. Either option can help you get around vaper’s tongue.
We hope this guide to vaper’s tongue proves useful! If you lose the flavour of your e-liquid anytime soon, you should now have plenty of potions to help you remedy it or understand why it may be happening.
