Vaping Tips and Feedback Archives

All You Need to Know About the Vaper’s Tongue

December 1, 2015

Vaper’s tongue… it doesn’t sound too pleasant, does it? The good news is it’s not a medical condition. The bad news is, it still isn’t that pleasant to have.

So what exactly is it? Well, it’s basically a situation where you stop sensing the flavour in whatever e-liquid you are using. Let’s say you’ve bought a nice mint e-liquid to use. At first you can taste it fine, but after a while you realise you can’t actually taste anything at all. This is vaper’s tongue.

Except that isn’t actually an accurate name. The proper name for the experience is olfactory fatigue. As you may or may not know, olfactory relates to our sense of smell. This means it’s your nose that has the issue, not your tongue or mouth.

Is it dangerous?

No – just a bit frustrating. The effect can last for anything from a few days to several weeks. Even though there is nothing actually wrong with your tongue, your nose’s temporary inability to smell the particular flavour you like to vape with means you won’t be able to taste much either.

Who is most likely to get it?

New vapers are particularly prone to being affected in this way. Remember, you’re coming from smoking a certain number of cigarettes a day. Smoking reduces your ability to smell and taste things to the same degree non-smokers do. As such, it won’t be any surprise to find you might have trouble identifying the milder flavours used in some e-liquids.

You might also get it if you like a particular flavour of e-liquid and you never change to anything else. Your senses will get used to that same flavour time and time again, and you’ll suddenly realise you can’t taste it like you used to.

People taking various types of medication might also be affected. For example, drugs that treat depression, high blood pressure and thyroid problems can all contribute to vaper’s tongue.

Can you avoid it happening to you?

You may not be able to avoid it completely, but you can certainly reduce the odds of this affecting you.

For example, we mentioned that it can happen to people who vape the exact same flavour all the time. If this includes you, you might want to try experimenting with a few different flavours. Some people have one flavour for first thing in the morning, one for during the day and another one to enjoy after dinner. This is just an example of course, but you get the idea. As you switch from one flavour to another, you’re giving your taste buds and senses something different to experience.

You should also make the effort to drink more water. This is always a good idea for your general health anyway, but it helps to rinse out your mouth and you’ll avoid dehydration too. Surprisingly, it’s the latter that can lead to vaper’s tongue, since vaping can dehydrate the parts of your body that inhale the vapour. If you can avoid this, you can hopefully avoid vaper’s tongue as well.

Trying different flavours, drinking more water and even brushing your teeth twice a day (if you don’t already) is all going to help you. But if you are still experiencing problems, you should consider whether any medication you are taking could be having a side-effect you are not aware of.

Trying to avoid being ill is a good move to make too. You can’t always avoid it of course, but colds and illnesses can deaden your senses more than you might believe. Try and think back to the last time you had a cold. How many foods did you really enjoy eating? Chances are you lost your appetite completely – and not just because you didn’t much feel like eating anything. If you lose your senses of taste and smell because you’re feeling poorly, you won’t get any enjoyment out of your food.

If you do suffer from vaper’s tongue, don’t just try swapping flavours. Swap to something stronger than you would normally vape with, too. Many people recommend menthol to help things start moving along again. A stronger tobacco flavour or even cinnamon can also work. If you want to steer clear of tobacco flavours because you’ve left those behind, stick with menthol and cinnamon and see how you get on with those.

Persevere

Sometimes you might be afflicted with vaper’s tongue even when you have done everything possible to try and avoid it. If so, keep on repeating all the steps and suggestions given above. These should at least help keep the period of ‘suffering’ to a minimum, and get you back onto vaping you can taste and enjoy again in the near future. Most importantly of all, don’t give up and go back to cigarettes!

Making the Switch to E-Cigs Last

November 26, 2015

Many smokers swap over to e-cigarettes because they want to quit smoking but they can’t do it cold turkey. E-cigs provide a great solution for many people because they allow you to continue with the habit of smoking without actually doing it.

Here, we provide some tips on making the switch successfully.

Experiment with different e-cigs

Not all e-cigarettes are created as equals. You may have seen the ones that look most like a cigarette and tried those. However there are other designs available as well. Take the ones with refillable tanks for example. These are becoming more and more commonly-used among ex-smokers now.

If you are only a casual smoker, you might find the so-called cigalikes are enough for you. However, most people get better results and a better ‘hit’ from a proper e-cig with a refillable tank. Figure out what works for you.

Experiment with different liquid strengths

If you choose to go with an e-cigarette that comes with a tank so you can use it time and time again, this opens up a world of possibilities with regard to buying e-liquids. You may already know they come in a variety of flavours, so you don’t have to stick with tobacco flavour if you want something entirely different. (Some people like a different flavour depending on what time of day it is.)

However, do remember these e-liquids have different strengths of nicotine in them as well. Don’t get frustrated that you’re not getting a reasonable hit from your e-liquid. It may have nothing to do with the liquid itself; it could just be you need something much stronger to get a satisfying hit from.

Don’t let your supplies of e-liquid run too low either. This can leave you high and dry and tempted to have a ciggie instead of having some more e-liquid to use. Some people find one flavour and stick to it. Others stick with tobacco-flavoured ones to begin with, but soon find they branch out into fruity ones and never go back. Find what works for you.

Make sure you get into the habit of regularly charging your cartomizer

There’s nothing worse than sitting down for a spot of vaping, only to find the battery for your cartomizer has run down. Find out how long your cartomizer needs to be charged for and fit that into your day. You probably won’t need to charge it every day, but it all depends on how often you use it.

Have a chat with people who have already successfully switched to vaping

What better way to ease yourself in than to talk to others who have already done it? It’s one sure way of reducing the odds of making mistakes you could easily have avoided. If you have any questions, most people will be only too happy to answer them for you. It’s usually best to chat to people who have some experience of e-cigarettes, instead of having tried them for all of five minutes. The more experience they have, the more there is to benefit from.

Have a spare of everything you need to vape

Vapers have a good selection of starter kits to choose from when they first switch to vaping. You may have noticed plenty of these kits double up on all the important bits. There is a good reason for this. What will you do if your battery runs flat? What would you do if you broke your e-cig on day one and it was too late to go and buy another one?

Having spares can be all it takes to keep you from going back to smoking again. If you are really serious about making this work, make sure you have two of everything. Just in case.

Don’t give up too soon

Yes, this is the opposite advice we’d give to anyone wanting to give up smoking! When it comes to vaping, a lot of people assume you have to vape in the exact same way you smoke. Not so. You have to get used to how long to vape for in each session, and how long to hold the vapour in for as well. You also have to get used to whether or not you want to inhale.

Finding the right way to do it, and working out what suits you best, is what works in this situation. If you can remember when you started smoking, you’ll probably recall spluttering and being unsure of whether to inhale or how long to do it for initially. After a while you found the right way for you. It’s the same with vaping, except of course vaping is a lot better for you than smoking.

That’s why it’s worth making sure you make the switch that will last the test of time.

How to Vape Properly – A Guide to Vaping Correctly

November 23, 2015

Are you vaping properly? A quick look online reveals not everyone is. Some people complain of pain in their throat, a burnt taste or simply no flavour at all. Others say vaping makes them cough. Is any of this sounding familiar?

Suffice to say, it is possible to vape in the wrong way. The good news is, after you get through your first couple of days’ worth of vaping, you should know how to do it properly. Our advice will help as well.

Remember – you’re not smoking!

It sounds obvious, but it’s wise to remember you are vaping instead. While it may look similar, it is not the same thing. Plenty of people set about vaping their e-cigarette as if it was a real cigarette, but this won’t produce the best experience.

Inhale for a longer period of time

Around five seconds is probably the optimum amount of time you should aim for. Don’t exhale immediately either – reap the benefits of the vapour you’ve just taken in. This is when you will get the nicotine hit from the e-liquid you have chosen. Cigarette Smokers tend to need to take shorter draws on a cigarette, this isn’t the case for e-cigarettes.

Don’t overdo it

Some people make the mistake of vaping for the length of time they’d normally smoke a cigarette. This is a mistake. Most vapers take around five draws from their e-cig at a time. Don’t feel as though you haven’t vaped for long enough. This is a different experience to smoking, so you have to follow a different way of doing things.

Experiment with different liquids and strengths

You can get varying strengths of nicotine in e-liquids. Furthermore they come in different flavours too. Experiment to begin with until you find something that works and feels good for you.

Be prepared to go through a selection of e-liquids quite quickly initially

It takes time to learn how to vape properly. Even when you know the basics we’ve given you above, it could still take a while to get the hang of it. Many newbies to e-cigarettes end up going through their e-liquids far faster than they will once they get used to using them. You could be the same.

Of course, you may get the hang of vaping right from the start. If you recognise this is completely different to smoking, you’ll be more likely to do it right and get the benefits to begin with.

How are you getting on with vaping?

What are Variable Voltage E-Cigs?

June 29, 2015

What do variable voltage e-cigs bring to the vaper?

Simply put – they give you more control on the amount of vapor (allowing you to increase or decrease) created by your tank. This in turn affects the throat hit you experience which is done by changing the amount of power (wattage) generated by your Tank.

Some people prefer to change the amount of vapor for different flavours.

Chocolate, tobacco, and coffee flavours are noted by some to taste better when exposed to more power, while fruit flavours such as apple, strawberry or peach often taste best with less power.

Some people simply prefer more vapor and the stronger throat hit at different times and like to change according to their mood or circumstances.

The downside of Variable Voltage E-Cigs is that the tank kits invariably cost a lot more than standard Starter Kits and can run into hundreds of pounds with some kits costing more than £200. However top end kits can cost a lot less – at Matchless there are two very high quality kits coming in at £70 for the VV1 kit and £60 for the VV2 kit.

Don’t however assume that Variable voltage kits will necessarily give you a better experience.

If you aren’t a heavy smoker, or if you smoke low tar cigarettes, you may find the amount of vapour production / throat hit of a variable voltage device too much at higher power levels and not to your liking.

If you have to turn a variable voltage e-cig down to 3.7 volts or lower ( the voltage of most standard kits ) to give you the vapour levels you prefer you would probably be best to stick with your standard kit.

In addition using variable voltage / wattage E-cigs is not necessarily straight forward (particularly if you are new to vaping). There is more to vaping than just simply pressing a button, and a lot of people underestimate how tricky using some devices can be.

For example, when using an E-cig at 5 volts + , an atomiser can give you a harsh / dry vapour with an unpleasant flavour if the heating coil in the tank is not kept wet.

The best results with the Variable Voltage units are generally achieved by the more experienced E-cig users.

Some of the geek speek relating to Variable Voltage E-Cigarettes you#ll come across are:

Volt – unit of electrical potential or motive force, potential is required to send one ampere of current through one ohm of resistance.
Ohm – unit of resistance, one ohm is the resistance offered to the passage of one ampere when impelled by one volt.
Ampere – units of current, one ampere is the current which one volt can send through a resistance of one ohm
Watt – unit of electrical energy or power, one watt is the product of one ampere and one volt – one ampere of current flowing under the force of one volt gives one watt of energy

Power (P) or (W), = Watts,
Voltage (V) or (E), = Volts,
Current or Amperage (I), = Amps (Amperes),
Resistance (R) = Ohms.

Power is usually abbreviated by (W) and measured in Watts. The formula generally given for Power is:
W = V x I or W = I2 x R or W = V2 / R.

Simply put – if you increase your voltage you increase your power. and the main feature of variable voltage e-cigs are the ability to adjust the power and therefore the strength

E Cigarette Cartridges or Liquids

June 12, 2015

As you enter the world of Vaping or using Electronic Cigarettes you will notice there are essentially two routes you can go, E Cigarette Cartridges or Liquids.

You can select starter kits that work with cartridges and a rechargeable battery or the alternative is a tank style system that requires you to use e-liquid.

Both these systems save considerable amounts in comparison to tobacco usage.

So which one is the best choice?

We can take a closer look at each of these options and note the benefits they can each offer you in your vaping lifestyle.

Cartridges

The cartridge and battery system more readily replicates the look and feel of of a normal tobacco cigarette.

Electronic cigarettes rely on cartridges, sometimes called cartomizers or aquamisers to deliver the nicotine liquid that you vape.

These cartridges are already filled with e-liquid and are disposable when the cartridge is used up and replaced with a new cartridge. The battery that powers the system is rechargeable and many people have two batteries to ensure a charged battery is always available.

You can buy cartridges in packs of 5, and they are relatively inexpensive. They come in many get them in practically any flavor or nicotine strength depending on the brand you choose. In general, a single cartridge will last around as long as a pack of cigarettes.

The big advantage of cartridges are they a lot easier to use as you don’t have to worry about dripping in e liquids into chambers and you won’t have to replace any atomizers as most e-cigs offer atomizers within each disposable cartridge.

This is a big advantage to new vapers because it’s a lot simpler to use.

The downside to cartridges is that you cannot generally mix and match brands.

E-Liquids

If you choose e-liquids, you have a lot more options.

You can use e-liquid from any brand to fill your tank system or your refillable cartomizers. That means you can choose from a greater range of flavors and strengths, regardless of what battery you are using.

In addition many vapors feel the bigger batteries used by tank systems more readily replicates the sensation of smoking tobacco and prefer the sensation of vaping with a tank system.

In addition you get you get a huge cost benefit when you choose e-liquids. If you are a pack-a-day smoker, you would use an average of 3 or 4 bottles (30ml) of e-liquid per month. In contrast, you would use about 31 cartridges. The cost savings can be substantial.

You will also not need to throw out old cartridges.

The downside to e-liquids is that it can take some degree of practice to refill your e-cig correctly.

You don’t want to overfill or you will end up with a mouthful of e-liquid (not pleasant!).

In addition you have to be careful because the nicotine in the liquid could be dangerous to children or pets if they would ever manage to get it open and ingest it.

You have to use extreme caution is you go the e-liquid route and just use some common sense too.

E Cigarette Cartridges or Liquids, Which Is Right for You?

If you are new to e-cigs, it’s probably best to start out with rechargeable batteries and disposable cartridges until you get the hang of vaping.

You will stick with this system if convenience and a requirement to look like a tobacco cigarette are your key drivers.

However, if you want more customization options or you want to save a little more money, you might want to take e-liquids for a test drive.

At the end of the day, every individual has different preferences and you will have to experiment a little to see which option is right for you.