Learning how to inhale from a vape properly may take some practice, but you won't look back once you do. Making sure you're using the appropriate vape for your needs and goals and that you're inhaling it properly are the two most essential aspects to ensuring that you get satisfaction while taking puffs from your vape.
When it comes to inhaling your vape, the mouth-to-lung (MTL) inhalation method is preferable for novices and smaller vapes with higher resistance, whereas Direct lung (DL) inhalation is more suitable for larger vapes with lower resistance coils.
While each method is performed the way it sounds, several variations and details can improve results. In this article, we will talk about the fundamentals of inhalation and how you can best inhale your vape. But first, let’s get to know more about vaping in general.
What is Vaping?
"Vaping" is inhaling vapor from an electronic cigarette or other vaping devices. The liquid in the vape's tank is heated, allowing you to inhale the vapor. Flavorings are added to the vape juice for appealing to various vaping tastes. When heated, the e-liquid transforms into a vapor that the vaper inhales.
What is a Vape?
Vaping is the inhalation of vapor from a handheld electronic device, often flavored and containing nicotine.
Electronic cigarettes that mimicked traditional cigarettes were the first to hit the market. Hon Lik founded the Chinese company Ruyan, which introduced electronic cigarettes in the early 2000s.
It arrived in the United States and Europe around 2007. Vapes come in various styles, power levels, and vapor production capacities. Current vaping devices' primary features and uses are identical to those of e-cigarettes of the first generation.
How Do Vapes Work?
All vaporizers work on the same principle. An electrical current flows from a battery (vape mod) to a heating element (coil), which vaporizes the e-juice of the vape in a contained space (atomizer). A small mouthpiece is used to inhale the vapor.
A vape is an integrated device. The vape is not any one of its parts; instead, it is the summation of those parts. While many seasoned vapers buy vape parts individually and put them together however they choose, newbies are best served by starting with whole kits.
3 Easy Steps to Inhaling a Vape
There are a few other ways to inhale the vapor from a vaping device, like a cigar puff, which has been discussed already. These are the three most common ways-
1. Draw/Inhale
Draw slowly and steadily until the heated vapor fills your mouth, and then exhale. However, you don't have to inhale the vapor straight into your lungs when you vape. This will facilitate the satisfying hit you desire from your vape.
2. Hold and Exhale
Hold the vapor in your mouth for three to five seconds before breathing it into your lungs. After a few seconds, you could also let it out of your nose or mouth. Also, keep in mind that the lungs are the only route for nicotine absorption when using an e-cigarette.
However, smoking isn't the only way to take in nicotine. The lungs and nose are just the most common choices.
3. Wait
You have to wait approximately 8 seconds after inhaling before you feel that satisfying "hit" you've been hoping for. As said earlier, nicotine from e-cigarettes enters the body through the mucous membranes, so the effect may take up to 30 seconds to kick in, but rest assured that it will.
The slight timing lag might have frustrated many vape users in the past as they didn’t get the use. But with time, everyone grows accustomed to it.
The Power Source of Your Vape
The vape mod is a battery-operated device that often uses lithium-ion cells. The size and shape of such gadgets vary widely. Box mods, vape pens, tube mods, pod vapes, and e-cigarettes are all names for different types of electronic cigarettes.
These days, vape mods come with various electronic adjustments and power levels. Some are more sophisticated and allow for wattage or temperature adjustments, while others are fixed in their settings and don't necessitate any technical knowledge on the user's part.
Vape mods vary in complexity and the level of expertise needed to use them safely, depending on their level of power.
Low-Power Vaping Devices
- Include pod mods, vape pens, e-cigs, and all-in-ones (AIOs).
- Zero prior experience required
- Small and rechargeable battery (Unless it's a disposable vape)
- In most cases, power is not adjustable
- Compact and concealable design
- Easy to carry
Medium-Power Vaping Devices
- Include tube mods, box mods, and all-in-ones.
- Need to have some experience with vaping
- Battery safety knowledge is needed
- Built-in or replaceable medium-size rechargeable battery
- Power is usually adjustable (up to 100 watts)
- Possible to carry in one's pocket
High-Power Vaping Devices
- Include box mods and mechanical mods
- Multiple replaceable batteries (rather than built-in)
- Knowledge of battery safety is required.
- Portable (though bulky and heavy)
- Power levels (usually up to 200 watts) can be adjusted.
Most vape mods use one of three different battery sizes: 18650, 20700, or 21700. These cells are significantly more potent than those used in standard remote-control batteries, so a proper understanding of battery safety is essential.
It is highly recommended that first-time buyers get vaping devices with rechargeable and non-removable batteries that can be charged directly via a USB port.
Source of the Vapor
A vape atomizer, often known as a vape tank, is a device used to create vapor. It's a sealed container wired directly to the vape mod. A resistance heating element (often a metal coil) inside the device heats vape juice, which has the same chemical foundation as theater "smoke." When the user inhales, the coil heats the liquid in the wick, turning it into a vapor that looks like smoke.
Some atomizers contain more vape juice than others, but all of them do. There are a lot of books that are made with beginners in mind and some that are made for experts. The four primary groups are, from least to most complicated to use:
Pre-filled
Disposable and designed for a single vaping session. Cartridges, cartomizers, and pod systems come pre-filled with vape juice.
Refillable
Multi-use, disposable, and non-replaceable coils. The refillable vape options include pods, cartridges, and cartomizers.
Refillable with Replaceable Coils
The modular design allows for coil replacement and refilling. Sub-ohm tanks and cartomizers are two such devices.
Rebuildable
User-installable wicks and coils allow for endless reuse ("DIY"). Such atomizers include the RDA, RTA, RDTA, and so on, which use the letter "R" as the first.
There is as much variety in atomizers as there is in vape mods. They must be suitable for use with the vape mod in question. Some vape tanks don't work with certain vape mods because of the power they need or because their coil resistance is too high.
Atomizer coils can have a wide variety of resistances (in ohms). In terms of resistance, specific coils produce thick clouds (less than 1.0 ohm), while others produce thinner vapor (near or above 1.0 ohm).
All coils, regardless of resistance or atomizer type, eventually need to be thrown away. They don't burn out like a light bulb's filament, but their flavor and vapor output will decrease over time. This could be anywhere from a few days to a week or more.
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Instructions for Using a Vape
If you want your new vaping device to work, keep it as simple as possible. Simple vapes are not inferior to other advanced devices; they are just easier to handle and use. Here are the steps you can follow to use your new vape and get satisfactory hits-
Step 1
Buy a beginner's vaping kit. Their process of producing vapor is the same, regardless of look. The cost of such devices often falls between $20 and $60. These vape kits can be broken down into four distinct groups.
- Pod vapes with disposable cartridges, either prefilled or refillable
- AOIs with replaceable and refillable coils
- E-cigarettes with disposable cartridges, either prefilled or refillable
- Disposable and pre-filled e-cigarettes
Every vape kit comes with some form of instruction. All these gadgets are probably built in China, so the handbook might include some grammatical errors. But the directions will tell you how to use your particular kit, and they usually feature pictures to help you out.
Users will need to add vape juice to their vapes, except for prefilled kits. If your device's manual does not include instructions for refilling it, you may always look up a review of the kit you have online if you need more assistance.
Step 2
You should use premium vape juice designed for your equipment. Pick a nicotine strength and a flavor you like. Smaller bottles (30 mL or less) contain higher nicotine vape juice, while larger bottles (30 mL or more) have lower nicotine juice. While individual taste in nicotine products varies, some guidelines can be followed to improve the overall experience:
- Higher nicotine (12–60 mg) is preferable with lower power.
- Medium or 6–12 milligrams of nicotine, is most effective at low to medium power
- Lower nicotine content (from 0 to 6 mg); works best with higher power
If you're unsure about the ideal nicotine level for you, pick the range that seems most appealing. Do you smoke frequently, occasionally, or just for fun? Nicotine salt vape juice, which contains a particularly high level of nicotine, can provide an intense experience for the user. Lower nicotine levels are felt more gradually and often have less of an impact.
Start with the lowest nicotine level in the range you've chosen and work your way up; furthermore, be sure the device's strength is appropriate for the level of nicotine you're using.
How to Properly Inhale a Vape
How you inhale when trying vaping for the first time can make or break the whole thing. It might cause coughing or an unpleasant rush of nicotine if inhaled inappropriately.
Both mouth-to-lung and direct-lung inhalation methods are standard. The vape you intend to use will determine the most effective way of inhaling. Here are the methods you can go for while inhaling your vape-
Mouth-to-Lung
Smaller vapes with high-resistance coils and lots of nicotine are ideal for MTL hits. Regardless of the device's size, inhaling from one of them should feel like drawing air through a coffee straw.
It needs to be tight. This inhaling method produces less vapor but simulates the sensation of smoking, giving the user a throat hit similar to that of a cigarette. It's only a basic method.
- Take a few deep, slow drops of vapor into your mouth for a few seconds
- Close your mouth and hold the vapor for a couple of seconds
- Open your mouth to inhale the vapor into your lungs (but don’t "swallow").
- Let the vapor out of your lungs
Direct Lung
Larger vapes with low-resistance coils and less nicotine are best suited for the DL hit. In most cases, inhaling from one of these vapes feels like sucking air through a milkshake straw.
This inhalation method produces the most vapor and simulates the sensation of taking a "bong hit," but it is still considered smooth and easy, as it is typically employed with low or no nicotine.
- Inhale the vapor quickly and immediately.
- Exhale the vapor almost immediately
The nicotine content is the best indicator of how to inhale a vape if you can't figure out the ideal draw for it or if your device offers adjustable airflow.
MTL vaping is ideal for higher nicotine concentrations (12–60 mg), while DL is best for lower nicotine concentrations (0–6 mg). Nicotine strengths between 6 and 12 milligrams (mg) are considered medium and are suitable for either mouth or lung inhalation.
Cigar Puff
Some vapers "puff" on their vapes like cigars to avoid lung damage. The cigar puff is not an actual inhalation method, but it can be used in conjunction with either high-power (similar to DL) or low-power (similar to MTL) devices.
Since mucous membranes absorb nicotine, this inhalation method is also effective in providing you with a proper experience. Many believe it is not even essential to take a deep breath into the lungs.
How Often Should You Vape?
Each vaper has his or her vaping preferences. Many factors influence how often an individual vapes, so establishing a consistent schedule may seem daunting. However, even though there are details to consider while determining how frequently you should vape, there is no universally accepted guideline for how often you should vape.
In most cases, the health risks associated with vaping determine how often someone vapes. Many don't indulge in heavy vaping because they simply don't have the time. A weekly vaper is considered a light vaper. And the low frequency could be due to the reason for vaping. Some vape to stop smoking and recover, while others do it to pass the time.
When it comes to vaping, moderation is always the best policy. It is the zone where you are not exposing yourself to unnecessary acute health hazards due to heavy vaping. And moderate vaping is most effective for people who are quitting smoking gradually.
This is to ensure that you are taking just enough to suppress any addictive tendencies that may interfere with your sobriety path while being healthy enough not to cause serious health complications.
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Final Words
Although the type of vaping device and vape juice you use will significantly impact the method that works best for you, there are always exceptions to these rules, and the choice of method is ultimately yours.
Remember that there are significant differences between vaping and smoking, and be open to trying out several methods until you discover one that you like best for inhaling your vapor without causing yourself any problems.
If you want to avoid potential health problems, it is best to use the inhalation method that suits you best.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is proper vape inhalation important?
Proper vape inhalation ensures you get the best flavor and vapor production from your device. It also helps minimize the risk of throat irritation or coughing.
How can I avoid common mistakes while inhaling vape?
To avoid common mistakes, don't inhale too quickly, ensure your device is set at the right wattage, and use e-liquids with the appropriate VG/PG ratio for your device.
Can improper inhalation harm the vaping device or e-liquid?
While improper inhalation may not directly harm the device or e-liquid, it can lead to a less satisfying experience and potentially waste e-liquid.