Is geographic tongue permanent as in it never goes away and you have visible spots/patches for life?

Fluctuates: It is usually a chronic condition exacerbated by certain food, stress, or hormonal influences in women (menstruating). Foods can include spicy foods, sour foods, citrus, walnuts, eggplant, tomato , sharp cheese, among others. Many of them are high in natural salicylates- found in aspirin. Do a search for foods to avoid online and see if avoidance helps.

Benign condition: Located on the tongue. There is no pathology manifestation. In some occasions the tongue could be sensitive to spices and produce discomfort. The condition is permanent, but adjustable.

Could be..: Some treatments seem to help in the "disappearance" of this condition, but it depends on the individual conditions. Usually the spots come and go. Unfortunately there is no 100% certainty of the time and intensity of this benign condition. Since there is no exact known etiology, the treatment(s) is very different for each case as suspected cause may appear.

Comes ; Goes: Geographic tongue (gt) is a variation of normal. Our taste bus are constantly being replaced. In gt patches of taste buds get replaced at a time, rather than individual ones scattered around. As the taste buds get regenerated the patch goes away and a new one can crop up elsewhere on the tongue. Some studies show that when you are under stress the gt pattern is more likely.

Possibly: Geographic tongue is not "normal", but rather a benign, usually, but not always painless, inflammatory process that alters normal tongue anatomy. It can come and go in its own. It will go away without treatment, but can and often will return. It is not contagious. Treatment is not necessary unless symptoms of burning develop, contact your dentist.