Piercing Aftercare

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• Wash your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason. 

• Clean with sterile saline solution or soap with a q-tip or paper towel

• If using soap, gently lather around the piercing and rinse as needed. Avoid using harsh soaps, or soaps with dyes, fragrances, or triclosan.

• Rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of the soap from the piercing. It is not necessary to rotate the jewelry through the piercing. 

• Dry by gently patting with clean, disposable paper products. Cloth towels can harbor bacteria and snag on jewelry, causing injury.​

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What is Normal?

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• Initially; some bleeding, localized swelling, tenderness, or bruising. 

• During healing; some discoloration, itching, secretion of whiteish-yellowish fluid (not pus)that will form some crust on the jewelry. The tissue may tighten around the jewelry as it heals.

• Once healed, the jewelry may not move freely in the piercing; do not force it. If you fail to include cleaning your piercing as part of your daily hygiene routine, normal but smelly bodily secretions may accumulate.

• A piercing may seem healed before the healing process is complete. This is because tissue heals from the outside in, and although it feels fine, the interior remains fragile. Be patient, and keep cleaning throughout the entire healing period.

• Even healed piercings can shrink or close in minutes after having been there for years! This varies from person to person; if you like your piercing, keep jewelry in-do not leave it empty.

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What To Do

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• Wash your hands prior to touching the piercing; leave it alone except when cleaning. During healing, it is not necessary to rotate your jewelry. 

• Stay healthy; the healthier your lifestyle, the easier it will be for your piercing to heal. Get enough sleep and eat a nutritious diet. Exercise during healing is fine; listen to your body.

• Make sure your bedding is washed and changed regularly. Wear clean, comfortable, breathable clothing that protects your piercing while you are sleeping.

• Showers tend to be safer than taking baths, as bathtubs can harbor bacteria. If you bathe in a tub, clean it well before each use and rinse off your piercing when you get out.

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What To Avoid

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• Avoid moving jewelry in an unhealed piercing, or picking away dried discharge with your fingers. 

• Avoid cleaning with Betadine, Hibiclens, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, as these can damage cells. Also, avoid ointments and creams. 

• Avoid Bactine pierced ear care solutions and other products containing Benzalkonium Chloride (BZK). These can be irritating and are not intended for long term wound care. 

• Avoid Trauma such as friction from clothing, excessive motion of the area, playing with the jewelry, and vigorous cleaning. These activities can cause scar tissue, migration, prolonged healing, and other complications.

• Avoid all oral contact, rough play, and contact with other's bodily fluids on or near your piercing while it is healing.

• Avoid beaches, pools, ponds, lakes, springs, and any bodies of water for at least a month.

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Oral Aftercare

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Use one or both of the following solutions for inside the mouth:

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Antimicrobial or antibacterial alcohol-free rinse

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Packaged sterile saline solution with no additives (Read the Label) or non-iodized sea salt mixture:

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Dissolve 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized (iodine-free) sea salt into one cup (8oz) of warm distilled or bottled water. A stronger mixture is not better. Saline solution that is too strong can irritate your piercing. (If you have high blood pressure or a heart condition, please check with your doctor before using a saline product as your primary cleaning solution.)

 

• Wash your hands prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason. 

• Saline soak at least two to three times daily. Simply soak directly in a cup of warm saline saturated with saline solution. A brief rinse afterward will remove any residue.

• Soap no ore than once or twice a day. While showering, lather up a pearl sized drop of the soap to clean the jewelry and the piercing. Leave the cleanser on the piercing no more than thirty seconds. 

• Rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of the soap from the piercing. It is not necessary to rotate the jewelry through the piercing. 

• Dry by gently patting with clean, disposable paper products. Cloth towels can harbor bacteria and snag on jewelry, causing injury.

 

What Is Normal?

 

For the first three to five days: significant swelling, light bleeding, bruising, and/or tenderness.

 

After that: Some swelling, light secretion of a whitish-yellowish fluid (Not Pus)

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What To Do To Reduce Swelling

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• Allow small pieces of ice to dissolve in mouth. 

• Take an over the counter, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen or naproxen sodium according to package instructions.

• Don't speak or move your jewelry more than necessary.

• Sleep with your head elevated above your heart during the first few nights.

 

 

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