Piercing Aftercare
Three Step Cleaning
For all new piercings, except Oral piercing.
1. WASH your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason.
2. SPRAY Saline wound wash. For certain placements it may be easier to apply using a clean cotton bud saturated with sterile saline solution.
3. DRY by gently patting with clean, disposable paper product like kitchen roll.
Caring for Oral Piercings
To clean your oral piercing, use any of the following;
- Spray oral piercing solution on the piercing site twice a day.
- Antimicrobial or Alcohol-free antibacterial mouth rinse.
- Plain clean water
Top tip... To help reduce swelling, allow small pieces of ice to dissolve in the mouth. Anti-inflammatories like Ibuprofen also help (Please speak with a pharmacist if you are unsure or haven't taken before).
It is important for happy healing and to ensure your piercing remains healthy that you maintain good oral hygiene. Brush your teeth and use alcohol free mouth wash after every meal. Once healed, brush the jewellery thoroughly to prevent plaque build up.
Once swelling has subsided, it is vital you downsize your jewellery. Having well fitted jewellery will avoid any intra-oral damage.
What's Normal?...
Initially; Some bleeding, localised swelling, tenderness or bruising.
During Healing; Some discolouration, itching, secretion of a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) that will form some crust on the jewellery.
Piercings can often seem healed long 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 your cleaning routine up for the entire healing process. Regular cleaning even when healed is advised to keep your jewellery clean and you piercing happy.
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 your jewellery in.
Navel Piercings
A hard, vented eye patch (sold in pharmacies) can be applied under tight clothing, secured using medical tape or bandage. This should only done for short periods of time. Its always best to wear loser clothing. Waterproof breathable wound dressing is also advised if you need to protect your piercing when wearing restrictive clothing, doing sports or physical activity.
Nipple Piercings
The support of a tight cotton shirt or sports bra may provide protection and feel comfortable, especially sleeping.
Ear & Facial Piercings
The T-shirt trick; Dress your pillow in a large clean t-shirt and turn it nightly. One t-shirt provides four clean sleeping surfaces.
Maintain cleanliness of telephones, headphones, glasses, helmets, hats and anything that contacts the pierced area.
Use caution when styling your hair and advise your stylist of a new or healing piercing.
What to Avoid!
- Laying on your piercing.
- Sleeping with wet hair.
- Twisting, moving jewellery.
- Picking away dried discharge/scabs.
- Undue trauma such as friction from clothing, excessive motion of the area, playing with jewellery and vigorous cleaning. These can all cause uncomfortable scar tissue, migration and prolonged healing.
- Submerging the piercing in unhygienic bodies of water such as lakes, pools, hot tubs.
- Cosmetic and beauty care products like lotions and sprays on or in close proximity to the piercing site.
Hints & Tips
With clean hands, be sure to regularly check threaded ends on your jewellery for tightness. (Righty - Tighty, Lefty - Loosey)
Unless there is a problem with the size, style or material of the initial jewellery, leave it in place for the entire healing period. See a qualified piercer to perform any jewellery change such as downsizing that becomes necessary during healing.
Should you no longer want the piercing, simply remove the jewellery (or visit a professional piercer for them to remove it) and continue the cleaning process until the hole closes.
It's important that you downsize your jewellery. This may be required during the healing process.
How to tell if you need to downsize your jewellery;
- The swelling has subsided and the jewellery appears too long
- It's no longer sore, crusty or generally sore
- Your hair is catching on your piercing
- Your piercing is 4 or more weeks old
If you think you may need a downsize, pop into to studio to see the body piercer for her to check.