How To Clean Your Piercing

 

1. Thoroughly wash your hands.

2. Spray Saline on the front and back of your piercing. Moving or rotating the jewellery is not needed, and may cause irritation.

4. Rinse any excess saline from the skin around the piercing.

5. Dry the piercing after cleaning with clean, disposable products like gauze or cotton swabs, gently removing any crust, debris, or buildup.

 

Oral Piercings

 

Oral Piercings are prone to swelling initially. Cold food and drinks, such as ice water, can be beneficial to reduce swelling. Maintain good oral hygiene for the duration of healing. Do NOT use any products that contain whitening chemicals. You can rinse with bottled water after eating or drinking. Avoid any activities that would put you in contact with someone elses bodily fluids, including sharing food and drinks. Be aware that smoking can be harmful to a healing oral piercing. Eating is still very important. Softer and more bite size foods will be easiest for the first week or two

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What to Avoid

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-Avoid undue trauma such as friction from clothing, excessive motion of the area, playing with jewellery, and vigorous cleaning.

-Avoid overcleaning. This can actually delay healing and irritate your piercing.

-Avoid ALL beauty and personal care products on or around your piercing including cosmetics, lotions, sprays, etc.

-Avoid swimming in any bodies of water. Chlorine is drying and irritating to a new piercing. Stay out of the pool till your piercing is at least a few months old. Natural bodies of water such as oceans, rivers, and lakes, harbor harmful bacteria and should be avoided for the entire duration of the healing period.

-Avoid all harsh chemical products, including Rubbing Alcohol, Peroxide. “Ear Care Solutions”, any Anti-Bacterial Soaps, .

-Please only use Wound Wash Saline on your piercing- contact solution or nasal saline is not acceptable.

 

What Is Normal

 

-Piercings may bleed on and off for the first few days to a week. Bruising, redness, and swelling are all normal for a new piercing.

-Itching is normal with a new piercing, and a sign of healing. Despite the itch, do not scratch.

-Your piercing may have some secretion of a white-ish or yellow-ish fluid. This may dry and form a scab like “crust” around the piercing. These secretions are a normal part of the healing process, and will diminish as it continues to heal.

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Downsizing

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Most Piercings are started with jewellery that has a small amount of extra length to allow for swelling and cleaning during the initial weeks of healing. Once that swelling has gone down, that jewellery can sometimes feel long and annoying. Additionally, if slept on, snagged, or bumped, this excess length can cause the piercing to migrate. It is very important to come back to have jewellery downsized to avoid this migration.

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Tips and Tricks

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-Use care when styling your hair, and warn stylists of new or healing piercings.

-Sleeping directly on a healing cartilage piercing can cause irritation, and even change the piercings angle. Try to sleep on the other side, or use a travel pillow, on top of your pillow, with your ear in the opening to avoid direct pressure.

-Clean bedding and pillowcases regularly.-Unless there is an issue with the size, style, or material of your initial piercing jewellery, leave it in place for the duration of the healing process. Any needed downsizing or changes during healing should be done by a qualified professional piercer.-Leave jewellery in at all times. Even well healed piercings can shrink or close in minutes. If removed, reinsertion can be difficult or impossible. Contact your piercer for non-metal alternatives if jewellery must be removed for a medical procedure.

-With clean hands be sure to regularly check your jewelry for tightness on both threaded and threadless ends.

-If you suspect an infection, please seek medical care