Piercing Aftercare

SITE CARE INSTRUCTIONS GENERAL INFORMATION

Healing time for piercing and tattooing varies from person to person. The rate of infection is minimal if the aftercare is followed appropriately. It is very important to remember not to touch the pierced or tattooed site without first washing your hands. Normal body reactions to piercing and/or tattooing may include redness, swelling, and/or minor discomfort at the site. If after 48 hours more severe complications occur (increased redness, swelling or hardness at the site, pus-like drainage, onset of fever, and/or prolonged pain at the site or respiratory difficulty following tongue piercing), contact your personal physician or dentist (following oral piercing).
PIERCING INFORMATION:

Do NOT remove jewelry except as instructed. Many people think that jewelry can be removed after a few days or weeks. This is not true. Problems with re-insertion and with the healing process may occur if jewelry is removed too soon. Usual recommendations are for jewelry NOT to be removed for at least 6 months to a year. If jewelry must be removed for medical reasons, call the piercer or your physician and arrange to have it removed.
Never handle the piercing without first washing your hands.
Avoid being too rough with the piercing. This could traumatize the tissue at the site.
Clean the pierced site as instructed. Do not over-clean using too many or inappropriate cleaning agents.
Avoid swimming in rivers, lakes, or hot tubs until the piercing site has completely healed.
ORAL PIERCINGS INFORMATION SHEET (Information from the American Dental Association)
Oral piercings, which involve the tongue, lips, cheeks, uvula, or a combination of sites, have been implicated in a number of adverse oral and bodily conditions. The piercing of oral structures presents unique risks due to the nature of the environment, the rich blood supply of the tissues, the presence of vast amounts of bacteria and other organisms, and the important functional roles the mouth plays in the complex processes of digestion, respiration, sensory perception, and speech.
Common symptoms following oral piercing include pain, swelling, bleeding, and increased salivary flow. Documented health risks include infection chipping or fracturing of teeth, gum stripping and recession, rapid development of bone loss of the lower front teeth, broken fillings or crowns, difficulty with eating and speech, and the swallowing or aspiration of jewelry. Serious and life-threatening complications of infections have rarely been documented following oral piercings. These include development of infection which spreads to the heart requiring hospitalization; and a compromised respiratory airway causing respiratory difficulty

Additional Information on Piercings

What can I expect?

Initially: some bleeding, localized swelling, tenderness, or bruising.
During healing: some discoloration, itching, secretion of a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) that will form some crust on the jewelry. The tissue can 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 cleaning routine, smelly bodily secretions can accumulate on the piercing and around the piercing areas.
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 unhealed and could get infected or be damaged if you start removing your piercing or try to change out the hardware too soon.
Even healed piercings can close after having been there for years! This varies from person to person; if you want to keep your piercing, keep jewelry in—do not leave it empty.

Cleaning Solutions

Packaged sterile saline solution with no additives (read the label), or a non-iodized sea salt mixture: Dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized (iodine-free) sea salt into one cup (8 oz.) of warm distilled or bottled water. A stronger mixture is not better; a saline solution that is too strong can irritate the piercing.
A mild, fragrance-free liquid soap—preferably anti-microbial or germicidal.

Cleaning Instructions for Body Piercing

Wash your hands with warm soapy water EVERYTIME before touching your piercing.
Saline soak once or more per day. Using a cotton ball or sterile gauze to soak and clean the piercing area. A brief rinse afterward will remove any residue.
Use soap no more than once or twice a day. In the shower, use a small amount of soap to clean the jewelry and piercing area. Don’t leave on the area more than 30 seconds.
Rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of the soap from the piercing.
Carefully pat dry with disposable paper products. Cloth towels can carry bacteria and snag on jewelry, causing injury and slowing the healing process.

What can I expect?

Initially: some bleeding, localized swelling, tenderness, or bruising.
During healing: some discoloration, itching, secretion of a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) that will form some crust on the jewelry. The tissue can 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 cleaning routine, smelly bodily secretions can accumulate on the piercing and around the piercing areas.
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 unhealed and could get infected or be damaged if you start removing your piercing or try to change out the hardware too soon.
Even healed piercings can close after having been there for years! This varies from person to person; if you want to keep your piercing, keep jewelry in—do not leave it empty.

What to Do?

Stay healthy; the healthier your lifestyle, the easier it will be for your piercing to heal. Maintaining a healthy body will speed up the healing process!
Make sure your sheets and pillow cases are washed and changed regularly. Wear clean, comfortable, breathable clothing that protects your piercing while you are sleeping.
Showers are safer than taking baths. Bathtubs can harbor bacteria and germs from other parts of your body can come in contact with you piercing. If you bathe in a tub, clean it well before each use and rinse off your piercing when you get out.

What to avoid?

Avoid cleaning with Betadine®, Hibiciens®, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, Dial® or other harsh soaps, as these can damage cells and can kill the normal flora which can protect the piercing from harmful invading germs.
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 over-cleaning. This can delay your healing and irritate your piercing.
Avoid undue trauma such as friction from clothing, excessive motion of the area, playing with the jewelry, and vigorous cleaning. These activities can cause the formation of unsightly and uncomfortable scar tissue, migration, prolonged healing, and other complications.
Avoid all oral contact, rough play, and contact with others’ bodily fluids on or near your piercing during healing.
Avoid submerging the piercing in unhygenic bodies of water such as lakes, pools, hot tubs, etc.
Avoid all beauty and personal care products on or around the piercing including cosmetics, lotions, and sprays, etc.
Don’t hang charms or any object from your jewelry until the piercing is fully healed.

PIERCING CARE AS IT APPLIES TO SPECIFIC AREAS

Navel

A hard, vented eye patch (sold at pharmacies) can be applied under tight clothing (such as nylon stockings) or secured using a length of Ace® bandage around the body (to avoid irritation from adhesive). This can protect the area from restrictive clothing, excess irritation, and impact during physical activities such as contact sports.

Ear, Ear Cartlidge, and Facial

Maintain cleanliness of telephones, headphones, eyeglasses, 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.
When applying makeup around the piercings, be careful not to get directly into the opening and clean thoroughly when removing makeup and cosmetics.