Body and Facial Piercing Aftercare
Congratulations on getting your new piercing and we hope you enjoy it for years. The time required foryour piercing to heal completely varies, in most cases jewelry must be left in for at least the first 3 months.Your piercing might look healed before this time but it’s important to be patient and wait the entire healingperiod before changing your jewelry out or ceasing your aftercare routine. If your piercing must come outsooner for medical reasons, often we can help you with this process so that you don’t lose your piercing.
If proper cleaning is done your risk of infection is greatly reduced. The most common problems are:
· Not having the piercing done in a sterile environment.· Dirty hands or saliva touching it before it is healed.· Using a cleaning agent that can damage your piercing.· Wearing inferior quality jewelry or metals.· Proper cleaning not being performed daily.· “Playing” with jewelry before piercing is healed.
If you have any problem with healing we will be happy to help. We understand that since opening up in Benidorm in 2002, people see us as the experts. So we will help with piercings that we didn’t perform,however, understand we can only make suggestions, we are not physicians. A physician must be contacted as soon as possible if a problem persists.
Cleaning Solutions
Use a mild liquid antimicrobial/germicidal medicated soap such as Provon or Satin, and water. Inferioralternatives include products such as Almay Clearly Natural, Hypocare, NutriBiotic; or other mild,fragrance-free and color-free liquid antibacterial soap. These should possibly be diluted with distilled orbottled water, depending on product strength. Try and avoid soaps that use Triclosan as the active igredient,such as Dial. These soaps are much harsher on new skin cells and can damage your piercing. Also, mildnon-iodized (no iodine) sea salt soaks as described below.
Sea Salt Water Soaks
Sea salt soaks are strongly suggested at least once a day to accelerate healing and increase your comfort.
This may also help to reduce irritation in the area. Dissolve a pinch (1/4 teaspoon) of sea salt into one cup(8 oz.) of warm or hot water in a clean cup. Distilled water is optimal. A stronger solution is not better asyou can burn your piercing with too much salt. Invert it over the area to form a vacuum and soak directlyfor a few minutes. For certain placements it is easier to use a clean cotton ball or gauze pad soaked in thesalt water and applied to the pierced area. Follow with a clear water rinse or splash then pat dry with paperproducts.
Salt water soaks help to stimulate air and blood circulation which facilitates healing. You can do a briefsalt water soak before your daily cleaning(s) as well as several additional times a day. It is particularlyadvisable to soak before you do anything active, as it will prevent crust from being pulled inside thepiercing as you move around. Salt water is the only additional product (other than the cleanser and water)we suggest you use to care for your piercing.
One soak per day should be for at least 10 minutes. Additional soaks can be brief (1 minute or so) andstill be effective for soothing the area and removing matter.
Cleaning Instructions
Body piercings need to be cleaned once daily, every day, for the entire initial healing time. Most peopleclean morning and/or night, in the shower. Do not clean more often as this can irritate your piercing, andpossibly delay your healing. For once-a-day cleanings, do it at the end of your day. Optimal frequency willdepend on your skin sensitivity, activity level, and environmental factors.
Before cleanings wash hands thoroughly with liquid antibacterial soap and hot water. If you wish, youmay wear disposable latex or vinyl gloves and/or also use a hand sanitizing gel. Never, never touch healingpiercings with dirty hands. This is vital for avoiding infections.
Prepare the area for the cleansing by rinsing or soaking with warm water and be sure to remove anystubborn crust using a cotton swab and warm water. Never pick with fingernails! This step is important foryour comfort.
Apply a small handful of cleaning solution to the area with your clean hands. Cleanse the area and thejewelry. (You do not need to rotate your jewelry during cleaning).
Allow the solution to cleanse there for a minute. You may bathe normally, just don’t purposely workanything other than the cleanser onto the inside of the piercing.
Rinse the area thoroughly under running water to completely remove the cleanser from the piercing.
Gently pat dry with disposable paper products such as gauze or tissues, as cloth towels can harborbacteria.
Please try to be patient. Each body is unique, and healing times can vary considerably. If your piercing istender or secreting you should continue the care regimen, even if it is past the stated average healing timerange.
What To Do
Wash your hands prior to contact on or near the area of your healing piercing!Leave the piercing alone except for when you are cleaning it. It is not necessary or advisable to rotate the ring whilehealing.Leave the starter jewelry in during the entire minimum initial healing time! (Assuming your initial jewelry isappropriate in terms of metal content, style, and size. Inappropriate jewelry should be changed out by a professional.)Those with captive-style rings or barbells (straight, bent, or circular) can change the bead/ball portion of the jewelry atany time.Check daily with clean hands to make sure the balls are screwed on tight on threaded jewelry such as barbells. Bothballs tighten to the right.If you like your piercing leave jewelry in at all times. Even old, well-healed piercings can shrink or close in minutesafter having been there for years! This varies from person to person, and even if your ear lobe piercings stay openwithout jewelry your body piercing may not! Contact your piercer if your jewelry must be temporarily removed (suchas for a medical procedure). Monofilament nylon or another inert non-metallic substance may be able to be inserted to maintain the piercing until jewelry can be reinserted.Make sure your bedding is clean and changed frequently while you are healing, especially if pets get into your bed.Wear clean, comfortable, breathable fabric clothing in the area of a body piercing.A multi-vitamin mineral supplement containing zinc and vitamin C may help boost your body’s healing abilities.Take it with your morning meal according to package instructions.Get enough sleep, eat a nutritious diet, avoid undue stress, recreational drugs, and alcohol consumption. Thehealthier your lifestyle, the easier it will be for your piercing to heal.Showering is safer than taking a bath, as bath tubs tend to harbor bacteria. To bathe safely, clean your tub with ableach product before each bath, and rinse the tub before you fill it. Also, be sure to do a running water rinse on yourpiercing when you are done in the tub.In the event that the piercing drains a thick pus discharge instead of the normal liquid secretion, you may wish to seea physician for evaluation and possible antibiotic treatment. If you do have an infection, the jewelry should be left inthe piercing to allow for drainage of pus. If the jewelry is removed, the holes can close up, resulting in an abscess.LEAVE YOUR JEWELRY IN !
What Is Normal?
Bleeding, bruising, discoloration and/or swelling is not uncommon. These are not indications of anycomplication. Reduce intake of aspirin, alcohol, and caffeine. For above-the-neck piercings try sleepingwith your head elevated above your heart (prop up on some pillows) to limit overnight swelling. Studies show non-steroidal anti-inflammatory products such as Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.) can help minimizeswelling.
Some tenderness or discomfort in the area of a new piercing is not unusual. You may feel stinging,burning, or aching off and on for several days or longer. During healing there may be some itching.
Secretion of a fluid which contains blood plasma, lymph and dead cells is perfectly normal. It is fairlyliquid, whitish-yellow in color and forms a crust on the jewelry at the openings of the piercing. This is notpus, but indicates a healing piercing.
Once healed your piercing may secrete a semi-solid white malodorous substance from the oil glandscalled sebum. This is not pus, but indicates a healed piercing.
Piercings may have a tendency to have a series of “ups and downs” during healing by seeming healedand then regressing. Try to be patient, and do keep cleaning during the entire initial healing time, even ifthe piercing seems healed sooner.
Tightness is normal. Do not expect jewelry to swing freely in most body piercings, even after they arethoroughly healed.