Aftercare
Instructions 
Anti-bacterial Soap
The optimal way to care for
your piercing is to clean it twice daily (If you are
physically active, try to schedule your cleanings
after you exercise). The
easiest and most comfortable
way to clean your piercing is either during or
immediately
following a hot shower. The hot water and steam will
help soften
your skin and loosen the crust at the
base of your jewelry (making it easier to
remove).
While in the shower, wash your hands thoroughly with
anti-bacterial
soap—preferably a medical grade soap
such as Provon or Satin. (Beware:
anti-bacterial soaps
containing fragrances can irritate your piercing or
cause
allergic reactions.)
Next, gently remove the crust
from your jewelry with a disposable, one-use
product
such as a tissue, cotton-ball, swab, or square. (Do
not use a hand
towel because bacteria can lie dormant
in the cloth.) Then, place some anti-
bacterial soap
in your hands and rub them together as to create a
nice lather.
Gently wipe the jewelry and your piercing
with the tips of your fingers, being
careful not to
scratch or irritate the area. Once the jewelry and
piercing are
lathered with soap, spin the jewelry
so that the ball on the jewelry rests on
one hole
of your piercing; then, spin it so that the ball rests
on the opposite
hole. This process will help run some
soap into the wound, helping to ward
off bacteria.
After spinning the jewelry back and forth several
times, rinse the
area and jewelry thoroughly while
continuing to spin the jewelry back and
forth. (Tip:
Do not place your piercing directly into the shower’s
streaming
water. Instead, try to redirect the water
with your hands in order to reduce
the intensity of
rinsing.) If your starter jewelry is not a captive
bead ring or
circular barbell, try your best to perform
the above process without
overworking and irritating
the area.
Sea
Salt Soaks
After completing the above
process, you can perform your sea salt soaks
either
in or out of the shower. First, fill a fresh disposable
cup with
approximately 8 ounces of water and add ¼
teaspoon of sea salt, stirring until
it is dissolved.
When ready, either place the cup over the piercing--forming
a
vacuum-type seal--or dip the piercing into the cup.
If either of these
techniques are not possible, pre-soak
a fresh tissue, cotton-ball, swab, or
square in the
sea salt solution and firmly press it on your piercing.
In order to
promote effectiveness, the first sea salt
soak should last at least 10 minutes.
All additional
soaks should last at least 5-10 minutes. Following
the sea salt
soak, pat your piercing and jewelry dry
with a fresh disposable paper or
cotton product.
Ibuprofen
For those who are
extremely sensitive, an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory
such as ibuprofen (Motrin IB, Advil, etc.) can help
reduce swelling and pain.
(For
oral piercings only)
The optimal way to
care for your piercing is to rinse your mouth for
30-60
seconds with a medical-grade oral rinse (such
as Tech 2000 or Biotene) after
every meal during the
initial healing period (3-6 weeks). If a medical grade
oral rinse is not available, the next best thing is
to dilute 4 ounces of an oral
antiseptic with 4 ounces
of water. This will de-intensify the antiseptic and
prevent it from irritating your piercing. (Note: Do
not use plain mouth-wash
because it will do nothing
for your piercing—only mask your halitosis.) Be
careful
not to over-clean your piercing, as this will prevent
proper healing.
(Signs of over-cleaning include a
very white or yellow looking tongue.)
Ice and other cold liquids can help
reduce swelling. Ice pops, ice cream, and
frozen yogurt
are also good ways to reduce swelling, but be sure
to perform
either a sea-salt or oral rinse following
your snack (this is not necessary if
you just use
plain ice). Swelling tends to last 3-5 days.
It is important to brush your teeth
three times daily while your piercing is
healing.
Brushing your teeth will cut down on the amount of
bacteria and food
particles in your mouth. It is suggested
that you purchase a new soft-bristle
toothbrush to
use during the initial healing period. Also, plaque
(a white
crusty shell) will begin to build up on your
tongue jewelry if you do not gently
brush the balls
and post. You should brush your jewelry daily if you
want to
prevent plaque build-up.
According to piercing-friendly
physician Dr. Janet L. H. Keating with the Duke
University
Student Health Service, one of the best ways to care
for and heal a
piercing is to “promote healthy lifestyle
habits.” Some additional tips for this
include:
Remember: A piercing
is a wound. Consequently, you should expect
tenderness,
swelling, discoloration, and possibly bruising, bleeding,
and i
tching. Also, a natural part of the process for
healing any wound includes the
secretion of a white-yellow
fluid (containing dead cells and blood plasma).
This
fluid will dry and form crust on your jewelry. To
properly remove this
crust, refer to the Primary Suggestions
for healing your piercing.
Never touch your piercing without first washing
your hands with anti-
bacterial soap. This is a great
way to avoid infections even after your piercing
is
healed.
Do not use petroleum-based ointments (e.g., Neosporin,
Bacitracin, etc.),
peroxide, alcohol, Betadine, iodine,
and Hibaclense!! These substances can
hinder and prolong
the healing process.
Check the accessories (e.g., balls, gem-ends, dice,
etc.) on your jewelry for
tightness at least once
a day. Make sure your hands are first cleaned with
anti-bacterial soap!! Checking your accessories is
something that you should
make habitual throughout
the life of your piercing. Remember: tighten all
threaded
accessories by turning them to the right—righty, tighty.
During the entire healing period, the jewelry should
remain in place to act as
a drain. If the jewelry
is too large to allow adequate drainage, it could
be
replaced with a smaller size by a piercing professional.
Removing your jewelry
prematurely can cause an infected
hole to close up, trapping an infection and
leading
to complications requiring a medical professional.
If you feel that the
normal secretion is turning into
a thicker and darker discharge, please do not
hesitate
to contact your physician for more advanced treatment
(e.g.,
antibiotics).
Always wear loose and clean clothing around your
new piercing. Tight or
unclean clothing can irritate
or infect the piercing, possibly causing it to
migrate.
Do not engage in rough activity that may threaten
your piercing. Intense
friction and pulling on a fresh
piercing is a common way to trigger migration,
a process
in which the body “pushes” the jewelry out of the
body.
Do not expose your fresh piercing to oral contact
or other bodily fluids. Use
protective barriers such
as condoms, dental dams, and finger cots—even if
you
are in a monogamous relationship.
Do not expose your piercing to cosmetics such as
make-up, hair styling
products, lotion, etc. Cosmetics
contain many different ingredients and can
cause irritation
and infection.
Eat nutrient-dense meals throughout the day and
consider supplementing
your diet with Vitamin C (3000
mg in mineral ascorbate form) and Zinc (120
mg for
males and 60 mg for females). These supplements are
most effective
during the first 2-3 weeks of the healing
process. If you are very active (e.g.,
work hard,
partake in regular exercise, etc.) extra nutrient-dense
meals and
an additional multi-vitamin supplement may
help keep your immune system
working efficiently.
Drink plenty of fluids. 8-10 glasses of bottled
or purified water is a good way
to keep your body
hydrated.
Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. This
is considered the optimal
amount of sleep for the
body. This will help your body heal as best as
possible.
If you are living in a high-stress environment, consider
resting as
much as you can in your down time.
·
Try not to sleep on your new piercing. This cause
irritation and prolong the
healing process.
·
Replace your bedding with clean sets of sheets,
blankets, and pillow-cases as
much as possible during
the healing period.
·
Do not leave jewelry out of a piercing for too long!
If you must remove your
jewelry, either put in a retainer
or replace it ASAP. For example, a tongue
piercing
can close-up in a matter of hours.
Avoid going into a pool, hot tub, lake, etc. These
types of water can be
unclean and may induce infection.
Approximate
Healing Times
Amphallang:
6 months-1 year
Antitragus:
2 months-1 year
Apadravya: 6 months-1
year
Bridge: 6-12 weeks
Cartilage:
2 months-1 year
Cheek:
2-3 months
Conch:
2 months-1 year
Daith:
2 months-1 year
Dydoe:
1-2 months
Eyebrow:
6-8 weeks
Clitoral
Hood: 4-8 weeks
Guiche:
2-6 months
Inner
Labia: 4-8 weeks
Frenum:
1-2 months
Hafada:
1-2 months
Helix:
2 months-1 year
Industrial:
2 months-1 year
Labret-Lower-Lip:
6-8 weeks
Lip:
6-8 weeks
Lip
Web (AKA Gum): 4-6 weeks
Lobe:
6-8 weeks
Lorum:
1-2 months
Medusa:
6-8 weeks
Monroe:
6-8 weeks
Outer
Labia: 2-6 months
Prince
Albert: 4-8 weeks
Navel:
6 months-over 1 year
Nipple:
2-6 months
Nostril:
2 months-1 year
Septum 6-12 weeks
Orbital: 2 months-1
year
Rook: 2 months-1 year
Snug: 2 months-1 year
Surface: 6 months-over
1 year
Tongue: 4-6 weeks
Tongue Web: 4-6 weeks
Tragus: 2 months-1
year
Transverse
Lobe: 6-8 weeks
