Body Piercing Aftercare
Body Piercings need to be cleaned once or twice daily, every day, for the entire initial healing period. Most people clean morning and night. Do not clean more often as this can irritate your piercing, and possibly delay your healing. Before cleaning your piercing, wash your hands. This is vital for avoiding infections. SEA-SALT WATER SOAKS are strongly suggested. As this is the most effective way of your piercing healing as quickly as it possibly can. Dissolve a pinch of sea-salt into one cup of hot water. Invert it over the area to form a vacuum and soak directly for a minimum of 5 minutes. For certain placements it is easier to use a clean cotton ball or gauze pad soaked in salt water and applied to the pierced area. Salt water soaks help stimulate air and blood circulation which facilitates healing. It is very important you leave your initial jewellery in for the amount of time your piercer tells you to. If you change your jewellery before the piercing is fully healed, there is a risk if infection and allergic reaction, therefore increasing the initial healing time. Please be patient. Everybody is unique, and healing times can vary considerably. If your piercing is tender or secreting you should continue the aftercare regime, even if it is passed the stated average healing time. What is normal? Bleeding, bruising, discoloration and swelling is not uncommon. Any break of the skin, including a new piercing can bleed or bruise. These are NOT indications of any complication. Some tenderness or discomfort in the area of a new piercing is not unusual. You may feel stinging, burning, aching, or other unpleasent sensations off and on for several days or longer. Secretion of fluid which contains blood plasma, lymph and dead cells is perfectly normal. It is a fairly yellowish colour liquid and forms a crust on the jewellery at the openings of the piercing. This is NOT PUS, but indicates a healing piercing. Once healed your piercing may secrete a semi-solid white substance from the oil glands called SEBUM. This is NOT PUS, but indicates a healed piercing. Oral Piercings. Rinse your mouth out for around 30-60 seconds with either, SEA-SALT WATER or ANTISEPTIC MOUTHWASH. About 4-5 times a day, preferably after meals, during the entire healing period. For tongue piercings, you will get some swelling. Ice is very good for reducing it. Some tenderness or discomfort in the area is not unusual. Plaque may form on tongue jewellery, commonly on the bottom ball. Just gently clean it off with a soft toothbrush. If you are dilligent with oral hygiene the jewellery will not need to be removed for cleaning. For tongue piercings, you will be asked to return to the studio to change the bar to a smaller one, to fit the size of your piercing, which will feel much more comfortable. IF YOU LIKE YOUR PIERCING, LEAVE YOUR JEWELLERY IN AT ALL TIMES. EVEN HEALED PIERCINGS CAN SHRINK OR CLOSE IN MINUTES, AFTER BEING THERE FOR YEARS. THIS VARIES FROM PERSON TO PERSON. |
