Piercing Aftercare

Information was found on The Association of Professional Piercers' website: www.safepiercing.org

Also, sweetdreadlover has contributed some basic information as well.

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Cleaning Solutions
Use either one or both of the following solutions for body piercing:

- Packaged sterile saline solution (.9% sterile isotonic solution of "normal saline" or prepared saline) with no additives (read the label!) or non-iodized sea salt mixture: Dissolve 1/8 - 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! Saline solution that is too strong can irritate the piercing.
- Liquid anti-microbial or germicidal soap (Provon, Satin, or other fragrance free mild anti-microbial soap).


Cleaning Instructions

1) WASH your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning, or touching on or near your piercing for any reason.
2) SALINE soak at least two to three times daily. Simply invert a cup of warm saline solution over.
the area to form a vacuum for a few minutes. The longer you soak, the better. For certain placements it may be easier to apply using fresh gauze or a cotton ball saturated with saline solution. A brief rinse will remove any residue.
3) SOAP no more than once or twice a day. While showering, lather up a pearl size drop of the soap to clean the jewelry and the piercing. Leave the cleanser on the piercing no more than thirty seconds, then rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of the soap from the piercing.
4) DRY with disposable paper products such as gauze or tissues, because cloth towels can harbor bacteria and catch on new piercings causing injury. Pat gently to avoid trauma.


What To Do:

- Wash your hands prior to touching the piercing; leave it alone except when cleaning. It is not necessary to rotate the jewelry while healing except possibly during cleaning.
- Make sure your bedding is kept clean and changed regularly. Wear clean, comfortable breathable clothing that protects your piercing while sleeping.
- Showering is safer than taking a bath, because bathtubs tend to harbor bacteria. If you would like to take a bath, clean the tub well before each use.

What Not To Do:

- 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 the use of alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, Betadine, Hibiclens or ointment on piercing.
- Avoid over cleaning. This can delay your healing and irritate your piercing.
- Avoid all oral contact, rough play, and contact with others’ bodily fluids on or near your piercing during healing.
- Avoid stress and recreational drug use including excessive caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.
- Avoid submerging the piercing in bodies of water such as lakes, pools, jacuzzis, etc. Or protect your piercing using a special waterproof bandage* such as Tegaderm, which is available at drugstores.
- 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.


What is Normal?

- 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 may 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 a part of your daily hygiene routine, normal but smelly bodily secretions may accumulate.
- A piercing may seem healed before healing is complete. This is because piercings heal from the outside in, and although it feels healed the tissue remains fragile on the inside. BE PATIENT, and keep cleaning throughout the entire healing period.
- Even healed piercings can shrink or close in minutes after having been there for years! This varies from person to person; if you like your piercing, leave the jewelry in place.


Other Tips for Particular 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 Cartilage and Facial
- Use the t-shirt trick: dress your pillow in a large, clean t-shirt and turn it nightly; one clean t-shirt provides four clean surfaces for sleeping.
- 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.
-On facial piercings (except lip and tongue), use a washcloth soaked in salt water used specifically for cleansing your piercing and let set on your piercing for fifteen minutes to remove any "crusties" and lymph discharge. Also using a bit of tea tree oil will help as it is also a natural healent.
-For tongue and lip piercings, gargle with salt water after every time you drink, eat, or smoke. Make sure not to do it too often as the piercing will dry out and get irritated and possibly infected.

Nipple
- The support of a tight cotton shirt or sports bra may provide protection and feel comfortable, especially for sleeping.

Genital
- In most cases you can engage in sexual activity as soon as you feel ready. Comfort and hygiene are vital.
- During healing all sexual activities must be gentle. To increase comfort and decrease trauma, soak in warm saline solution or plain water to remove any crusty matter, prior to sexual activity.
- Use barriers such as condoms, dental dams, etc. (Tegaderm, CleanSeals, Polyskin or other breathable, non-water permeable wound sealant bandage) to avoid contact with a partner’s bodily fluids, even in long-term relationships.
- Use clean, disposable barriers on sex toys.
- Wash hands before touching on or near the piercing.
- Use a new container of water based lubricant. Do not use your own saliva as a lubricant.
- After sex, an additional saline soak or clean water rinse is suggested.
- Prince Albert and Apadravya piercings can bleed freely for the first few days.
- If using soap, urinate after cleaning any piercing that is near the urethra. Each body is unique and healing times vary considerably. If you have any questions, please contact your piercer.


Approximate Healing Times (www.tribalectic.com)

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Cheek: 2-3 months
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Cartilage: 2 months-1 year
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Earlobe: 6-8 weeks
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Eyebrow: 6-8 weeks
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Genitals: 4 weeks-6 months
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Labret: 6-8 weeks
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Lip: 6-8 weeks
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Navel: 6 months-over 1 year
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Nipple: 2-6 months
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Nostril: 2 months-1 year
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Septum: 6-8 weeks
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Tongue: 4-6 weeks