TIPS FOR TAKING CARE
Hit The Shower
The best way to care for your new piercing is by keeping unclean hands, unwanted germs and harmful bacteria away from your new piercing. The easiest way to clean your piercing is in the shower. The warm water and steam will help to soften your skin and loosen the crust at the base of your jewelry, making the crust easier to remove. Gently remove the crust from your jewelry with a cotton swab, paper towel or gauze pad. Do not force any crust off or pick at your piercing.
While in the shower, wash your hands with clear glycerin or antibacterial soap. Then lather to wash thoroughly around your piercing. Be careful, remaining soap will irritate the wound, so rinse well. Do not use antibacterial soap or any soap containing color, fragrance, or animal products on your piercing. Do not over clean.
Soaks
Soaks are the best way to dissolve any crusted lymph fluids concerning your piercing. Soaks can be prepared with saline sprays or non-iodized sea salt. Start by filling a clean or disposable 8oz/250ml cup with warm distilled or bottled water and add a quarter teaspoon of non-iodized sea salt (food grade or organic), stirring until the salt is completely dissolved. Next, dip the piercing (i.e. earlobe) entirely into the cup and soak for a minimum of 3 to 5 minutes, morning and evening, preferably after a shower. If you’re using a saline spray, substitute salt and water with the saline solution.
Sprays
Sterile saline sprays are a means of irrigating your piercing to dissolve any crusted lymph fluids concerning the pierced area. Start by liberally spraying the solution to thoroughly saturate your piercing. This helps to irrigate the piercing. Make sure you are not rotating your jewelry. Alternatively, you can use a piece of sterile gauze or cotton swab soaked in a saline solution to remove any crusted lymph fluids around your piercing.
Leave It Alone
This tip is pretty plain and simple, although it might just be the hardest to follow. Leave your piercing alone, except when cleaning.
Do not turn or spin your jewelry for any reason. Spinning and friction can cause micro-tears as well as scar tissue and hypertrophic scar tissue (otherwise known as a keloid or piercing bump).
Minimize trauma, infections and hypertrophic scarring by being aware of clothing pulls, friction from repetitive movement, and bacteria transfers from unwashed hands.
ADDITIONAL TIPS
DO'S
Do follow these instructions and not the advice of your friends.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call or visit the studio. If you have any healing issues, such as excessive swelling, soreness, redness or pus, please see your physician for medical attention within 24 hours.
Do avoid swimming.
This means everything from public swimming pools, hot tubs, rivers, oceans, and lakes to home pools until your new piercing has healed. These water sources can be filled with harmful bacteria/parasites that can induce infection and harm you/your piercing.
DONT'S
Don’t touch your piercing.
The best approach is a hands-off approach. Avoid touching your piercing to prevent the transfer of bacteria and infection. If you do happen to touch your piercing, make sure your hands are washed and clean. Also, avoid applying pressure to your piercing. Pressure of any sort impedes the healing process.
Don’t engage in rough activity that may threaten your piercing.
Intense friction or pulling on a fresh piercing is a common way to trigger scar tissue production and migration (a process where the body tries to “push” the jewelry out of the piercing location).
Don’t overclean your piercing.
Cleaning more than twice a day (unless absolutely necessary) can irritate the piercing and prolong the healing process. If your piercing appears clean but is noticeably tender, taper your cleaning regimen down to once a day and eventually to an ‘as needed’ basis. As you progress through the healing process you will develop a successful permanent cleaning routine.
Don’t use petroleum-based ointments, hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol on your healing piercing.
These are substances that will irritate your new piercing and slow down the healing process significantly. Using peroxide, alcohol or other disinfectants are meant for infections and not during healing.
Don’t change out your jewelry or remove it while it’s healing.
For any length of time. The jewelry acts as a drain for the wound created by the piercing needle. Removing your jewelry prematurely can cause an irritated piercing to close up, trapping draining fluid and leading to complications (such as infection), requiring a medical professional.