PIERCING AFTERCARE INFORMATION
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR FRESH PIERCING:
A healing piercing may be tender, itchy or even slightly bruised for several weeks. It may be swollen or even bleed a little for the first few days. Redness can occur on and off during the healing period, which varies depending on the piercing.
Whilst healing, the piercing may discharge a clear/yellowish fluid, which will dry and crust around the piercing and on the jewellery. This is normal and will stop once the piercing is fully healed.
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR PIERCING:
Check you piercing in the mirror 1-2 times a day, such as morning and evening for any build-up of crust or dirt. Irrigate the piercing with sterile saline solution (0.9% with no additives), gently clearing away any build-up with a piece of sterile non-woven gauze. Pat the area dry with another piece of gauze. Please do this until it is fully healed.
Your piercer may also advise you to wash your piercing with a mild soap such as SEBAMED or DR BRONNERS BABY MILD CASTILE SOAP. Foam soap in your hands and gently was around the outside of the piercing, following with a gentle rinse with water and pat dry with gauze.
Refrain from using cotton swabs/pads and towels as they may harbour bacteria and fibres can become stuck on the jewellery.
ORAL CARE:
If the piercing is outside of your mouth, such as the outer part of a lip piercing, care for as explained above.
For inside the mouth piercings, such as tongue and the inner part of a lip piercing, please rinse with a plain bottled cold water throughout the day after eating and drinking (anything other than water). You may also use an alcohol free mouthwash (Listerine Zero) 1-2 times daily.
Do not brush your piercing with a toothbrush.
Try to avoid smoking and drinking alcoholic drinks, as they will aggravate the piercing and prolong healing. Alcohol especially will dehydrate and be very harsh on the piercing; causing increased swelling and possible bleeding. Make sure to keep well hydrated.
Keep good oral hygiene and it is recommended to use a brand new toothbrush.
During the first coupe of weeks, soft bite sized foods will be easier to handle. Please avoid very salty, spicy, oily and hot food, and food which contains bacteria such as yoghurts.
In most cases, jewellery will need to be downsized as soon as the initial swelling subsides (as early as 10-14 days).
Keeping the initial jewellery in, after swelling is reduced, may cause dental damage and aggravation to the piercing.
DO NOT
-Touch your piercing or jewellery with unwashed hands. This is a main cause of infection.
-Submerge your piercing in any water other than shower water (no baths, rivers, lakes, hot tubs/saunas, oceans, swimming pools etc).
-Twist, turn or move your jewellery about in your piercing.
-Use antibiotic creams, hydrogen peroxide, betadine, alcohol, tea tree oil etc on your piercing.
-Let your piercing come in to contact with unclean clothing, bedding, pet hair and other people’s body fluids.
-Get cosmetics, lotions, facial cleaners, hair spray or similar products in your piercing.
-Change jewellery until the piercing is fully healed.
-Sleep on your piercing, especially at the beginning; this will prevent it from healing correctly.