Piercings Aftercare

Basic Care for Piercings

Always wash hands with antibacterial soap before touching your piercings. If you are not cleaning your piercing, do not touch it. Clean the piercing twice a day with following recommended products

Liquid Antibacterial Soap such as liquid Dial. (Bar soaps are contaminated by other uses. Avoid all dyed or perfumed soaps which can irritate new piercing.) Always wash your hands first with an antibacterial soap. Next lather the entire piercing, including the jewelry. Remove any scabbing (crust) or residue from the jewelry. (Q-tips are helpful.) Rinse. Lather the piercing again and rotate jewelry through the piercing. Allow solution to sit in the piercing for at least one minute. Rinse while rotating the jewelry to rinse the soap completely. Dry with a clean, soft cloth or tissue.

Benzylkonium Chloride (An active ingredient found in most ear solutions, such as Ear Care.). Before handling your piercing, always wash your hands with an antibacterial soap. Completely saturate your piercing with the solution using a Q-tip. Remove any crust or discharge from the jewelry. Work the jewelry through the piercing five to eight times. The solution does not need to be rinsed away.

Salt Water. Warm salt water can speed the healing of most piercings. It is found that sea salt works best. Normal table salt or Epsom salts can be used if you aren't allergic to iodine. Use a clean cloth saturated with a solution of 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and an entire cup of hot water. Apply 15 minutes at a time. A couple of times a week is enough. If an infection occurs, repeat the process 2-3 times a day until it goes away. If you are still having a problem, call your piercer.

Betadine (Povidone-iodine). Betadine is too harsh and can prolong healing. It is helpful in taking care of an infection, but it can also destroy developing skin cells. Betadine can tarnish or discolor gold jewelry.

Swimming, chlorine and sea salt can benefit your piercing, but any pollution or bacteria that can be in the water can be harmful. Always avoid hot tubs and public pools during healing. Always clean piercing after swimming.

Avoid tight clothing (especially when healing a navel). Clothing must be low enough that it does not hit your piercing at any time.

Oral contact - Mouths are full of bacteria. Keep them away from piercings.

Bodily fluids - Do not let a healing piercing come in contact with any bodily fluids, more than bacteria can be exchanged (Genital, lip and tongue piercings.)

Do Not Use These Products:
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Tea Tree oil
  • Antibiotic ointments

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Special Care for Special Piercings

Tongue Piercings

Oral piercings usually heal within 4-5 weeks. Jewelry should not be left out because oral piercings can close fast.

Swelling is normal. Gently suck on small ice cubes, especially in the morning. Ibuprofen is also good for swelling. Slight jaw cramps might be present as your body adjust to the jewelry. Your tongue may feel uncoordinated since you are not used to having jewelry in your mouth. Keep your tongue level in your mouth. Eat foods that you do not have to chew a lot for the duration of the swelling.

You must rinse with Listerine .after smoking, eating or drinking anything other than water or ice you

Keep hands, fingernails, pens, necklaces or any other foreign object out of your mouth. They carry bacteria and can infect you. Do not "play" with this piercing for at least 4 to 6 weeks such as clicking the barbell on your teeth, biting it, licking your lips, etc. Refrain from oral sexual contact for at least 4 to 6 weeks

Lip Piercings

Simply follow Listerine and ice instructions under "tongue piercings for the inside of your lip. Use Bezylkonium Chloride twice daily on the outside of the piercing, following instructions under "Basic Piercing Care."

Genital Piercings

Follow the instructions for "Basic Piercings Care." Genital piercings are easy to take care of and tend to heal fast. Some bleeding may occur with a fresh genital piercing. It is recommended with men to wear a gauze for the first couple of days. Women should consider wearing a pad to bed, especially for the first night.

Avoid any sexual contact for at least a few weeks. When you do, be sure to clean yourself afterwards. Always urinate after cleaning you're your piercing to flush away any residue left behind. To eliminate risk of infection consider using a lubricated condom or other protection. Do not have unprotected sex until the piercing is completely healed.

If you find that liquid Dial soap or benzylkonium chloride is too harsh, use a saline solution or call your piercer.

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Healing Times

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