PIERCING AFTERCARE

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Congratulations on your new piercing! Piercings are controlled wounds that require proper care to heal safely. Following these aftercare instructions reduces the risk of infection, irritation, migration, scarring, and other complications.

Healing times vary depending on piercing location, jewelry type, and individual healing response. Please read this guide carefully. By following these instructions, you are helping ensure your piercing heals correctly.

General Piercing Aftercare:

• Wash hands thoroughly before touching or cleaning your piercing.
• Leave jewelry in place unless instructed otherwise by your piercer.
• Do not twist, spin, or remove jewelry during the healing period.
• Avoid harsh chemicals: alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, iodine, BZK solutions, ointments, and medicated creams.
• Avoid over-cleaning, which can irritate tissue and slow healing.
• Protect the piercing from friction, trauma, and contact with others’ bodily fluids.

Healing timeline

Initial Hours: 

• Some bleeding, tenderness, swelling, or bruising is normal.
• Jewelry must stay in place.
• Pat any fluid or minor crust dry with disposable gauze or paper.
• Do not re-bandage unless instructed.

First Days:

• Normal signs: Discharge, mild swelling, redness, or tenderness.
• Cleaning: Use sterile saline solution or recommended piercing spray 1–2 times per day. Avoid harsh soaps, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, BZK-containing solutions, ointments, or medicated creams.
• Showering: Gentle rinsing with water is acceptable. Avoid direct scrubbing or exposing the piercing to scented body washes or shampoos.
• Jewelry movement: Do NOT twist, spin, or remove jewelry. Movement can prolong healing and introduce bacteria.
• Crusts: Whitish-yellow crusts are normal. Remove gently after soaking with saline or during rinsing.

First Weeks:

Healing times vary by piercing type and location. Your body is creating new tissue around the piercing.

• Normal signs: Crusting, mild redness, tenderness, slight itchiness, tissue tightening around jewelry.
• Avoid irritation: Keep clothing, hair, phones, and glasses away from the piercing. Avoid sleeping directly on it if possible.
• Sea salt soaks: For most body piercings, you can do 1–2 sea salt soaks per day (¼ teaspoon non-iodized salt in 1 cup warm water) for 5–10 minutes, followed by a rinse with warm water and gentle pat dry.

Piercing Specific Instructions: 

Body Piercings (e.g., Navel, Niples, Surface anchors)

• Jewelry: Curved barbell or circular barbell preferred for navel. Long enough to allow swelling.
• Cleaning: 3–6 times per day for navel; use sterile saline, sea salt solution, or spray.
• Avoid tight clothing or activities that can snag jewelry.
• Healing: Navel 6–12 weeks, nipple 6–12 weeks, surface anchors require ongoing care.

Cartilage Piercings (helix, tragus, conch)

• Healing is longer and more prone to stress bumps.
• Sea salt soaks 1–2 times/day help prevent irritation.
• Avoid: twisting or rotating jewelry — this can prolong healing by weeks.
• Healing: 3–12 months. Be patient and monitor for bumps or irritation.

Nose Piercings

• Use lukewarm saline solution in a shot glass or with a cotton ball for 7–15 minutes.
• Avoid: cotton or paper fibers near the piercing.
• Healing: 2–3 months.
• Do not clean with antibacterial soaps, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or medicated solutions.

Oral Piercings (tongue, lip, labret, etc.)

• Rinse after eating, drinking, or smoking with warm water or alcohol-free mouthwash (e.g., Crest Pro-Health, Biotene, Listerine Zero)
• Avoid: alcohol-based mouthwashes and harsh oral cleansers.
• Healing: 4–8 weeks.

Genital Piercings

• May bleed freely at first; this is normal.
• Maintain hygiene and avoid trauma during sexual activity.
• Healing: Varies by piercing; consult your piercer.

Surface Anchors

• Require lifelong maintenance.
• Clean with sterile saline or rinse during showers. Avoid makeup or friction.
• Healing: Ongoing care required.

Navel Piercings

• Jewelry: Curved or circular barbell; ensure bar is long enough for swelling.
• Cleaning: Alternate sea salt solution soaks and sea salt sprays 3–6 times/day.
• Protect from tight clothing; loose garments are recommended.
• Showering: Avoid direct soap contact. Sudsy water is acceptable but avoid scrubbing.
• Healing: 6–12 weeks.

General Piercing Care tips!

• Jewelry should remain in place for the entire healing period. Even healed piercings can shrink or close within minutes if empty.
• Wash hands before touching or cleaning.
• Avoid over-cleaning; this can irritate the piercing and slow healing.
• Avoid swimming in lakes, pools, hot tubs, or submerging piercing in water until fully healed.
• Be cautious with clothing, bedding, and personal items that contact the piercing.
• Avoid undue trauma, friction, rough play, or contact with others’ bodily fluids.
• Avoid ointments, Bactine®, and harsh antiseptics. These can impede healing.

Normal Healing signs:

• Bleeding, swelling, tenderness, or bruising initially.
• Whitish-yellow discharge and crusting.
• Tight tissue around jewelry, mild redness, slight discoloration.
• Piercing may appear healed on the surface before interior tissue is fully recovered.

Warning Signs:

Please contact your piercer or a medical professional if your experiencing the following symptoms: 

• Persistent or worsening redness, swelling, or pain.
• Pus with foul odor.
• Jewelry embedded in skin or signs of migration.
• Fever, chills, or systemic symptoms.
• Allergic reactions to jewelry material.