Aftercare Instructions for Piercings
Body piercings need special care in order to heal with minimal or no problems. It's normal for a new piercing to swell and be tender, red or itchy, however these symptoms should slowly fade over several days as long as the piercing receives proper care. There are certain aftercare methods that anyone interested in getting a piercing must be familiar with because they are essential for maintaining healthy piercings. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Gentle anti-bacterial soap
- Saline solution
- Paper towel, gauze or cup
- Mouth wash
Instructions
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Cleaning Instructions
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Wash your hands with an antibacterial soap before handling your piercing. If your hands aren't thoroughly cleaned before touching and cleaning your new piercing, harmful bacteria can easily be transferred, leading the piercing to become infected.
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Soak your piercing in a warm saline (salt) solution for ten minutes at least once a day. Saturate a few paper towels or a piece of gauze with the saline solution and apply directly to the piercing, allowing the solution to thoroughly soak around the jewelry and into the injection sites of the piercing. You can also fill a cup with the saline solution and allow the piercing to submerge completely.
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Wash your piercing with a gentle, preferably unscented, antibacterial soap one or two times a day. Place a dime-sized amount of soap on your fingers. Once it's lathered up, use your fingers to gently massage the soap around the piercing and jewelry. Wait no more than thirty seconds and rinse the piercing completely clean. Don't rotate the jewelry as you are washing or rinsing the piercing. For oral piercings, add a 30 to 60-second rinse with mouth wash several times each day and after meals.
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Dry your piercing gently and thoroughly. Pat your piercing and the surrounding skin with clean paper towels to dry. Using cloth towels to dry new piercings is discouraged due to their tendency to harbor any harmful bacteria that can infect the piercing. Cloth towels are also more likely to snag on your jewelry which can be painful.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to clean your piercing because these can potentially damage the healthy skin cells, delay the healing process and cause scar tissue. Also, don't use any petroleum jelly on your piercing because it promotes bacteria growth. Don't excessively touch your piercing, and keep it away from any bodily fluids to reduce the risk of infection. Don't remove or change your jewelry until the piercing has fully healed, which can sometimes take several months to a year. Avoid any lotions, creams, ointments and astringents when taking care of your new piercing.
Spicy food, alcohol and tobacco products can severely irritate oral piercings.Submerging your new piercing in large bodies of water such as a lake or pool promotes bacteria growth and should be avoided during the healing process. Tight clothing can aggravate a new piercing and can also delay the healing process. Over cleaning can also irritate your piercing and delay the healing process.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
