Facial/body piercing
Cleaning
Always wash your hands before cleaning your piercing.
We only suggest the use of Sterile Saline Wound Wash, which can be purchased in the studio, and at many popular stores in the first aid section. Make sure you check the label on the bottle, the only ingredients you want in the saline will be 1) water and 2)sodium chloride. If there are ANY additional ingredients in the saline do not use it on your piercing. Saline wound wash is different from nasal saline, and eye contact saline. Do not use either of those on your piercing.
We suggest cleaning your piercing 1 to 2 times a day, and up to 3 times a day depending on your lifestyle. It’s important to not over clean your piercing as this can cause dry skin, irritation, and prolonged healing.
Make sure you dry your piercing gently after cleaning. A very convenient trick for this is with a hair dryer on the cool setting. (Please only do this with a personal hair dryer, as hotel and gym hairdryers will most likely be riddled with bacteria. You can also use sterile non-woven gauze to gently absorb excess moisture from the piercing site. Be very cautious to ensure that you are not trapping fibers in the jewelry or on the piercing.
Reminders
Make sure to downsize your jewelry if applicable, within the timeframe suggested by your piercer. This can be crucial to not only your comfort, but optimal healing. Especially for facial piercings!
Do not intentionally rotate, move or twist your jewelry while cleaning. Our number one rule is to not touch your piercings. Touching and unnecessary movement in your jewelry can irritate your piercing and risk the spreading of germs and bacteria.
Please keep your jewelry inside your piercing at all times. Removing your jewelry can result in damage to the healing piercing, and your piercing can shrink or close completely, making your jewelry difficult or impossible to re-insert. If you are experiencing an issue with the fit of your jewelry be sure to see your piercer so they can make appropriate adjustments for your comfort and healing.
What to expect
At first: some bleeding, bruising, swelling, redness, and soreness or mild pain.
During healing: some discoloration, itching, oozing of a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) that will form some crust on the jewelry. Your skin may tighten around the jewelry as you heal.
After healing: the jewelry may not move easily in the piercing; do not force it. If you don’t clean your piercing as a part of your daily bathing, normal but smelly secretions may build up.
A piercing may seem just fine before the whole healing process is done. This is because they heal from the outside in. Even if it feels fine, the new skin is weak on the inside. Be patient, and keep cleaning all the way to the end of the entire healing period.
If you have had a piercing for years, it can still shrink or close in minutes if you take out your jewelry! This is different from person to person; if you like your piercing, keep jewelry in—do not leave the hole empty.
Additional suggestions
Contact your piercer for a non-metallic retainer if your metal jewelry must be removed (for example, if your doctor or dentist makes you take it out for a procedure).
Avoid putting a healing piercing in a lake, pool, hot tub, etc. First, protect your piercing by using a waterproof bandage (such as Clean SealsTM). You can buy them in any drugstore.
Be careful when styling your hair, and let your stylist know if you are healing a piercing.
Avoid Sleeping on your piercing, as the pressure from sleeping may cause issues during healing. For ear piercings you can use a U-shaped travel pillow and put your ear in the opening to help prevent unwanted contact with your piercing.
If you decide you don’t want your piercing any more, simply remove the jewelry (or have a professional piercer remove it). Keep cleaning the piercing daily until the hole closes. Most of the time, only a small mark will be visible.
If you think you have an infection, leave in quality jewelry so the infection can drain. If you take the jewelry out, the surface can close up. That can trap the infection inside the piercing and cause an abscess. Do not remove jewelry unless instructed to do so by a medical professional.
Stay healthy and hydrated. The healthier you are, the happier your piercing will be during healing. Be sure to eat nutritious meals and get enough sleep. Exercise is fine during healing, we do however suggest listening to your body if something is irritating the piercing. Please avoid making contact with any gym equipment on your healing piercing because…yuck.
Oral piercing
Cleaning
For oral piercings it is important to maintain good oral hygiene, but don’t overdue it.
Avoid products with whitening agents and peroxide, as they can be problematic to healing and they can damage your jewelry; especially if your jewelry is implant grade titanium.
Make sure you rinse your mouth with bottled or purified water after eating or drinking anything other than clear, cold water. But also, drink plenty of clear, cold water, to help with swelling and to keep you hydrated to aid in the recovery from swelling.
Ice can be very cold and in some cases too cold to aid healing. The movements from chewing and sucking on ice may irritate our piercing. If you prefer, you can let small ice shavings dissolve in your mouth.
Use a new soft-bristled toothbrush and keep it away from other toothbrushes in a clean area.
If you use mouthwash as part of your daily routine, you can continue using mouthwash but make sure you switch to an alcohol-free oral rinse.
Try to limit your use of tobacco products such as cigarettes, chewing tobacco and vaporizers; as the chemicals may cause healing issues, and the suction can also irritate your piercing and delay healing.
If a portion of your piercing is on the exterior surfaces such as a lip piercing, you’ll want to care for those surfaces as you would with a facial or body piercing.
What to expect
For the first three to five days: a lot of swelling, bleeding, bruising, and/or soreness or mild pain is normal.
After that: some swelling and oozing of a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus).
Once your swelling has gone down, you must change the original, longer jewelry to a shorter post to avoid damage to your teeth and gums. Ask your piercer for their downsize policy. Because this important jewelry change is often done during healing, have your piercer change it for you.
Additional suggestions
Contact your piercer for a non-metallic retainer if your metal jewelry must be removed (for example, if your doctor or dentist makes you take it out for a procedure).
Don’t speak or move your jewelry more than you have to.
Avoid lots of caffeine and taking aspirin; these can increase bleeding or swelling.
Sleep with your head propped up above your heart for the first few nights.
Do not play with your jewelry. You will cause permanent damage to teeth, gums, and other oral structures.
Avoid talking too much when your piercing is new.This could make ugly, uncomfortable scar tissue form, and make your healing take longer.
Avoid kissing or contact with others’ bodily fluids like saliva while you are healing.
Avoid chewing on gum, fingernails, pencils, sunglasses, tobacco, and other foreign objects that could have bacteria on them.
Avoid sharing plates, cups, forks, and spoons.
Avoid stress and recreational drug use, including too much caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.
Avoid aspirin as long as you are bleeding or swelling.
If you think you have an infection, leave in quality jewelry so the infection can drain. If you take the jewelry out, the surface can close up. That can trap the infection inside the piercing and cause an abscess. Do not remove jewelry unless instructed to so by a medical professional.
Leave jewelry in at all times. Your piercing can shrink or close super fast—even if you’ve had it for years. If you take it out, getting it back in later can be difficult or impossible.
With clean hands be sure to check threaded ends on your jewelry for tightness daily. (“Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey.”)
Carry a clean spare ball in case you lose or break one.
DISCLAIMER: These suggestions are based on a combination of vast professional experience, common sense, research, and extensive clinical practice. This is not to be considered a substitute for medical advice from a doctor. If you think you have an infection, visit a doctor, but be aware that many doctors have not received specific training about piercing. Your local piercer may be able to suggest a piercing- friendly medical professional.