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PIERCING CARE
Care and Feeding for Your New Piercing
Congratulations! You've received a body piercing by a skilled and knowledgeable professional who cleaned and disinfected the area pierced, used sterile instruments, jewelry and a single-use needle. Now it is up to you to take proper care of your piercing during the crucial healing period. How your piercing heals is up to you and your body.
It is important that your new piercing:
1) Be cleaned 2-3 times daily during the crucial first one to six weeks.
2) Be appropriately cleaned with the suggested cleanser. Different piercings use different cleansers.
3) Be free from any discharge before you attempt to move the jewelry.
When cleaning, remove all discharge that collects on and around the jewelry. Irritation can occur when crusty matter is accidentally forced into the piercing. Your piercing needs lots of oxygen. Piercings heal faster when clean and dry. Do not smoother your piercing with band-aids and ointment. Do not use ointment for more than the first 3-5 days. Neosporin Plus can help to soothe new piercings. Some people find that the use of a daily multivitamin can help speed up the healing process.
TONGUE, LIP (laboret), CHEEK
Require special aftercare. Swelling will normally occur during the first 72 hours. It is important to drink lots of cold liquids and gently suck on ice to help minimize swelling. (Use ice 30 minutes on, 30 minutes off, to help keep maximum blood flow). Rinse mouth every hour with Listerine, Paridox or similar antibacterial mouthwash (Scope is no good). Apply Gly-Oxide or Peroxyl directly on piercing (both sides) 2-3 times a day. For tongue piercings, you must eat soft foods during the initial healing period. The more you favor your fresh piercing, the quicker the healing. Advil (or any ibuprofen) works well for soreness and can help reduce swelling. Keep dirty hands out of your mouth at all times. Tighten the balls or disc backs on jewelry often, but make sure to wash hands with an anti-bacterial soap like liquid dial or soft soap. It is very important to avoid oral contact, such as wet kissing, and oral sex.
EARS, EYEBROW, SEPTUM, NOSTRIL and OUTSIDE LIP
Clean piercing and jewelry 2-3 times a day with liberal application of 50% Bactine solution (Benzalkonium chloride) and 50% distilled water on a clean Q-tip. Soak piercing first with small cup of warm water for 2-3 minutes, remove all discharge, then turn jewelry so solution gets inside piercing. Rinse jewelry well with fresh water and turn jewelry back through to get all cleansers off. After the first 7-10 days, use the Bactine less frequently and replace cleaning with either Dr. Bronners or a mild antibacterial soap like Dial or Soft Soap.
NIPPLES, NAVELS and MALE-FEMALE GENITALS
Clean 2-3 times a day with a diluted anti-bacterial soap (like liquid Dial soap in the pump). It’s easiest to clean after a daily shower or bath (bath water and soap are not clean). At end of shower, rinse all soap off body, then apply cleanser to hands and scrub so they are clean. Then use a cup of clean warm water and seal over piercing for 2-3 minutes, apply second application of cleanser to hands and gently scrub jewelry and skin until you are certain all crusty matter is removed, turn jewelry to clean inside of piercing. Rinse with clean water and turn jewelry again to rinse cleansers out of piercing. For cleaning at the sink, use the same method as above, with exception to using a clean Q-tip instead of hands. To rinse, use clean Q-tip and fresh water.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO DILUTE YOUR SOAP AND TO ALWAYS RINSE WITH CLEAN WATER AFTER USE. IF YOUR CHOICE OF SOAP IRRITATES YOUR SKIN, SWITCH TO SOMETHING MILD LIKE Dr. Bronners.
For genital piercings, urinating after cleaning is recommended to flush the area. To help promote healing, a daily Salt Water Rinse as your pre-soak is recommended. Try using 1 cup of distilled warm water with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and hold on piercing. For oral piercings, use salt-water mixture to rinse out mouth. Water can be at room temperature. Oral contact with new piercings or touching with dirty hands can cause infection and should be avoided. While genital piercings do not prohibit sex during the healing process, one should not irritate a fresh piercing to obtain optimum healing. In the interest of good hygiene, please use a condom. The better you treat your piercing, the better the outcome.
Any questions or persistent conditions, please feel free to call Hangtown Tattoo & Piercing @ (530) 642-9172. Most cleansers are sold at your neighborhood drugstore.
Hangtown Tattoo & Body Piercing
537 Main Street
Placerville, California 95667
530-642-9172 * 530-642-9083