Aftercare

Suggested aftercare for your piercing

DO NOT PLAY, MOVE or ROTATE YOUR JEWELRY!

This will only hurt your piercing and prevent healing!

The information in this pamphlet is based upon our experience as piercers and current industry standards. We are not doctors, our suggestions whether written or verbal are not meant to be taken as medical advice. If you have a problem, you can call or come in. If you seek medical advice, keep in mind that he/she may be unfamiliar with the specific healing of body piercing. Please seek out a piercing friendly physician.

Saline

Purchase the following and follow the directions below!

Purchase Wound Wash Saline and Gauze Pads

Directions for use:

Only spray the piercing when needed. You are only cleaning off debris. If there is nothing to clean off, leave the piercing alone!
Spray the piercing with Wound Wash Saline. coat piercing area for 2-3 seconds. Wipe away all Debris ( Dried tissue or mucus) Dry the piercing fully with Gauze.

DO NOT use cotton swabs (Qtips) or cotton balls. They will pull apart and may get pulled into the piercing.

Oral piercings

Alcohol-Free Mouthwash! 
Inside of the mouth should be rinsed with bottled water after everything enters the mouth.The outside of the mouth should be sprayed per the suggestions above. If you use a mouth wash, use an alcohol free type

Shortening jewelry

If you have extra length on any jewelry , we can shorten it. Keeping s fitted jewelry piece will help with healing and comfort. We always pierce with a little extra length for swelling.

The following should be avoided.
Rubbing Alcohol, Hydrogen Peroxide, Antibiotic ointments ( Neosporin, Bacitracin, A&D), Betadine, Povidine Iodine, Hibiclens, Bactine and ear cleaning products (Ear care). Most of these products are too harsh to healing cells and petroleum products can keep oxygen out of the piercing. If the label on these products says Do not use on Deep Puncture wounds, do not use on your piercing.

Avoid over cleaning. This can delay the healing of the piercing. Using too many products at one time can also delay the healing and if a problem does arise, it will be hard to determine the cause.

Avoid undue trauma such as friction, playing with the jewelry or vigorous cleaning. These activities can cause the formation of unsightly and uncomfortable scar tissue, migration, prolonged healing, and other complications.

Avoid all oral and physical contact to the piercing with other bodily fluids on or near your piercing during healing.

Avoid stress and recreational drug use, including excessive caffeine, nicotine and alcohol.

Avoid submerging the piercing in unhygienic bodies of water such as lakes, pools, hot tubs, ocean, etc. Or protect them by using a water proof wound sealant bandage. These are available at most drugstores.

Avoid all beauty products and personal care products on or around the piercing including cosmetics, lotions, and sprays.

Avoid drinking alcohol for oral piercings until the piercing is healed.

To benefit your piercing.

Wash your hands before touching your piercing. Leave it alone except when cleaning. DO NOT rotate your jewelry. It is not necessary.

Wash your bedding. Wash pillow cases frequently for facial piercings. Clean/breathable clothing around the piercing will help. Showers are safer than bathing. Bath tubs can harbor bacteria.

Swelling and some bruising can be normal for most piercings. Placing ice on the piercing. Cold compresses help!! Do not move the jewelry.

A healthy life style will help he healing. Eat well and get enough sleep. Daily nutritional supplements including iron, vitamin B, 1000-5000mg of vitamin C and zinc are recommended.

Bleeding can be normal for some piercings. Please prepare for this. Localized swelling, tenderness and bruising are also normal.

Hints and Tips

Unless there is a problem with the size, style, or material of the initial jewelry, leave it in place for the entire healing process. Come in the studio and have a piercer change the piercing for you.
If you have to change the piercing for a job, sport or medical procedure (MRI), there are retainers we can place into the piercing for the mean time. Leaving the piercing without jewelry is not recommended.

Well healed piercings have been known to close or tighten, making jewelry hard and uncomfortable to place back in.

During healing these things are normal: some discoloration, itching, and a secretion of whitish – yellow fluid(not pus) that can form some crust on the jewelry. The tissue may tighten around the jewelry.

Once healed; the jewelry may not move freely. Do not force it.

A piercing may seem healed before the healing process is complete. This is because they heal from the outside in, and although it feels fine, the tissue remains fragile on the inside. BE PATIENT, keep cleaning the piercing throughout the entire healing period.

Tighten threaded jewelry with freshly washed hands. Keeping a spare ball with you can help if you forget to do this and lose the ball on the jewelry.

Navel:

A hard, vented eye patch can be applied under tight clothing or secured by an Ace bandage to protect the area from excess irritation or impact during physical activities.

Ear and facial:

Avoid phone usage on the piercing while healing. Sleep on the opposite side. Avoid head phones, hats and helmets or anything that may contact the area. Inform your hair stylist of the new piercing to avoid undue trauma.

Nipple:

The support of a tight fitting cotton shirt or sports bra may provide protection and feel comfortable, especially when sleeping.

Genital:

Piercings can bleed freely for the first few days, be prepared. Wash your hands before touching the area. In most cases you can engage in sexual activity as soon as you feel ready, but maintaining hygiene and avoiding trauma are vital; all sexual activities should be gentle during the healing.

Oral and physical sex:

Use barriers such as condoms(no spermicidal), dental dams, and waterproof bandages, etc. to avoid contact with your partners body fluids, even in monogamous relationships. Use clean, disposable barriers on sex toys. Use a new container of water based lubricant. After sex, soak your piercing. This information includes nipple piercings as well.

Oral piercings:

Swelling can be controlled by putting ice on the piercing. Ice chips on the inside and ice in a paper towel on the outside. Once the swelling has subsided, it is vital to replace the original longer jewelry with a shorter post to avoid intra-oral damage. Come into the studio and have a piercer change it for you. Cut down on putting things like fingers, gum, pens, etc into your mouth. Cut down or stop smoking( prolongs healing and swelling). Avoid wet kissing and unprotected oral sex.

Eating:

Slowly eat small bites of food. Avoid eating spicy or acidic or hot temperature foods for a few weeks. Cold foods and beverages can sooth and reduce swelling. Avoid mashed potatoes and oatmeal or tacky food. For tongue piercings, keep your tongue level in your mouth as you eat. Lip piercings, be cautious about opening your mouth too wide as this can result in the jewelry catching the jewelry. Avoid using mouth wash with alcohol. Rinse with bottled water after eating or drinking anything.

Allergic reactions:

It is always possible for living bodies to react to foreign objects introduced into them. Allergic reactions can happen to jewelry and the clean materials you use. The metals we use to pierce with are implant grade. If you feel you may be having an allergic reaction please read what is normal to piercings and if you still feel this way please feel free to come into the studio. If you are going to seek medical advice, please see an allergist, do not see your normal doctor, an allergist is the only person who can tell you what metal you are allergic to.

Infections:

These come from open skin in contact to bacteria and other contaminants (Dirty hands, other fluids, swimming unprotected). If an infection is occurs, DO NOT REMOVE THE JEWELRY! Leaving jewelry in allows the piercing to drain. If you take it out, the hole will close trapping the infection in the body. If you take care of you piercing, you may never have to deal with this! Signs of an infection can be and not limited to; Having a large amount of discharge that is thick, green, or gray and smells bad, red streaks coming from the piercing site, symptoms that last for a week or get worse, and experiencing fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or disorientation.

Migration/Rejection

If the jewelry moves closer to the surface or the tissue gets narrower between the openings of a piercing, this is termed migration. If the piercing migrates past a point of remaining viable or comes all the way to the surface, this is termed rejection. For safety and longevity, a piercing should have at least 5/16 inch (almost 8 mm) of tissue between the entrance and exit holes.
A body piercing should be abandoned if the tissue between the entry and exit progressively gets smaller or thinner over time.

These are the estimated healing times for your piercings. Each body is unique and healing times vary considerably. Please leave your original jewelry in until it is fully healed!

• Oral: Tongue 6-8 weeks Lip, Monroe, etc 5 months Webbing in the mouth 6-8 weeks Cheeks 12 months
• Facial: 5 months Cartilage 6 months
• Nipple / Navel: 6 months
• Outer Labia 6 months
• Inner Labia, Clitoral Hood: 2-3 months
• Clitoris 6-8 weeks P.A. 8-10 weeks Frenum and Scrotum 4 months
• Ampallang/ Apadravyas: 12 months
• Surface piercings: 6 months
• Single Point piercings: 5 months.

If you have a question or a problem please contact us or come into the studio at any time.