Piercing Aftercare
Most piercings take between 4-6 weeks to heal, however everybody and every piercing heals at different rates.
Your Healing Cycle
- Week 1 - Inflammatory. Extra blood flow causes the area to appear red and weep clear fluid. This is NOT a sign of infection.
- Week 2-4 - Healing. Newly healed tissue can be easily damaged by movement or incorrect aftercare. Please come into our studio for a free check-up at this point.
- Week 5 - Maturation. Your piercing is in the last stage of healing and the redness will gradually disappear and leave a healthy piercing.
- Week 6 - Downsizing. The jewellery may be too large. A free change-over is included with every jewellery purchase from our studio. Do NOT change it before this time.
Things to Do while healing
- Wash your hands before touching anywhere near the piercing or the jewellery.
- When showering, thoroughly rinse the area and gently move the jewellery to discharge any dead cells caught inside. If this hurts, you may be damaging the healing tissue.
- Only dry your piercing with disposable products such as tissues or cotton swabs. Blow drying the are can also work.
- Wear loose and non-restrictive clothing that wont rub against the piercing and aggravate it.
Things to avoid while healing
- Remove/change/play with the jewellery.
- Swim in pools (lakes, salt, chlorine, spas, etc)
- Using personal care products around the area (inc sprays, lotions, cosmetics, etc).
- Overclean as it will aggravate the piercing.
- Using Dettol, alcohol wipes, methylated spirits, Listerine, peroxide and similar products.
- Picking off dry discharge leads to infection, it should be gently wiped off after soaking.
Normal things while healing
- Localised swelling, bruising and bleeding.
- Discharge of clear/light yellow plasma.
- Discomfort when bumped.
- Red/pink tissue around the piercing.
- Itching inside the piercing. (Don't itch it!)
Aftercare Solutions
- Saline Solution. Half fill a shot-glass and place it over the piercing or apply saturated cotton balls, letting it soak the area for 5 minutes. This should be repeated twice a day for 4~6 weeks.
- H2Ocean. Spray the area and allow the solution to absorb into the skin. Do not wipe it off. This should be repeated 3~6 times a day for 4~6 weeks.
- Cepacol/Arctic Ocean Rinse. Rinse your mouth out after every main meal. Dont use alcohol based mouth rinses. Repeat for 6 weeks until healed.
Piercing Tips
Oral
- Suck on anything cold for the first week. This will help with swelling and discomfort
- Sleep on your back with your head elevated
- Wash your mouth out with water after EVERY meal or snack
- Try to stick to a soft-food diet.
- Up-and-go breakfast drinks
- Soups
- Custard/Ice Cream
- Yogurt/Yo-Go
- Mashed Potato
- Do not play with your jewellery as it will lead to scaring
Facial
- Facial piercings generally have a high blood flow, which will make them appear very red and also heal quicker.
- Take care not to snag your jewellery while chaning.
- Place a shirt over your pillow case and change/flip it every night to ensure a clean environment.
Torso
- Wear a fitted cotton shirt for comfort while you sleep.
- Be careful while drying your self. Snagging the jewellery will damage it.
- Pat dry with a disposable product.
- Sleep/lay on your back or side
- Navel
- Do not suffocate the piercing, no bandages are needed during healing
- Some sport activities may damage the piercing. Check with your piercer for advice.
- Nipple
- Do not wear decorative (lacy) bras during healing
- Keep free from bodily fluids (saliva, etc)
Surface
- Surface piercings may take a very long time to heal and may produce a lot of crust during their healing
- It is important to soak your piercing multiple times a day for a lengthy period to draw the crusties out.
Microdermal/Anchors
Anchors can be very temperamental during the first week to two weeks. During this time you can easily damage the piercing with a single hit.
They also heal very quickly if left alone, do not over clean your anchor.
Bandage with a waterproof bandaid/non adhesive patch for at least 1 full week. Both Day and Night.
We recommend that you continue to wear the waterproof band aid/patch for at least another week, only at night just to be certain the area has had sufficient time to heal properly.
Genital
Genital pierings heal very quickly, however are prone to aggravation issues.
Always be gentle and use protective barriers to avoid infections for your self and your partner.
Female
- VCH (Vertical Clitoral Hood)
- Be selective of sexual positions during healing
- Direct stimulation is not recommended as it can cause slower healing
- Labia (Inner and outter)
- Any sexual activity during healing may cause discomfort
Male
- PA (Prince Albert)
- Frenum (shaft-skin)
- Glans (Apadravya/Ampallang)
- Scrotal (Lorum, Hafada, etc)
Correct hygiene and comfort are vital for all genital pierings.
If at anytime you are unsure of the healing process, come in and speak to our technicians or see a doctor.
It's better to be safe then sorry!