Piercing Aftercare

General Aftercare

What NOT to do:

1. Do not touch your piercing.  You hands can introduce germs into the piercing, potentially causing an infection!
2. Do not twist or rotate you jewelry. Your jewelry is made of an implant grade material and has a mirror finish. There is no chance of you skin growing to the piercing. Moving the jewelry in anyway can disrupt the fragile skin that is healing around your piercing.
3. Do not pick at your piercing. Removing the scabs from your piercing only makes the scab grow back larger and causes longer healing times and more scar tissue.
4. No chemicals on your piercing. There is no need for antibacterial products, antiseptics, ointments or any other first aid products during the healing of your piercing. These products are very harsh and damage the fragile skin that is healing around your piercing. Most of these products have clear warnings on the label stating not to use them on puncture wounds.
5. Do not remove your jewelry. Your piercing will start to close the moment you take your jewelry out. The delicate skin that has formed so far is very easily damaged and will most likely  be ripped off while removing and inserting your jewelry, effectively causing your piercing to take much longer to heal.   

What you CAN do:

1. Be healthy. The better your health the better your piercing will heal. Proper sleep and diet are important to the healing process of your body. If your diet is less than ideal please consider taking a daily multi-vitamin.
2. Be clean. Cleanliness is next to godliness. It is of the utmost important to have good hygiene while healing a new piercing. Always wear clean clothes, shower daily and change your sheets and pillow covers frequently. Each time you shower take the time to allow the warm water to run directly over your new piercing for 3-5 minutes. This allows any debris to be safely rinsed away from your piercing.
3. Do hot compresses. Hot compresses can be done with sterile guaze and warm water or with a warm chamomile tea bag (Must be all natural chamomile tea with no additives). It is important to make sure that your hands are clean before doing hot compresses. Allow the compress to sit on your piercing until it is cool. You can repeat as needed with a new piece of guaze or a new tea bag. Heat increases circulation allowing your body heal faster.
4. Use Nature's Pure Defense. Mist your piercing with Nature's Pure Defense 3-5 time daily. Simply allow it to air dry. Do not wipe or rub it away. Nature's Pure Defense is pH balanced for maximum skin benefit. 
5. Come in for a check up. We are here for you. There is no need for you to be sitting at home concerned about the healing of your piercing. If at anytime you are unsure about the healing of you piercing please contact us immediately or come by the studio.

Oral Aftercare (Lip & Tongue Piercings)

1. Keep it cold. Ice your piercing frequently. Ice will help keep your piercing from swelling as much. It also helps to relieve any swelling faster.
2. Rinse with water. Anytime you think about your new piercing please rinse your mouth out with water. If you put anything in your mouth besides water rinse your mouth with water. This greatly reduces the bacteria in your mouth as well as helping to keep your breath fresh.
3. Do not use toothpaste. Brush your teeth 3-4 times daily using only water. Toothpaste is very gritty and contains numerous harsh chemicals. Toothpaste can cause your piercing much undo pain and swelling. After brushing please rinse your mouth with an alcohol & peroxide free mouthwash. Only use mouthwash after brushing your teeth. Rinse with water throughout the day.
4. No sexual contact. Refrain from kissing or oral sex until the piercing is completely healed. Exposure to other people's bodily fluids is just asking for an infection.
5. Eat healthy. Living off of yogurt and ice cream will deprive you of the nutrition you need to heal your piercing. You do need to avoid food items that are really spicy, salty or acidic. Eating a nutritious diet will encourage your body to heal faster.
6. Downsize your jewelry. It is important to wear jewelry that fits flush after all swelling has subsided. Jewelry that sits flush will protect your teeth and gums.

Initial bruising, bleeding, tenderness, localized swelling and redness are all normal for tissue freshly pierced. Once the piercing starts to heal, itching, discoloration, secretion of lymph (not pus) and crusties (dried lymph) are also completely normal and are signs of a healing piercing.

Piercings heal outside-in so even though a piercing may look fully healed, it may not be so make sure you always wait the minimal healing time before you stop babying the piercing.

For Information on Stretching (guaging) your piercing please CLICK HERE. Also feel free to contact me with any questions.

Is Body Piercing Safe?
Most of them, especially when performed by a professional. There are some areas of the body that can be severely damaged if not pierced correctly. A professional piercer has to know how to avoid harmful mistakes. They also understand the weight of the responsibility when they take another's life into their hands.

How Much Do Body Piercings Hurt?
Yes. Some more than others. Some people are more or less sensitive than others, so there is no way to really say how bad a piercing is going to feel to you. But, the point is this - could you handle a really bad pain for 30 seconds? Well, most piercings last even less time than that, and most piercings are not that bad. Yes, they hurt, but it's over so fast you really don't have much time to think about it. Some will bring a tear to your eye, but I've never heard anyone screaming bloody murder from the next room. Honestly, if you're really that scared of the pain, maybe you shouldn't get the piercing. On the other hand, you can see this as a personal challenge to yourself - you can do it!

What Piercing Should I Get?
This is really up to you. No one can make that decision for you. You might, however, find out what the rules are at your place of employment. It would be a real pain to go through the trouble (and money) to get a piercing, only to have your employer demand you remove it. Or you might decide that the company's policy of wearing band-aids over piercings goes against your good fashion sense. Other than that, get what you want. It's your body.

Can I Exercise With A New Piercing?
As long as you're keeping your piercing clean, it should not be harmed by your workout routine. Sweat can, however, irritate a piercing and introduce germs and bacteria into the wound. It's important that you shower and clean the piercing well after your workout is complete.

Is it Safe to Get a Piercing If I'm Sick?
Getting a piercing (or tattoo, for that matter) when your immune system isn't at 100% isn't a good idea. Any time you're sick or have a wound, it creates an immune response - that means your body sends out white blood cells, antibodies, proteins and other bodily "soldiers" to wage war on whatever is causing the problem, be it bacteria, virus, or even something you're highly allergic to. The more baddies your body has to fight, the harder it has to work and the more thinly spread out the soldiers become. If you're already fighting one thing, you don't want to purposely invite more trouble for your body to deal with.Not to mention the fact that it's very inconsiderate to bring your illness into the tattoo/piercing studio and risk passing the germs onto others, particularly your artist. They would much rather you cancel and reschedule your appointment than give them an illness that could make them lose income by not being able to go to work.

I Think My Piercing Is Infected! Should I Take The Jewelry Out?
No, that's the last thing you want to do. If your piercing actually is infected, and you remove the jewelry, the bacteria and pus can get locked inside if the hole closes up. The solution to healing an infection is removing it - you need to keep the fistula (piercing hole) open in order to allow the infection to drain.



                            From About.com  http://tattoo.about.com/cs/beginners/l/blpiercingfaq.htm