Aftercare for a new piercing:
Our aftercare suggestions are intended to make sure your piercing heals properly and looks great. You can help by following these simple suggestions. Our aftercare information is based upon years of piercing-related research. If you still have any questions, feel free to reach us at the shop, in person, or by phone.
What is normal?:
Most of the action during the healing process takes place in the first 1-2 weeks. During this first period, it is completely normal to experience:
Tenderness
Swelling
A spot or two of blood
Weeping of fluid ranging from an off-white to pale yellow
After this period, the piercing will start to look healed, but keep in mind that piercings heal from the outside in. It is still fragile during that time.
What to do:
Stay healthy, eat right, and get good sleep. This will optimize your body’s healing powers! Make sure to wear clean clothes if they come in contact with your piercing. Clean bedding is also a great idea. If you have a grooming regime, make sure to save your piercing rinse for the end. For example, do all of your hair/body spray, makeup, lotions, etc. and then give your piercing a good rinse. Showers tend to be safer and cleaner than taking baths. If you do soak in a bathtub, make sure to clean and rinse the tub well before each use, and rinse your piercing after. Come back in after about a month or two to downsize your jewelry in order to have it fit properly and reduce the risk of catching or hooking it.
Don’t:
Touch or play with your piercings EVER, but especially while they are healing. The less you fiddle with it, the better it will heal in the long run.
Pick at your piercing. Scabs that don’t come away with little or no effort should be left alone. It’s your body’s natural band aid. Picking it off will only leave a bigger wound that needs a new scab.
Use anything harsh to clean it. This includes alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, Bactine, Neosporin, iodine, and even antibacterial hand soaps. They all do more harm than good.
Submerge your piercing in unhygienic bodies of water such as pools, hot tubs, lakes, oceans, etc. during the healing process.
Cleaning your piercing:
When it comes to healing a body piercing, it is important to remember that your body is more than capable of healing a small wound such as a piercing. There’s nothing that you can put on your piercing, or in it, to speed up the healing process. Instead, we aim to maximize your body’s efficiency by leaving the area alone for the most part. The best thing that you can do for a healing piercing is to rinse it off really well at the end of every shower you take. This gets off all the soap and shampoo that tends to stick to everything and clog up your piercing. This also irrigates the wound, and clears it of debris and “crusties”. It’s typical for people to rinse their piercing(s) with a saline solution comparable to our body’s natural saline content. Sterile Wound Wash Saline can be found in most grocery stores’ first aid sections. Using a non-woven gauze pad, apply the solution and wipe away any crustiness that comes away easily. Dry with a clean Q-tip or gauze. Some wound wash solutions contain additional “antibacterial” or “antiseptic” ingredients. These should be avoided, as they can irritate a piercing. For most piercings, it’s important to keep up these rinsing schedules for the entire healing period.
Healing schedules/cleaning times
These are the suggested MINIMUM cleaning times. Most piercings can be switched or downsized to a smaller post for a snug fit after about a month. Piercings will most often benefit from prolonged cleaning schedules and waiting longer before switching jewelry. Remember: The less it moves, the quicker and more efficient it will heal. Surface piercings require daily cleaning for the life of the piercing.
Ear Cartilage: 3-6 Months
Ear Lobe, Eyebrow: 6-8 Weeks
Labret, Lip, Monroe: 2-3 Months
Nostril, Septum: 6-8 Weeks
Tongue: 2-6 Weeks
Navel, Nipple: 2-6 Months
Surface Piercings: 4-12 Months
VCH, HCH, PA: 4-8 Weeks
Ampallang, Apadravya 3-6 Weeks
For oral piercings:
Bottled water is your friend! Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the entire healing process.
This includes:
After every meal
Before and after a good night’s sleep
After consuming an alcoholic beverage
After smoking
When you’re bored
There is no need to use mouthwash any more than you already do. If you do use mouthwash, be sure it is non-whitening and alcohol-free. Make sure to use non-whitening toothpaste.
Changing your jewelry:
A piercing heals from the outside in, so it may appear to be healed long before it actually is. Changing or taking out jewelry too soon can cause irritation, as well as prolong the healing. Unless your jewelry is uncomfortable or ill-fitting, you should leave it in for the entire length of the healing. Even after a piercing is healed, it still has a chance of closing up if you take out the jewelry. Body jewelry comes in all shapes and sizes, and so do humans. Therefore, you should always go to a body piercer for a correct measurement and recommendation on the right jewelry for you. You should never feel stuck in your own jewelry, and we are always happy to help with a piercing you already have.