Piercing Aftercare Guide

Our stance on aftercare is simple- less is more.

Your body is going to do most of the work to heal your fresh piercing, while your role is to provide the necessary care. Neglecting or improperly caring for your piercing can hinder the healing process, so it is important you follow these instructions

WARNING

When it comes to healing piercings, it's im portant to remember that chemicals won't speed up the process. In fact, they can actually irritate your piercing and cause complications. That's why we strongly advise against using chemicals like alcohol, Betadine, hydrogen peroxide, bactine, essential oils like tea tree oil, baby oils, or ointments.

Instead, the only product you should be using on your healing piercing is sterile saline solution. This gentle solution is designed for cleaning punctured wounds. It's a safe and effective way to keep your piercing clean and healthy.

 

DOWNSIZING

Downsizing is essential for almost all healing piercings. We pierce with room to accommodate for any swelling and healing your piercing will go through. After the initial swelling and healing is over, that length can often be excessive and cause issues. It’s important you come back in and have the jewelry shortened, so it’s a good fit. Leaving the jewelry long can cause irritation, migration, and other issues. Your Piercer will tell you an exact timeframe to downsize in, but in general coming back at around 1 month for a checkup is a great idea.

   

Always wash your hands before cleaning

DAILY ROUTINE:

• Maintain proper hygiene. A daily shower will help loosen any build up discharge or crust on the area. Rinse your piercings with warm water (this helps to ease some swelling)
• Use a sterile saline solution spray 1-2x per day to rinse/irrigate the piercing site. (NOT contact lens saline)
• Gently debride or remove secretions or crusted matter. We recommend gauze or paper towel in removing crusty discharge.
• Make sure to wipe your piercings dry as excess moisture may lead to complications)
• No need to do anything after cleaning your piercings! Just make sure they are clean and dry. Avoid touching or playing with your piercings please

 

WHAT TO EXPECT

• Days 1-7 some minor swelling, tenderness and bleeding is normal
• Week 2-4 swelling may intensify, you will begin to notice some whitish/ yellowish discharge or crusting
• Week 4-6 (or more) swelling will begin to subside. We recommend coming in for a check-up around this time to see if any adjustments need to be made to your jewelry.

WHAT IS NORMAL

• Swelling
• Discharge/ Crusting
• Soreness or Tenderness
• Redness or Bruising
• Mild Itchiness

WHAT TO AVOID

• Avoid sleeping or any pressure on your piercing
• Avoid fishy foods for at least a week
• Avoid swimming while your piercings are healing (at least 3 months)
• Do not clean your piercing with chemicals such as alcohol, betadine, hydrogen peroxide or essential oils
• Don't twist or remove your jewelry until your piercing fully heals. If you need assistance, seek help from a professional.

 

HEALING TIPS

• Check your jewelry for tightness regularly
• Change your pillow cases and beddings often
• Get lots of rest. Stay Hydrated. Stay healthy!
  

   

SWELLING

• Poor hygiene, undue trauma or pressure may cause swelling on your piercing. 
• For mild swelling, We recommend gentle warm compress (or warm shower) for 20 mins daily. The heat helps ease minimal swelling. (We recommend warm shower  {{less pressure than compressions}} but you can still do whatever works for you so long as its clean and you're comfortable.
  
  

INFECTION

More often than not, people who think they have an infection actually have an irritation and adjusting the care will fix the issue. You can recognize true infection by 

• Sudden inflammation or Excessive swelling
• Secretion of pus is present
• Piercing is hot to touch, Redness
• Throbbing pain, tenderness in the pierced area

If you are having any issues, please do not hesitate to contact us for checkups. We won’t know if something is wrong if you don’t contact us, so please use us as a resource while your piercing heals.

If you suspect that you have an infection, We recommend you contact your doctor or ENT at once.