General Aftercare Information:
What to do
Gently wash around the piercing site in the shower after washing the rest of your body. Be careful to avoid bumping, turning, or unnecessarily moving the jewelry. Use a very mild soap, free from added dyes, fragrances, moisturizers, or antibacterial agents. Lather a circle around the piercing and try to avoid getting soap directly on the piercing or jewelry as much as possible. Before exiting the
shower, rinse the area well with clean water to remove any soap residue.
After the shower, irrigate the site thoroughly with a sterile, isotonic, buffered saline product (Wound Wash is an excellent example available at the shop). Be careful during showering and daily activities not to move the jewelry. The more jewelry gets moved or bumped during the healing, the longer the healing process is going to be and complications will be more likely. Do not pick or scrub at dried crust around the piercing.
What not to do
* Do not touch piercings without washing hands with antibacterial soap beforehand.
* Do not use alcohol, peroxide, Bactine, antibacterial soaps, ear care solutions, Neosporin, A+D, or other harsh chemical aftercare products on your new piercing.
* Do not enter pools, lakes, Jacuzzis, bath tubs, or hot tubs for the first two weeks.
* Do not allow pets in your bed during the healing of a piercing.
* Do not remove jewelry for any length of time during healing.
* Do not put band-aids or bandages on a fresh piercing.
* Do not rotate, twist, or turn jewelry during healing.
* Do not pick at healing piercings.
* Avoid sleeping or putting pressure on a healing ear piercings.
* Keep makeup away from the piercing during healing.
* Avoid contact with public or unclean telephone receivers during healing.
What to expect
Slight soreness or tenderness is normal for the first few days following a piercing. Occasionally slight bruising around the entrance or exit of the piercing can be seen within the first few days (yellowish or greenish skin) and will fade quickly. Dried white blood cells and plasma (lymph) will get pushed out of the piercing as the piercing heals, resulting in a clear or whitish fluid that will often dry and form a crust on the jewelry or around the entrance and exit of the piercing. This will normally come off by itself simply by rinsing with clean warm water in the shower. If not, a clean paper towel folded so it has a corner can be used to get the softened material off after a shower. This is normal and is a sign that your piercing is healing.
Greenish or dark discharge, odor, redness radiating away from the piercing, and heat are not a sign of a healthy healing piercing.
During the healing of a piercing, jewelry should fit snugly but should not be uncomfortably tight.
Piercings heal from the outside-in, so they may appear well-healed before they have formed a complete fistula all the way through. For this reason, jewelry should not be removed, changed, or moved throughout the entire duration of the healing time.
What to do
Anytime you eat or drink anything other than clean water or if you smoke, rinse your mouth out with clean bottled water to remove debris from around the jewelry. If you normally use mouthwash as part of your daily routine, switch to something mild and alcohol-free during healing. Drink lots of water as even slight dehydration will increase swelling. Try to keep jewelry movement to a minimum during healing. Starting healing with a new toothbrush is a good idea to help minimize bacteria coming in contact with your new piercing.
Aftercare for Oral Piercings
* Do not use harsh mouthwashes containing alcohol (such as Scope, Listerine, etc.) even if they are diluted.
* Try to avoid excessively hot or spicy foods, and eat slowly and carefully at first.
* Do not play with or excessively move jewelry during healing. Even when healed, playing with jewelry can cause tooth damage.
* Avoid oral contact with other peoples' bodily fluids during healing.
* Caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine can all increase swelling and discomfort. Avoiding or minimizing the intake of these will make healing quicker and more comfortable.
