Piercings Aftercare


Proper aftercare is an important part of helping your new piercing heal properly. Healing times vary depending on the piercing, your body, and placement.


Always follow any specific instructions given to you by your piercer.


CLEANING YOUR PIERCING


Always wash your hands before touching or cleaning your piercing.


Clean your piercing twice daily with sterile saline wound wash. Look for a product containing only 0.9% sodium chloride and water, with no added ingredients.

  1. Spray the front and back of the piercing with sterile saline.
  2. Allow the saline to soften any dried buildup or crust.
  3. Gently remove loosened buildup if necessary using clean disposable gauze or a paper towel.
  4. Pat the area dry with a clean disposable paper product or allow it to air dry.


Do not twist, spin or rotate your jewelry while cleaning it.


WHILE YOUR PIERCING HEALS


Some tenderness, swelling, itching, light redness and crusting can be normal during healing.


Piercings often look healed on the outside before they are fully healed inside.


Leave your original jewelry in place unless your piercer recommends changing or downsizing it.


Avoid:

  1. Touching or playing with the piercing unnecessarily
  2. Twisting or rotating the jewelry
  3. Alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or harsh antibacterial products
  4. Ointments or heavy creams
  5. Swimming pools, hot tubs, lakes and other bodies of water while the piercing is fresh
  6. Makeup, lotions, sprays or other products directly around the piercing
  7. Excessive pressure, friction or sleeping directly on the piercing


Keep anything that regularly touches the area clean, including pillowcases, towels, phones, headphones, glasses and clothing.


JEWELRY


Do not remove your jewelry simply because the piercing appears healed. Piercing channels can shrink or close quickly, especially while still healing.


Some piercings require downsizing after the initial swelling has gone down. Your piercer will let you know if and when this is recommended.


If you would like to change your jewelry before your piercing is completely healed, contact your piercer first.


WHAT’S NORMAL?


During the initial healing process, you may experience:

  1. Mild swelling or tenderness
  2. Slight redness
  3. Itching
  4. Small amounts of clear or whitish-yellow fluid that dries into crust around the jewelry


These symptoms should gradually improve as the piercing heals.


WHEN TO GET HELP


Seek medical attention if you experience severe or worsening pain, spreading redness, excessive swelling, thick or foul-smelling discharge, red streaking, fever, chills, or other signs of infection.


If you suspect an infection, do not remove the jewelry unless instructed by a medical professional, as removing it may allow the opening to close and interfere with drainage.


If you’re unsure whether your piercing is healing normally, contact your piercer or the shop.


LONG-TERM CARE


Once your piercing is fully healed, continue keeping your jewelry and piercing clean. Check threaded jewelry periodically to make sure ends remain secure.


Quality jewelry and good hygiene can help keep your piercing healthy long after the initial healing period.


ALL ABOUT IT TATTOO


Questions about your healing piercing? Contact the shop or your piercer.


These instructions provide general piercing aftercare guidance. Your piercer may give you different instructions based on your piercing, placement, jewelry and individual healing needs