Piercing Aftercare Instructions

WASH: Make sure to wash your hands before cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason. The first three days after the piercing process you're only going to use water to rinse out the area. After three days you can start using saline.

SALINE: When the three days are up you can start using the saline to clean the piercing. You only have to use the saline once every 2 to 3 days. If you use the saline too much it can prolong healing.

DRY: Make sure to pat the area with a clean, disposable paper product. Cloth towels can hold bacteria and snag on the jewelry causing injury.

Packaged sterile saline is a gentle choice for piercing aftercare. Mixing your own sea salt solution is no longer a suggested proactive from the Association of Professional Piercers (APP). If you use a sea salt solution, the results will cause the piercing to dry out and interfere with healing.

When looking for any saline solutions, you want to make sure you look for a couple of things: One being that you use a sterile saline labeled for use as a would wash, and that the only ingredients is 0.09% sodium chloride.

Here at our studio, we use and distribute NeilMed to clean our piercings. This product is a sterile saline that is used as a wound wash. It is not mandatory to use ours but make sure you have the right saline solution that follows all the instructions above.

• Wash your hands prior to touching the piercing; leave it alone except when cleaning. During healing it is not necessary to rotate the jewelry.

• Exercise during healing is fine; listen to your body.

• Make sure your bedding is washed and changed regularly. Wear clean, comfortable, and breathable clothing that protects your piercing while you are sleeping.

• Showers tend to be safer than taking baths as bathtubs can harbour bacteria. If you bathe in a tub, clean it well before each use and rinse off your piercing when you get out.

• To reduce swelling you can rinse the pierced area under cold water.

• If you feel like the skin is growing around the jewelry visit one of our piercers for a longer bar to avoid embedded jewelry.

• Avoid cleaning with alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, antibacterial soaps, iodine, or any harsh products as these can damage cells.

• Avoid solutions that contain Denzalkonium Chloride (BZK). These can be irritating and are not intended for long-term wound care.

• Avoid over-cleaning - this can delay your healing and irritate your piercing.

• Avoid undue trauma such as friction from clothing, excessive motion of the area, playing with the jewelry, and vigorous cleaning. These activities can cause the formation of unsightly and uncomfortable scar tissue, migration, prolonged healing, and other complications.

• Avoid all oral contact, rough play, and contact with others' bodily fluids on or near the piercing area during healing.

• Avoid submerging the piercing in unhygienic bodies of water such as lakes, pools, hot tubs, etc. Protect your piercing by using a waterproof wound-sealant bandage. These are available at most drugstores and works best for nipple, navel, and surface piercing placements.

• Avoid all beauty and personal care products on or around the piercing including cosmetics, lotions, ointments, sprays, etc.

• Don't hang charms or any object from your jewelry until the piercing is fully healed.

• Sleeping directly on a healing cartilage piercing can cause irritation, even causing shifts in the piercing's angle.

Cleaning Instructions:

INTERNAL: Wash your hands before cleaning or touching your piercing. Having good oral hygiene practices is important in maintaining a healthy mouth and piercing. Make sure when you are rinsing, you do not over do it (no more than twice a day). Gently brush the jewelry with a clean toothbrush regularly to avoid plaque build up. Rinse with water thoroughly after every time you eat, drink, or smoke.

EXTERNAL: Wash your hands before cleaning or touching your piercing. Be sure to rinse your piercing with warm water in the shower once a day. Gently remove any discharge or crust that may have built up on your jewelry, then dry the area carefully with gauze.

What is Normal:

• For the first three to five days you may experience swelling, bleeding, bruising, tenderness, and/or a whitish to yellowish secretion that may form crust on the jewelry.

• The swelling and secretion could last up to a week.

• For lip piercings, it is typical for the jewelry to "nest' slightly into the lip (on the inside) once it is healed.

What to Avoid:

• Do not play with your jewelry. Long term effects include permanent damage to teeth or gums.

• Avoid undue trauma; excessive talking or playing with the jewelry can cause scar tissue, migration, and other complications.

• Avoid using mouthwash containing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. It can irritate the piercing and delay healing.

• Avoid oral sexual contact including wet kissing or oral sex during healing.

• Avoid chewing on tobacco, gum, fingernails, pencils, sunglasses, and other foreign objects that could harbor bacteria.

• Avoid sharing plates, cups, and eating utensils.

• Avoid using straws. Straw use can increase the risk of swelling and bleeding.

• Minimize the intake of smoking and vaping (tobacco or cannabis). It increases risks and prolongs healing time.

• Avoid aspirin, alcohol, and large amounts of caffeine as long as you are experiencing bleeding or swelling.

Tips:

Sleep with your new piercing elevated in the beginning to minimize overnight swelling. Once the swelling has subsided, it is vital to replace the original, longer jewelry with a shorter post or barbell to avoid damage to the teeth and gums.

JEWELRY: Unless there is a problem with the initial jewelry, leave it in the place for the entire healing period. When it is time for a downsizing you can book an appointment at piercing9thgategallery.as.me. Let us know if you need a non-metallic jewelry alternative for when your metal jewelry must be removed (such as medical procedures), we can have it delivered upon request. Should you decide that you no longer want the piercing simply remove the jewelry (or have one of our piercers remove it) and continue cleaning the piercing area until the hole closes. If an infection is suspected, quality jewelry or an inert alternative, may be left in place to allow for drainage of the infection if approved by your physician. On rare occasion, when the jewelry is removed, the surface cells close up which can seal the infection inside the piercing channel. Discuss with your physician if you can leave in quality jewelry or an appropriate substitution.

NAVEL: A hard, vented eye patch (sold at pharmacies) can be applied under tight clothing or secured using a length of elastic bandage around the body (to avoid irritation from adhesive). This can protect the area from restrictive clothing, excess irritation, and impact during physical activities as contact sports.

EAR/EAR CARTILAGE AND FACIAL: Maintain cleanliness of phones, headphones, eyeglasses, helmets, hats, and anything that contacts the pierced area. Use caution when styling your hair and advise your stylist of a new or healing piercing.

NIPPLE: The support of a tight cotton shirt or sports bra may provide protection and feel comfortable, especially for sleeping.

GENITAL: Genital piercing - especially Triangles, Prince Alberts, Ampallangs, and Apasravyas - can bleed freely for the first few days. Be prepared. Additional cleaning after urination is not necessary. Wash your hands before touching on (or near) a healing piercing. Most cases you can engage in sexual activity as soon as you feel ready but maintaining hygiene and avoiding trauma are vital. Use clean, disposable barriers on sex toys. Use a new container of water-based lubricant; do not use saliva. After sex, an additional saline rinse is suggested.

SURFACE ANCHORS: These piercings require maintenance during their entire lifespan. This is because matter can build up underneath the threaded top to cause the piercing to become irritated. Saline and/or shower rinses may be helpful with removing matter from underneath the threaded top. Avoid putting makeup on these piercings even after healing. Even with proper care, surface anchors may be less permanent than other body piercings.