Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Piercing has become very fashionable in recent years and many people do it without knowing how to care for it. These tips will help you on your way to a healthy piercing.

Steps

1. 1 Avoid touching the piercing and the skin around it for at least 24 hours after having it done. Even after those 24 hours have passed, always wash your hands before touching it. Foreign substances such as dirt or hand cream can aggravate the healing process and ultimately lead to infection. You should generally avoid touching your piercing at all times, except perhaps for brushing.
2. 2 Learn about the signs of normal healing. It's good to be careful, but it's better to know the signs of normal healing so that you don't have to clean your piercing too often, thinking about the infection all the time. Here are a few symptoms that are part of the normal healing process:
   • Minor bleeding and swelling. Expect some bleeding and swelling to appear immediately after piercing. Bruising may also appear and you will feel weak. These few things are normal reactions, but if it has been longer than a week from the time you pierced, then contact your piercer (keep in mind that genital piercings can bleed profusely for the first few days).
   • Itching and discoloration of the skin. Itching is almost always present and is due to the growth of new skin. The discoloration is due to a whitish fluid released from the puncture site. Don't worry, as this is lymph. However, if you notice pus around the piercing, you should contact your piercer immediately.
3. 3 Choose a proven aftercare product. Most professional piercers recommend rinsing your piercing with a sea salt solution 1-2 times a day for several weeks. If this solution causes irritation to the skin, consult a professional about other methods.
   • The saline solution is used differently for each type of piercing. For the earlobes, dip the earring in a cup of warm salt water. For the navel, dip the earring in salt water and flip it over quickly so that the solution goes everywhere. For most other species, dampen a clean gauze or paper towel with the solution and then wipe down the earrings.
   • Make sure the solution gets into all areas, not just around the piercing. Although you want as much of the solution as possible to drip in, you shouldn't twist the earring. Otherwise, you risk getting an infection.
   • Use a saline solution in an airtight jar. It can be used instead of or in addition to saline soak; ask your master for a little. Blairex is the most common saline solution and can be purchased from any pharmacy such as Walgreens or Rite Aid.
   • Some people choose to wash their piercings with warm water and mild soap. If you decide to use this method, do it no more than once or twice a day. Best in the shower: take a pea-sized bar of soap and gently brush your earring. Rinse off with water after 15-30 seconds.
   • Avoid harmful methods and products for cleaning your piercing. There are a number of methods that you should avoid, even if you think it's a great idea.
     • Know when to stop. Believe it or not, you can overdo it with cleaning your piercing. Therefore, set a limit for yourself - do it no more than 2 times a day to avoid irritation and dryness.
     • Dry soap and antibacterial products. Avoid products like Dial, Betadine, HIbiclens, and hydrogen peroxide because they slow down the healing process and dry out your skin. Alcohol should be avoided for the same reason.
     • Ointments. Healing ointments restrict access to air and slow down the healing process of the piercing.
4. 4 Get rid of the crusts. A yellowish fluid (lymph) comes out of the piercing as part of the healing process. Without daily brushing, this liquid will crust around the piercing, creating unnecessary irritation. Remember to gently brush them off periodically. To do this, soak a towel or cotton swab in saline and rub gently into the area. Never peel off these crusts.
   • If you are using a cotton swab or cotton swab, make sure you get it well and that there are no loose fibers to get into your piercing. If they do come in, remove them immediately to avoid irritation. Do not use cotton balls. Never use your fingers to remove these fibers - unnecessary touching can lead to infection.
5. 5 Take a shower to clean your piercing. Direct flow of water can soften the crust and get rid of the dirt. Be careful with your makeup, and it's best to consult a professional about what soap and shampoo to use.
   • Avoid taking a bath for several days after your piercing. Baths are usually full of various bacteria that can enter your piercing and cause infection. If you must take a bath, wash it well before washing. Rinse and clean your puncture after taking a bath.
6. 6 Try to avoid bleeding. Never play or touch the piercing, only while brushing. Avoid rubbing and oral contact. For body piercings, wear loose clothing until it heals. If on the ears, tie your hair so that it does not fall on the piercing.
7. 7 Do not swim in muddy waters. You should avoid swimming in lakes, pools, hot tubs, and other potentially hazardous bodies of water. Like the bathtub, these areas also serve as a source of bacteria, where you can pick up an infection. If you do need to swim, look for a waterproof bandage like Nexcare Clean Seals.
8. 8 Be patient. Remember that the piercing will heal from the inside as well. Thus, the piercing may appear to have healed before it actually happens. Removing or replacing the earring can rupture the piercing and have to go through the healing process again.
   • Never take out your earring. If you can't clean it every day, then a foul-smelling discharge will accumulate inside the piercing, making it difficult to remove the earring. Instead of ripping out the earring, which could break it, continue cleaning the piercing until you can safely remove it.
9. 9 Sleep on clean bedding. Change your sheets and pillowcases often. Wear clean, breathable clothing before bed. It will help oxygen to the piercing, thereby ensuring quick and healthy healing.
10. 10 Be healthy. As with any wound, the healing process will be faster if your body isn't fighting other problems or infections. Thus, by keeping yourself and your body healthy, you can keep your piercing healthy as well.
    • Exercises. Despite some exceptions, exercise is excellent during the healing process. Make sure no sweat builds up in the piercing and listen to your body.
    • Avoid excessive recreational drugs. This includes nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine.
    • Avoid stress. Too much stress in your life will also cause stress in your body, slowing down the healing process.
11. 11 Avoid any infections. And then expect that the healing of your piercing will be healthy, unless of course your earring is hit or tugged or something like that. If your piercing hurts, or is swollen, or bleeds, then contact your piercer, otherwise, there is a risk of losing the piercing or damaging your body.

Tips

• Cleaning your piercing too often can cause irritation. Three times a day is more than enough for most people.
• If you can't find a saline solution, make your own. Soak your piercing in warm water and non-iodized sea salt, iodine-free sea salt is usually added as a supplement. Your handyman should give you a little, but it is also available at most grocery stores. No more than a pinch of 250 ml. water; mixtures can dry out fresh piercings more strongly.
• Use a t-shirt trick to keep your ear and face piercing pillow clean. Place a large, clean T-shirt on top of your pillow. Do this at night. Thus, one clean T-shirt will provide 4 clean sleeping surfaces.
• Never roll your earring. Skin adhering to it is normal during the initial healing phase. By rolling the earring, you forcefully separate the skin from it, causing injury and will likely prolong the healing process even further.
• Avoid beauty products. For example, make-up, lotions, sprays, etc.
• When the piercing is first done, you probably feel pain from time to time. Trying to make a cold compress from a paper towel or cheesecloth soaked in cold salted water will make it a little easier.
• Take care of your belly button piercing. Wear loose clothing. Not only will this be less painful than wearing tight clothing, but it will also mitigate injuries and provide airflow.
  • Buy an eye patch. If you must wear tight-fitting clothing, look at your drugstore for a thick ophthalmic cloth. You can use nylon stockings or a bandage instead to protect the piercing from rubbing against your clothing.
• Contact your master if something bothers you. They should be happy to hear from you!
• Avoid putting pendants on your earring until it heals.
• Take care of your lip and mouth piercings. In addition to the usual care, piercing in these places requires adherence to additional rules.

Some of the most important are:

• • Try not to smoke. This will irritate the skin. It can also cause various build-ups in and around the piercing, increasing the likelihood of infection.
  • Use an alcohol-free mouthwash. It should be used 2-3 times a day, especially after meals (and after smoking if you can't help but). For extra rinses, use sea salt and water, or brush your teeth.
  • Avoid beer and alcohol. This can lead to bacterial infection and mouth irritation. You should be able to drink hard alcohol after two weeks, but still avoid beer until your piercing has healed.

Warnings

• Do not use alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to clean your piercing. They cause dry skin.
• If you have puffiness, pain, or a green / gray or foul-smelling fluid from the puncture hole, visit your technician as soon as possible.
• If infection does occur, DO NOT REMOVE THE EARRING YOURSELF. Contact your master faster. Removing the earring will close the only passage for infection.
• Make sure you know what is right for your piercing. The healing period is different for all types of piercings, although there are some general principles that apply.

What do you need

• Saline solution, Blairex
• Sea salt.