Piercing aftercare
This aftercare form is to aid the healing of your piercing. It is not medical advice. If you have any queries with your piercing please contact us, if you have a serious medical problem please see a doctor.
DO NOT TOUCH YOUR PIERCING UNLESS CLEANING IT – each time it is touched, bacteria can enter into the wound site.
Always wash your hands thoroughly first with antibacterial soap, before cleaning your piercing. Your jewellery will be longer to start with to allow for swelling of the entry site. When it is healed then smaller jewellery can replace the original jewellery.
Approximate healing times – E.g, ear lobes & septum 6-8 weeks, nostril and eyebrows 6 months, belly buttons, nipple, cartilage, industrial 6-12 months, lip piercings 3-6 weeks. Tongue 2-4 weeks.
Common piercing healing may include swelling, bruising and bleeding. It may be red, itchy and tender for several days or longer. There may be a secretion of a whiteish yellowish liquid (not pus) this is normal during healing and just turns into crusts. Do not pick these off – instead, using a solution such as NeilMed, spray the piercing and use a cotton bud to clean the jewellery.
It might be that your healing goes in ups and downs – feels great and then doesn’t again. This is normal and is part of the healing process.
Cleaning progress
Always use a spray such as NeilMed in the morning and evening for new piercings.
This will not only feel good, it will also help prevent infection, reduce the risk of scarring and speed the healing of your piercing. Do not touch your piercing without first washing your hands; and leave your jewellery in at all times! PLEASE REMEMBER YOU ARE CLEANING YOUR JEWELLERY – THE CLEANER THE JEWELLERY THE BETTER YOUR NEW PIERCING WILL HEAL.
No picking, twiddling or spinning the jewellery round. Leave it in place so that no crust can go into the piercing wound.
Try not to sleep on your new piercing.
Avoid pools, hot tubs, lakes, rivers etc for the first couple of weeks after your piercing. For oral piercings, rinse the mouth with ALCOHOL FREE mouthwash, diluted 50/50 with bottled water. Be very gentle when brushing teeth and gums especially with a tongue piercing. Brush the tongue and jewellery to prevent plaque build up, after it’s healed. Swill water around the mouth and spit after meals, snacks and smoking.
Do not over clean your piercings – this can irritate the wound.
We advise clients to consult a health care professional for unexpected redness, tenderness, swelling at the site, rash, unexpected drainage/pus from the piercing, or a fever within 24 hours of the body piercing.