AFTERCARE
Expect to have (and learn from) your own healing journey
Before deciding on getting a new piercing, there are numerous things, you should consider.
While everybody is different and healing time can vary from person to person, your lifestyle plays a large role as well. For example, external influences such as wearing a helmet often, frequently doing sit-ups or swimming several times a week are all things that can create a difficult environment for your piercing to heal in. Furthermore, keeping a healthy lifestyle is important – particularly regarding sleep, nutrition and exercise. Neglecting these aspects of life, can negatively influence immune function, and delay healing.
Before booking your appointment, consider the season, your schedule and your habits. During summer and on vacation, you might swim every day, and might want to wait for the fall. If you play sports where your piercings could be snagged or bumped into, you might want to plan your piercing around your schedule.
For extensive information about the healing progress and aftercare instructions, we suggest you visit the website of the Association of Professional Piercers.
WHAT to expecT during the healing process
Initially
Some bleeding, localized swelling, tenderness, or bruising.
During healing
Some discoloration, itching, secretion of a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) that will form some crust on the jewellery. The tissue may tighten around the jewellery as it heals.
Once healed
The jewellery may not move freely in the piercing; do not force it to. If you fail to include cleaning your piercing as part of your daily hygiene routine, normal but smelly bodily secretions may accumulate.
A piercing may seem healed before the healing process is complete. This is because tissue heals from the outside in, and although it feels fine, the interior remains fragile. Be patient, and keep cleaning throughout the entire healing period.
Even healed piercings can shrink or close in minutes after having been there for years! This varies from person to person; if you like your piercing, keep jewellery inโdo not leave it empty.
Take care of your piercing
WHAT TO DO
Leave your piercing alone except when cleaning. During healing it is not necessary to rotate your jewellery.
Exercise during healing is fine; listen to your body.
Make sure your bedding is washed and changed regularly. Wear clean, comfortable, breathable clothing that protects your piercing while you are sleeping.
Showers tend to be safer than taking baths, as bathtubs can harbor bacteria. If you bathe in a tub, clean it well before each use and rinse off your piercing when you get out.
If you are going swimming during the healing period, try to avoid getting your piercing submerged, and of you do, be sure to clean it well afterwards.
CLEANING SOLUTIONS
Sterile saline is a gentle choice for piercing aftercare. Mixing your own sea salt solution is no longer a suggested practice from the APP. Mixing your own solution will commonly result in the product being far too salty and strong, this can over dry the piercing and interfere with healing.
We strongly encourage you to use a sterile saline labeled for use as a wound wash. Contact lens saline, eye drops, and other saline products should never be used on a body piercing. Your saline ingredients should list .09% sodium chloride as the only ingredient.
If you want to be sure you get the correct solution, you can buy aftercare from LINE HALLBERG.
How to clean your piercing
WASH
Wash your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason.
SALINE
Rinse twice a day with saline solution during healing. For certain placements, it may be easier to apply using clean gauze or a q-tip saturated with saline solution. A brief rinse afterward will remove any residue. Avoid using harsh soaps, or soaps with dyes, fragrances, or triclosan.
RINSE
Rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of soap from the piercing, specially after you shower. It is not necessary to rotate the jewellery through the piercing.
DRY
Gently pat dry with clean, disposable paper products. Avoid using cloth towels, as they can harbor bacteria and snag on jewellery, causing injury.
WHAT TO AVOID
CLEANING SOLUTIONS TO AVOID: Alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, antibacterial soaps, iodine, or any harsh products, as these can damage cells. Also avoid ointments as they prevent necessary air circulation andย Bactineยฎ, pierced ear care solutions, and other products containing Benzalkonium Chloride (BZK). These can be irritating and are not intended for long-term wound care.
HANDLING OF THE PIERCING: 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 jewellery, 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 othersโ bodily fluids on or near your piercing during healing.
LIFESTYLE: Avoid stress and recreational drug use, including excessive caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. Avoid submerging the piercing in unhygienic bodies of water such as lakes, pools, hot tubs, etc. Or, protect your piercing using a waterproof wound sealant bandage. These are available at most drugstores and work best for nipple, navel, and surface piercing placements. Avoid all beauty and personal care products on or around the piercing including cosmetics, lotions, and sprays, etc. Donโt hang charms or any object from your jewellery until the piercing is fully healed. Sleeping directly on a healing cartilage piercing can cause irritation, even causing shifts in the piercingโs angle. Placing a travel pillow, on top of your pillow, and then placing your ear in the opening can be helpful to avoid this.
Tips & TRICKS
Jewellery
Unless there is a problem with the size, style, or material of the initial jewellery, leave it in place for the entire healing period.
Contact your piercer for a non-metallic jewellery alternative if your metal jewellery must be temporarily removed (such as for a medical procedure).
Leave jewellery in at all times. Even healed piercings that you have had for years can shrink or close in minutes. If removed, reinsertion can be difficult or impossible.
With clean hands or paper products, be sure to regularly check threaded and threadless ends on your jewellery for tightness.
Should you decide you no longer want the piercing, simply remove the jewellery (or have a professional piercer remove it) and continue cleaning the piercing until the hole closes. In most cases only a small mark should remain.
In the event an infection is suspected, quality jewellery 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 and result in an abscess. Until an infection is cleared up, discuss with your physician if you should leave in quality jewellery or an appropriate substitute.
For particular areas
NAVEL
A hard, vented eye patch (sold at pharmacies) can be applied under tight clothing (such as nylon stockings) 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 such as contact sports.
EAR & FACE
Use the t-shirt trick: Dress your pillow in a large, clean t-shirt and turn it nightly; one clean t-shirt provides four clean surfaces for sleeping.
Maintain cleanliness of telephones, 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.
NIPPLES
The support of a tight cotton shirt or sports bra may provide protection and feel comfortable, especially for sleeping.
QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions, please contact our professional piercers atย piercingsalon@lineandjo.com or visit ourย Piercing Salon FAQ.
