Things to know after getting a new piercing

 

You can expect

• mild-to-moderate pain, stinging, soreness, and tenderness

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• some pink or bloody discharge from the piercing

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•  bruising

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• redness

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• some swelling; Ice or an ice pack wrapped with a washcloth is recommended to relieve uncomfortable swelling. 

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• Some tightness around the piercing is normal and usually gets better on its own; if you notice that the piercing is dimpling ("sucking in" the jewelry) due to swelling, come see us and we will switch out your jewelry for a longer bar.

**You can also see swelling from a completely healed piercing if it has improper jewelry in it (too short, larger jewelry/stretched/allergy to metal).

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• Clear yellow fluid drainage. It should never be be thick dark yellow/green or have a foul odor; this is most often the result of poor aftercare (like touching the piercing with dirty hands, not doing sea salt soaks as recommended).

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Other Things to know

• If you have new redness, swelling, or pain during the healing stage or re-injure the site and it does not get better with aftercare, come see us and we can advise you further. 

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• If your piercing is not healing and is red, itchy, or develops a bump, let us know. This can be a sensitivity to the metal, and switching it out for a different type often resolves the issue quickly. Most clients can wear surgical steel or titanium, but we also have a small number of clients who can only wear gold or other specially-ordered jewelry. 

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• If you re-traumatize the area in the weeks following your piercing, you may see white-to-light yellow fluid drainage.

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• AFTER the piercing has healed, you may see sebum that occasionally crusts around the piercing; sebum is a white, cheesy-like secretion from a healed piercing and is not accompanied by site redness.

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You may experience some or all of these, but none should be extreme or intolerable; if you are concerned about something, take a picture and send it to us with an explanation of what you're experiencing, or see us in person and we'll be happy to help you.

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General Piercings
 

Ear lobes

Wash with a mild antibacterial soap (morning and night is a good practice) for 4 weeks. It takes about  4 weeks before you can change into a new piece of jewelry, and about  6-8 weeks for a complete heal.

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Nostril, Septum, navel, eyebrow/anti-eyebrow

Wash with a mild antibacterial soap (morning and night is a good practice) for 4 weeks. It takes about  8 weeks before you can change into a new piece of jewelry, and about  12-24 weeks for a complete heal.

make-up/cosmetics/Skincare: avoid the piercing when applying lotions, powders, or cremes. piercings can be covered with the end of a straw when applying facial products.

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Navel piercings

Clean with a mild antibacterial soap (morning and night is a good practice) for 4 weeks. Wait 12 weeks to change jewelry. It takes about 6 months to a full year for a complete heal.

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•  If you choose to wear any type of dangly or heavy Navel jewelry, only wear it for short periods of time during the day, and replace it with a basic belly bar at night.

• You may cover it with a vented eye patch to protect the area while allowing it to breathe. These can be found at most drug stores. The eye patch should be removed for at least 8 hours a day.

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Surface Piercings/Single Point (Microdermals)

Wash with a mild antibacterial soap (morning and night is a good practice) for  4 weeks. It takes about 6-8 weeks before you can change the jewelry, and about 10-12 weeks for a complete heal.

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• The first time the top is changed on a microdermal, it needs to be done by a professional due to the top being tight in the base. After this first professional change, it can be switched out for another top whenever you like.

• Microdermals will also need band-aids on them for the first three weeks of having them when sleeping so they don't get pulled out. They can alternatively be covered by a vented eyepatch to protect them during the healing time. The patch should be removed for at least 8 hours a day.

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Ear  Cartilage

Wash with a mild antibacterial soap (morning and night is a good practice) for  8 weeks. It takes about  10-12 weeks before you can change to a new piece of jewelry, and can take from 6 months to a full year for a complete heal.

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• A donut or horseshoe-shaped pillow can help relieve direct pressure on your ear if you are a side-sleeper. 

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Genital Piercings

 

Wash with a mild antibacterial soap such as phisoderm or Softsoap (morning and night is a good practice) for 3 weeks. Rinse the piercing under running water or with a peri-cleanse bottle (available over the counter at drug stores). It takes about 6 weeks before you can change into a new piece of jewelry, and about 10-12 weeks for a complete heal.

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• Nipple piercings should be cleaned with a mild antibacterial soap for 6 weeks. Wait 3 months before changing out jewelry. It takes about 6 months to a full year for a complete heal.

• Sexual contact is not recommended for 6 to 10 weeks. afterwards, sexual contact must be hygienic, and if the piercing becomes sore either ease up or stop.

 

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Lip, Cheek, Tongue/Smiley/Frownie/Webbing

 

For tongue, smiley, frownie, and webbing piercings

Rinse mouth with a mild/non-alcoholic mouthwash (avoid peroxyl, it's high in hydrogen peroxide) every time you eat, drink, kiss, or smoke for four days after the piercing (any more than that and you will kill your body's natural oral flora that protects against negative bacteria).

It takes about 3 weeks before you can change to a new piece of jewelry with a tongue, and  6-8 weeks for a complete heal.

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For cheek and lip piercings

Clean the outside of the piercing with a mild, antibacterial soap and rinse the mouth with a non-alcoholic mouthwash or freshly-mixed sea salt solution (1/8 tsp non-iodized fine grain sea salt per 1 cup of water).  It takes around 6 weeks to change jewelry with a lip or cheek piercing and 8 weeks for a complete heal. ​

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Ear Stretching

• A freshly-stretched set of ears should be washed with a mild antibacterial soap (morning and night is a good practice). Do not take the jewelry out for the first seven days, as you want the tissues to adjust to the new piercing.

• Avoid touching the site with your fingers while cleaning, best practice is with a Q-tip. We recommend waiting 4-8 weeks to move up to the next gauge size, as trying to stretch too quickly can result in excessive pain and tearing the lobe.

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Things that are safe for you to do while stretching:

• Gentle pulling on the jewelry

• Vitamin E oil massage helps hydrate and fatten the lobe.

**Never skip a size while stretching! This can cause permanent damage and tear your earlobe**

 

Other Things to Know (All piercings)

 

• Wash your hands before you touch the piercing or touch near it.

• Replace your pillowcase, fitted sheet and top sheet with fresh, clean ones. Avoid silky pillowcases and sheets because jewelry can snag on loose threads. 

• Leave the jewelry in until healed, After a complete heal, you should still continue to wear jewelry to keep the site open; some piercings will shrink and close and may require re-piercing.

•  Everyone's piercings close at different rates, it all depends on the individual.  

• Don't get into swimming pools, hot tubs, canals, lakes, rivers, or soak in baths, for at least ten days after getting the piercing. These are breeding grounds for bacteria that can harm your piercing.

• Most infections are a result of inappropriate aftercare. Don't let your friends touch or handle your new piercing, or let your pet lick it. In the event of an infection, please seek advice from your piercer. We will evaluate the piercing and let you know what to do.

• If you do have an infection: leave your jewelry in so it can drain. If you take the jewelry out it can trap the infection and create an abscess.

• Do not use rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, neosporin, bacitracin, ear care solution, tea tree oil, crushed aspirin, lemon juice, or essential oil blends on the piercing. These products are too harsh for healing piercings and are highly likely to cause irritation and delayed healing. 

 

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Sea Salt Soaks

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All fresh and healed piercings can benefit from doing a sea salt soak on them. Non-iodized fine grain sea salt soaks promotes healing, cleanses, and allows the cells to rejuvenate. Use a sterile dressing/cotton round/paper towel for general piercings (or a clean shot glass for navel or nipple piercings) and soak/compress the piercing for five minutes, two times a day if it is a fresh or irritated piercing.

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*We recommend preparing a freshly-mixed solution for each soak.*

 

For general piercings soak for four weeks.

For cartilage and other slow healing piercings soak for eight weeks.

 

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Sea Salt Recipe

Mix 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt to 1 cup of clean warm water. The correct proportions are CRITICAL. If the solution is too strong it will become caustic and irritate or burn your skin.