Aftercare

How to Take Care of Your New Piercing as it Heals

Congratulations! Your new piercing was performed by a professional in a clean, safe environment, using aseptic techniques and the best body jewelry available. Now it’s up to you to take care of it.

Follow these simple suggestions to ensure a smooth healing process:

  • Maintain a healthy mind and body. Understanding how your body works is important in the successful healing of a new piercing. Eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, and keeping a positive attitude will help the healing process.
  • Get some rest and take it easy. Get plenty of sleep and try to maintain a low-stress lifestyle.
  • Keep it clean. Make sure your bedding, eyewear, and anything else that may contact your new piercing is clean. Clean your piercing consistently.
  • Consider taking a multivitamin. Multivitamins containing Zinc and Vitamin C can boost your body’s healing abilities. Sickness, stress, and fatigue will have a negative effect on the healing of your piercing.
  • Get help if something goes wrong. If you feel your piercing is infected, contact us or a physician right away!

What to expect

Your new piercing may:

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  • Bleed a bit or be swollen for the first few days. A cold compress and/or ice will help reduce swelling and slow bleeding.
  • Be tender, itchy, or even bruised for a few weeks
  • Secrete a whiteish-yellow fluid which may dry on the piercing. This is normal and will stop when the piercing is healed. Do not pick this with your fingers!

What to avoid during healing

While your piercing is healing, please avoid the following:

  • Touching your piercing, except when you are cleaning it
  • Twisting, turning, or taking out your jewelry
  • Oral contact or contact with another person’s bodily fluids
  • Using any aftercare products that we did not suggest
  • Getting lotions, sprays and makeup in your piercings
  • Swimming in lakes, rivers, public pools, hot tubs, etc. If you must go in the water, using Tegaderm (a waterproof, breathable bandage) is an option.
  • Removing the jewelry. If you remove your jewelry the piercing may close.

Downloadable Aftercare Resources

Complete body piercing aftercare guidelines (English)
File Size: 165 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Body Piercing Aftercare (Spanish)
File Size: 1242 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

How to clean your piercing

To clean your new piercing you will need:

  • Clean gauze or cotton pads
  • Sterile wound wash saline

During the initial healing time, clean your piercing morning and evening as follows:

  • Always wash your hands before any kind of contact with the piercing or the area around it. Even the cleanest person will have dirty hands from touching door handles, money, phones, etc. Do not touch your piercing!
  • Spray your piercing twice daily with the sterile wound wash saline. With the pierced area over a sink, spray front and back or top and bottom. Then, pat dry with the clean gauze or cotton pads.
  • Be sure to rinse your piercing after showering.

Special oral piercing aftercare needs

For additional oral piercing aftercare you will need:

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  • An alcohol-free antimicrobial mouthwash or dental rise
  • A salt water solution
  • A new toothbrush (toss the old one today)

During the initial healing time, rinse with the antimicrobial mouthwash or dental rinse 3 to 4 times daily. Swish gently for 30 to 60 seconds. Do this after meals during the entire initial healing time. Do not use mouthwash more than 4 to 5 times daily and use it in intervals spaced out throughout the day.

In addition, swish gently with the salt water solution for 30 to 60 seconds, 3 to 4 times daily.

Disclaimer: The guidelines above are based on a combination of vast professional experience, common sense, research, and extensive clinical practice. This is not to be considered a substitute for medical advice from a doctor. If you think you have an infection, visit a doctor. However, keep in mind that many doctors have not received specific training on piercing.