Aftercare Do’s, Don’ts, Cleaning and More.
DO’s & DON’Ts:
Avoid touching your piercing. This causes contamination resulting in irritation or infection.
Do not remove your jewelry during the healing process unless instructed by a medical professional.
Avoid applying makeup, soap, facial cleanser, or any other cosmetics on or near the piercing site.
Do not use harsh chemicals, ointments (Bacitracin/Neosporin), or “natural” aftecare products such as tea tree oil or chamomile.
Do not leave wet hair down on your piercing while healing.
Avoid swimming or submerging the piercing site for 1-2 months.
Do not touch, twist, or turn jewelry while healing.
Please consult a health care professional at the first sign of infection. For more info visit: www.safepiercing.org
ORAL PIERCING SPECIFICS
Rinse a new oral piercing with water any time you eat, drink or smoke.
Drink plenty of filtered cold or ice water. This can help alleviate the swelling.
Use a new toothbrush and toothpaste that doesn’t contain sodium lauryl sulfate.
Elevate your head with an extra pillow while sleeping to reduce swelling.
Avoid alcohol, spicy, and salty foods and foods hot in temperature during the healing process.
Avoid harsh products containing alcohol such as listerine. This kills the bacteria needed for healing.
Avoid sharing food and beverages.
Downsizing jewelry is especially important in oral piercings as ill-fitting jewelry can lead to tooth and gum damage. Check out our guide below about downsizing your jewelry.
CLEANING & MORE
Keep the new piercing clean, dry and do not touch.
Wash your hands thoroughly. Spray entrance and exit holes with Neil Med wound wash saline solution (.9% sterile saline) 2 times daily.
Wipe away any discharge and/or debris from the jewelry with a non-woven gauze or Q-Tip saturated with saline.
Dry the piercing after cleaning. A fan or hairdryer on the cool setting is ideal. You may also fan the new piercing with your hand to dry it.
A clean pillowcase or t-shirt over your pillow is recommended for ear and facial piercings, as well as clean bedding to minimize exposure to germs.
Continue to clean the piercing through the entire healing process. Piercings heal from the outside in. Although it may seem healed the tissue inside remains fragile.
Return for the downsize, ill-fitting jewelry can irritate a piercing and/or shift the piercing channel.
