Aftercare
How to Clean
There are two methods I would recommend when it comes to cleaning your new piercing; cleaning with sterile saline solution and heavy shower soaks. While sterile saline is more convenient in some cases, when possible I prefer the heavy shower soak method as you are letting the water do the work for you. Plus it is completely (sort of) free!
Whenever you clean you always want to let the shower/solution do the work and not a separate piece of tissue/cotton bud etc as this can leave debris and irritate.
Always think SOAK not SCRUB.
Regarding cleaning frequency, once per day is fine for most people in most cases. A second clean could be helpful if you have a job/hobby in a dirty or dusty environment or where you are working up a sweat. This is where a combination of one heavy shower soak and a second clean with sterile saline after the fact can be a great combo!
So without further waffle...
Method 1 - Heavy Shower Soak
As simple as it sounds. During your daily shower focus that fresh stream of water as close and directly on the piercing as you can. Leave it there for one minute and let the water do all the work. It will soak in, soften the crust and pull everything away, with no interference involved. No tissue/gauze/cotton product means one less thing to potentially snag or leave debris.
When it comes to aftercare many think there is a secret ingredient that is going to help the piercing to magically heal, but the real magic ingredient is minimal interference. The bonus is that it is super easy to fit into your daily routine so it's easy to remember and a time saver.
While it sounds suspiciously simple at face value, for these reasons the shower method will always be the King/Queen/Supreme Glorious Dictator of piercing cleaning!
Method 2 - Sterile Saline Clean
So there are a few more steps involved here.
Before you start make sure your saline solution is just saline with nothing else added, as this can be the case with some contact lens cleaner. Brands I recommend would be Easy Piercing, Stericlens, and Nielmed.
Firstly wash your hands, then use the saline spray to liberally soak both sides of the piercing. Let it sit for 20/30 seconds, then using a clean paper towel or non-woven gauze dry the area. Using cotton products isn't ideal but if it's all that you have then buds are preferable. Just be sure to be careful and use a fresh bud for each wipe to minimise the risk of it becoming frayed and leaving debris.
Oral Piercings
Using an alcohol-free (Or Corsodyl for bonus points!) mouthwash to rinse your mouth 2 - 3 times a day is the best way to stay on top of oral hygiene during the healing process.
It's best to avoid smoking and salty and spicy food during the healing process to protect from infection and irritation.
What to Expect
Initially, there may be some local minor bleeding. This will be visible as dried crust and when concentrated it can appear almost black in colour. If you see some blood on your bedding in the first 48 hours, or after catching/bumping the piercing then don't worry. There may be some swelling, irritation, or bruising dependent on placement but this is also to be expected.
The initial jewelry will accommodate any swelling you are likely to experience; however if in a rare case, you feel that you are running out of space or feel pressure on the jewelry then contact me as soon as possible for a check-up.
Remember that the extra space on the jewelry can also become a hindrance rather than help once the initial swelling period has passed. It is important to come back for a downsize (usually around 3-4 weeks from the piercing date).
Not downsizing can cause issues such as the piercing angle changing (especially if slept on) and increased risk of recurring piercing/irritation bumps. Angle changes are fixable but it will involve extra visits and faff that is often avoidable.
Be patient! The piercing will look healed long before it is. This is because piercings heal from the outside to the inside. As the healing progresses you may stop seeing crust on the outside and just see an occasional bit of 'puss' on the bar itself. This is just the crust before it dries and isn't to be confused with infection.
If you are unsure about whether or not your piercing has healed then feel free to message and send photos across and I'll do my best to help!
What to Avoid
NEVER TOUCH the piercing. Avoid any unnecessary contact with the jewelry as this can cause bacterial contamination as well as irritate the delicate healing process inside. Leaving it alone is just as (if not more) important than cleaning, and a large amount of problems are often related to this.
Never use anything other than mentioned above to clean. Never use strong antiseptic or anything alcohol based (e.g. TCP, Savalon, Detol). These are much too strong and can often make irritation-related issues worse. Furthermore, avoid over-cleaning (Twice a day). When it's crusty can be a good gauge if you are unsure.
Avoid sleeping on cartilage piercings at any point during the healing process (even if they feel okay!). This can cause the angle of the piercing to change and make irritation bumps much more likely. Flat piercings are the absolute worst offenders.
Avoid any clothing or activities that could cause trauma or discomfort to the piercing. It's always best to listen to your body if you are unsure.
In cases where the piercing is in a slightly flatter area ( Eyebrow, Navel, Surface piercings, and Dermals) rejection can be a possibility. If you ever suspect the piercing has started to move or change then it's important to get it checked out as soon as possible. If you are certain this is the case then it is always safest to remove the piercing as soon as possible. Once it starts it never stops and the quicker it is removed the less scarring you will have.
Other Important Information:
Checking the tightness is super important if you have a labret, curved, or straight barbell. The best time is right after you've cleaned the piercing. If you have threaded jewelry think righty tighty / lefty loosey. If you have threadless jewelry then it's as simple as squeezing or pressing the piece together,
Any tops lost in the first 48 hours will be replaced for free. After this, a charge will apply. This also applies to any piercings lost due to this reason.
Piercings can close quickly so be careful not to remove them while healing. You may find that even straight away you can't put it back in! Even when healed it's best not to leave them out for too long at first as they can 'shrink' and be difficult to reinsert. For this reason, it's always best to change jewelry by pushing out the old with the new where possible.
If you need to remove the piercing for an extended time it's always safest to get a retainer.
If you suspect an infection it's always best to get in contact as many issues are often wrongly diagnosed as infection. Its never a problem to hear from you and its always great if we can avoid an unnecessary doctor visit. If this is the case please message via Instagram or the contact form and include some photos from the front and back as good quality as possible!
Piercing Bumps
Piercing bumps or lumps are by far the most common problem you will be likely to deal with.
They are often incorrectly diagnosed as either infections or keloid scarring. While these two are a much bigger deal, they are luckily also much rarer!
Most piercing bumps are related to trauma (a bump or knock) the piercing has experienced. They usually look similar to a pimple but without a head. You may have heard of various treatments that I won't go into here as many of these things will cause further irritation and should be avoided.
They normally take about 3 - 4 weeks to pass and usually do so on their own. It is important to try and isolate anything that you think could be causing irritation or trauma (such as it being slept on or irritated by headphones).
If you find they are particularly large or stubborn you could use a warm compress to help bring them down. The best way to do this is using a brewed chamomile teabag, cooled but still warm. Chamomile has natural antiseptic properties and the bag will be easier to mold into tricky-to-access places. Leave it on the area for around 5 - 10 minutes. One a day would be great but if you can even do 1 - 3 a week that should help too.
If you find the bump doesn't go after 4 + weeks or you are concerned about the size then message via the contact form or message on Instagram.