Q: How do I take care of my piercing?
A: You can find the APP's guide to piercing aftercare here, and here for oral piercings.

Piercing aftercare is pretty straightforward. You generally will want to do three main things:

Keep it clean

Keep it dry

Don’t touch it

 

Keeping clean in this context doesn’t mean “clean the piercing as often as possible” but instead, avoid getting anything irritating around the area. The only product you should use on your piercing is sterile saline wound wash or clean water. Whichever you choose, use it to rinse the piercing and the surrounding area twice a day at the most by spraying or rinsing with it. Saline wound wash and water are both helpful as they rinse away irritants or debris without disrupting  the natural environment your body creates to heal your piercing. In other words, spraying it on a cotton swab or cotton ball and wiping the area is ineffective and a waste of product. More aftercare =/= your piercing will heal faster. It is possible to overclean your piercing and cause more harm. Less is more.

 

Keeping it dry is essential, especially navel, earlobe, and daith piercings, and piercings with large jewelry. It is also a good practice for all piercings. Bacteria enjoy warm, wet, and dark places,  so taking the time to gently dry the area can help prevent potential issues. This can be done by using a blow dryer on the coolest setting, or gently patting dry with clean gauze.

 

Don’t touch it is another essential part of aftercare, and you will avoid most issues by not touching or handling your piercing. As tempting as it can be, don’t fiddle with your piercing or spin the jewelry, especially while healing. The idea that you should  twist your jewelry is outdated and will cause more harm to your piercing. You’ll likely notice your new piercing secretes an off white fluid that dries to a honey-colored scab. This can make your piercing feel “tight” or the jewelry may feel “stuck”. This is normal. Don’t pick at the scabs that form, as doing so can increase your risk of infection, and will likely make your piercing take longer to heal. Allow these scabs to fall off on their own. They may soften and fall away in the shower, but don’t be more aggressive than that with removal.

 

Don’t sleep on your fresh piercing. Do your best to avoid sleeping on a fresh piercing or keeping it in direct contact with anything. This is especially important for ear cartilage piercings. Sleeping on a fresh piercing can cause irritation, and even lead to the piercing shifting and the angle being permanently crooked. It can also lead to the piercing not being able to be healed at all. Also, wearing certain headphones and headsets can be irritating for fresh or even healed piercings. If you regularly wear earbuds or headbands, or are on the phone for long periods of time, definitely take this into consideration and bring it up with your piercer before getting pierced so they can take this into account when determining placement.

 

Q: How do I take care of an oral piercing?

A: The same ideas about being careful with your piercing still apply. Swish with cool water when you eat, drink, or smoke. If mouthwash is normally a part of your oral care routine, you may want to switch to an alcohol-free formula, however you don’t need to use it more frequently than you already use mouthwash. Additionally, overuse of mouthwash can impact your oral health. Again, less is more! Staying hydrated can help with swelling, as can sleeping with your head elevated.

 

Q: So no sea salt soaks? I thought that was the standard.
A: Saline wound wash is like the improved sea salt soak. It has the same ingredients, however it is guaranteed to be the same salinity as in your body,  unlike DIY versions. Additionally, it is sterile, and pressurized to help rinse away debris. Sterile saline wound wash is specifically designed for wound care.

 

Q: How do I prevent an infection?

A: Infections are always a potential hazard of getting a piercing. Seeking out a reputable piercing studio and piercer will help minimize the risk. However, once out in the world, it’s your responsibility to keep bacteria away from the piercing. Don’t ever handle your piercing with dirty hands, and avoid touching your piercing at all unless it’s absolutely necessary. Also, avoid submerging the piercing in lakes, pools, hot tubs, oceans, rivers or other bodies of water as long as the piercing is unhealed. If you must submerge the piercing, a waterproof bandage such as Tegaderm can protect your piercing, though ideally you’ll want to wait the entirety of the healing time.

 

Q: Can I use [product] on my piercing?
A: Over the years, piercing aftercare has changed as the industry’s understanding of wound care expanded. Because there are so many suggestions, here is a list of what not to use, and why.

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Contact lens solution- this has extra additives that are not intended for wound care, non-sterile

Nasal spray- this also has extra additives that are not intended for wound care, non-sterile, easily contaminated.

Hydrogen peroxide- this is too harsh for a healing piercing and not intended for long term wound care

“Rapid Heal” solutions- often contain triclosan or Benzalkonium Chloride (BZK) which can be irritating and is not intended for long term wound care, non-sterile, easily contaminated.

Rubbing Alcohol- this is too harsh for a healing piercing and not intended for long term wound care

Neosporin / Bacitracin / Polysporin - not intended for use on piercings and can suffocate the piercing site, most manufacturers warn against use on puncture wounds.

Bactine- specifically lists on its website to not use on piercings

Hibiclens- too harsh for a healing piercing and not intended for long term wound care

Iodine - too harsh for a healing piercing and not intended for long term wound care

Tea tree oil- do not apply any oils to a healing piercing. Tea tree oil is not meant for wound care and can be extremely harsh

Aspirin Paste- not only is this using medication in a way not intended, this is extremely harsh and can cause chemical burns

 

There are many other “Piercing Sprays'' on the market, however they usually contain many different ingredients that can cause issues or irritation, are non sterile, etc. All you need is sterile saline.

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Q: Where can I find sterile saline?

A: Your piercer may carry it in studio, otherwise wound wash saline is available at most pharmacies, or it can be found online. Brands like Neilmed, Steriwash, and Crystawash are very popular, but not the only brands available.

 

Q: When can I sleep on my piercing?
A: Ideally it’s best to wait to sleep on a piercing until it is fully healed. You may find that sleeping with a U-shaped neck pillow can help keep pressure off your ear. If a neck pillow isn't an option for you, you can try rolling up a towel and shaping it into a U or a circle.

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Q: How soon after getting a piercing can I go swimming?
A: It is best to wait until your piercing is fully healed before submerging it in any bodies of water including lakes, pools, oceans, baths, and hot tubs. If you are planning to swim or submerge your piercing in water, you can cover the piercing with a waterproof bandage such as Tegaderm.

 

Q: What is a downsize? Do I need to do that? Why do I need to do that?
A: Your piercer will likely start you off with jewelry that has extra length to allow room for swelling that happens with any new piercing. Once the swelling has subsided (usually in the first few weeks to months) see your piercer for shorter, more fitted jewelry. This is called downsizing. Downsizing should be done by your piercer as the piercing will still be relatively fresh.

 

Downsizing is important because piercings can get irritated by jewelry that is too long, and normal buildup can accumulate in the space on the post. Additionally, jewelry that is too long can be snagged more easily, and sleeping on a piercing that hasn’t been downsized can cause the piercing to migrate so much that it may not heal fully. In oral piercings, downsizing is essential to help protect teeth and gums, and multiple downsizes may be necessary, especially for cheek piercings.

Q: What is normal for a healing piercing?
A: Initially, some bleeding, localized tenderness, redness, swelling, and/or bruising are normal. During healing, some discoloration, itching, secretion of a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) that dries to form a bit of “crusties” on the jewelry can be expected. During this time the tissue may tighten around the jewelry as well.

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Q: How long does [x] piercing take to heal?
A: Your piercing will likely look and feel healed before it has healed fully. Tissue heals from the outside in, and though the piercing may appear fine, delicate inner tissue may still be healing. Healing times vary from person to person, and factors like overall health, stress, getting enough sleep and nutrition can impact how long it takes your piercing to heal. These are general guidelines.

Earlobe: 3-4 months

Ear cartilage: 6-12 months

Nostril: 4-6 months

Septum: 3-4 months

Lip: 3-4 months

Tongue: 2-3 months

Eyebrow: 3-4 months

Navel: 6-12 months

Nippe: 6-12 months

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Q: How long can I have jewelry out of my piercing without it closing up?
A: Everyone's body is different, so there is no hard answer to this question. In general, if you like your piercing, keep jewelry in it. Once the jewelry is removed, your piercing will begin to shrink, and may shrink enough that you will have difficulty getting jewelry in. Piercings such as nostrils and nipples tend to close up especially quickly, and can close up beyond your . Do not attempt to force the jewelry in on your own, this can injure your piercing and cause bleeding or swelling. If you are unable to get the jewelry in yourself, see your local reputable piercer for assistance.

 

If you need to remove jewelry for an event or a procedure, most reputable piercers stock glass retainers, which are safe non-metal options for piercings. 

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Q: I haven’t had jewelry in an old piercing in a while. Will I need to get it repierced?

A: The answer to this will vary based on a few factors. The best advice we can give you is that if you have any difficulty getting jewelry in, do not force it. See a reputable piercer for assistance with either inserting the jewelry or repiercing

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Q: I decided to retire my piercing. What do I have to do to heal it?
A: Once the jewelry has been removed, you don’t need to do anything special to the piercing. It may scab up. Allow the scab to heal and off on its own and otherwise keep the area clean and dry

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Q: I think I have an infection/Does this look infected?
A: If you think you may have an infection, seek medical attention asap. Body piercers cannot diagnose or treat infection, and if left untreated, infections can become serious. While we know that medical treatment is not always accessible, we are not qualified to treat infection.

 

Q: I have a bump on my piercing. Help!

A: Check out the next section!