> Piercing Aftercare
Keeping your new piercing clean and free from infection is not only obviously important, but it is relatively easy if you follow our simple piercing aftercare guidelines and mix in a bit of common sense. Aside from the cleaning, disinfecting, and healing promoting procedures which we will present shortly, taking care to reduce irritation to your new piercing is every bit as important. While your body piercing is healing, extra care should be taken to prevent irritation. The first thing that the newly pierced individual should consider is the effects of articles of clothing which may apply pressure to, rub, or otherwise irritate a piercing. If your piercing is in a place that will be covered by clothing, it is important to consider the effects of the clothing worn on the healing process and to dress accordingly. It is a good idea to wear loose fitting clothes made of non-irritating material such as cotton. Tight fitting or rough clothing such as wool should be avoided to aid in healing and reduce local irritation. A common problem in this area arises when high cut jeans are worn with a new navel piercing causing a constant source of pressure and irritation to the piercing. Low cut or hip hugger style jeans are a much better choice.
Some other things to avoid while your piercing is in the healing stage include: sleeping on the location of the piercing, rough housing or other activities which will potentially bump, rub, or otherwise irritate the piercing site, and getting into public pools or hot tubs. Not only will the presence of chlorine in pools and hot tubs irritate and retard the healing of a new piercing but, despite the presence of chlorine, pools and hot tubs are a source of bacteria which will almost certainly lead to infection.
Most body piercings can easilly be kept clean with the use of a high quality anti-bacterial handsoap such as Technicare, Satin, or Provon. These brands, particularly Technicare, are the handsoaps of choice for most physicians and hospitals. They are readily available from most medical supply houses or home health care suppliers and are also available from many leading pharmacies and department stores. Whatever brand of anti-bacterial handsoap you decide to use, it is important to avoid any which contain unnecessary ingredients such as moisturizers or fragrances which will be likely to irritate the piercing in many people.
Cleaning the piercing with anti-bacterial soap should be done twice a day with warm water. Before cleaning the piercing, it is important to first wash your hands in warm water using the same type of anti-bacterial handsoap for a period of at least 3 minutes to remove any bacteria and other contaminants from the hands. Cleaning your piercing in, or immediately after getting out of, a hot shower is a good practice. Not only will the running water help to remove loosened contaminants, but the steam from the shower helps to soften both the skin and the crust which has probably formed on your piercing jewelry.
As a normal part of the healing process, a white to yellow discharge will be released from the piercing hole. This substance is composed of a combination of dead cells and plasma and is one of the body’s natural defenses against infection. It is this normal discharge which dries and builds up as a crust on the jewelry. Although it is beneficial to the healing process while being secreted in the liquid form, the resulting crust needs to be removed several times per day as it will be a breeding ground for bacteria which could ultimately lead to an infection. Remember, a;though the secretion is a normal part of healing, the foreign object (your jewelry) is not natural and special care needs to be given. The process of removing this crusty buildup begins with softening it by either taking a hot shower or placing a clean washcloth dampened with warm water on it for several minutes. Once the crust has been softened enough to be removed easily, some disposable instrument such as a Q-tip or tissue should be used to completely remove the crust. Be sure and turn and move your piercing ring to allow you to get all of the crust off.
Once the crust has been removed, the piercing itself should be cleaned with warm water and an anti-bacterial handsoap. Work up a rich lather in your hands and scrub the area thoroughly but gently for several minutes. During this process you should turn and move your jewelry as much as possible to aid in cleaning inside the piercing as well as outside. Following several minutes of cleaning, rinse with clear water while continuing the process of turning the jewelry in the piercing.
The last recommended step in caring for your body piercing during the healing process is a sea salt soak immediately after cleaning. This process aids in the healing process and enhances the body’s natural ability to heal and fight infection. To perform the sea salt soak, you should dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (available at health food and most grocery stores as well as many pharmacies) in 8 ounces of warm water. Stir the mixture until the salt is completely dissolved. A disposable paper cup makes an excellent application tool and the pierced area can either be dangled into or the cup tipped and held against it depending on the location of the body piercing. This beneficial sea salt soak should last for 5 to 10 minutes and should be done at least once per day until the piercing is fully healed. Following the sea salt soak (or the washing if you are not doing the recommended sea salt soak) you should gently pat the area dry with a disposable paper towel. Using a hand towel is not recommended as they usually harbor bacteria and a simple paper towel is more sterile and readilly available.
Now that you know what you should do to care for your new unhealed body piercing, it seems only fitting to tell you what you should not do. A very common practice which seems logical at first thought but is actually a very bad idea is the use of common antibiotic ointments such as Neosporin or Neomycin. These ointments are very useful for their purpose (surface cuts & scrapes), but can be more harm than good when used for a body piercing. These types of ointments are petroleum based and will likely irritate the sensitive tissue in and around your piercing and can actually increase the chance of infection or other problems. You should also avoid such common mistakes as the use of: isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, Betadine, or other similar home remedies. The tissue in and around your piercing is very sensitive and these types of products will be more of an irritant than an aid to healing.
While the above procedure is fairly universal and applies to most types of body piercing, oral piercings such as: tongue piercings, labret piercings, and lip piercings need a slightly different approach. Rather than the use of anti-bacterial handsoaps for the piercings (the reasons should be quite obvious), a much better and tastier solution is to use a medical / dental grade oral rinse such as Tech 2000 or Biotene. If you do not have access to these professional type products, most any common oral antiseptic rinse such as Betadine or Hexetidine will work just as well. If you elect to use one of the oral antiseptics to clean your oral piercing, we recommend diluting it to a 50/50 mix of the antiseptic and water to reduce the strength and make the application less irritating. Whatever rinse you choose, you should rinse 3 times per day for no less than 30 seconds per session. It should be noted here that common mouthwash is not recommended and should be avoided while your oral piercing is healing. Finally, to care for your oral piercing it becomes more important than ever to brush your teeth after every meal (at least 3 times per day) to help keep the mouth clean and reduce the chances of small bits of food getting into the piercing. It is also recommended to GENTLY brush the jewelry itself while brushing your teeth–this will cut down on plaque buildup on the jewelry and promote healing.
This article copyright ©2007 by Montana Body Art, Inc. and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written permission of the author.
