Body Piercing AfterCare
Piercing it, is just the beginning
So you’ve gone an done it… Got your first piercing, you managed to overcome all your fears and anxieties, and you’ve got something beautiful to show for it. Well it’s just the start of a wonderful relationship, and like any relationship, will require care and affection to prosper.
Now most studio’s publish aftercare guides, to give you some idea how to care for your new piercing, you should read it and carry out the cleaning as directed, if you didn’t get one, WHY???
But all is not lost, as there are some great resources on the Web and there’s some great aftercare guides around, again the A.P.P
Here’s some basic (common sense) cleaning tips:
- Wash your hands thoroughly before cleaning your piercings (with an antibacterial soap / hand wash)
- Use a sterile saline solution (about ½ teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water).
- More is not better in the case of salt, in fact to much salt may kill any new skin cells.
- Don’t be tempted to use chemicals – a saline solution is the best option (so say the Doctors I’ve asked, and the A.P.P).
- Keep a separate container of cotton buds for cleaning your piercings.
- Do not “re dip” a cotton bud in the saline solution.
- Ensure you clean all the “gank” (Lymph discharge) off the jewellery before passing it through the body.
- Dry the piercing with a sterile (or at least new) paper towel, and not that hand towel the whole family use.
- Set a time slot for this routine, and do it every day.
- Stick with it
How you clean a piercing will vary (depending on the piercing) and that’s why you should have been given an aftercare guide, but as I said you can get one from the resources mentioned above.
Remember it’s impossible to tell you, how long your piercing will take to heal, just stick with the aftercare regime, and you’ll be set.
If at anytime you feel there may be a problem with your piercing, get it checked out as soon as practicable (either by a professional piercer or your doctor). Infections do occur (although not as frequently as you may think) in which case, your doctor will prescribe an antibiotic, problem solved!
Above all, Remember a little care will save you a lot of grief, so look after your piercing and you will have years of pleasure from it!
Happy piercing,
Stu.