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EAR AND BODY PIERCING AFTERCARE

CLEANING SOLUTIONS

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  • Packaged sterile saline is a gentle choice for piercing aftercare. We strongly encourage you to use a sterile saline labeled for use as a wound wash. Contact lens saline, eye drops, and other saline products should never be used on a body piercing. Your saline ingredients should list .09% sodium chloride as the only ingredient. Mixing your own sea salt solution is no longer a suggested practice from the APP (Association of Professional Piercers). Mixing your own sea salt solution will commonly result in the product being far too salty and strong, this can over dry the piercing and interfere with healing.

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CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS FOR EAR AND BODY PIERCINGS

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  • WASH your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason.

  • SALINE rinse as needed during healing. For certain placements, it may be easier to apply using clean gauze saturated with saline solution. A brief rinse afterward will remove any residue.

  • DRY by gently patting with clean, disposable paper products because cloth towels can harbor bacteria and snag on jewelry, causing injury.

WHAT TO DO

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  • Wash your hands prior to touching the piercing; leave it alone except when cleaning. During healing it is not necessary to rotate your jewelry.

  • Exercise during healing is fine; listen to your body.

  • Make sure your bedding is washed and changed regularly. Wear clean, comfortable, breathable clothing that protects your piercing while you are sleeping.

  • Showers tend to be safer than taking baths, as bathtubs can harbor bacteria. If you bathe in a tub, clean it well before each use and rinse off your piercing when you get out.

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WHAT TO AVOID

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  • Avoid cleaning with alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, antibacterial soaps, iodine, or any harsh products, as these can damage cells. Also avoid ointments as they prevent necessary air circulation.

  • Avoid Bactine®, pierced ear care solutions, and other products containing Benzalkonium Chloride (BZK). These can be irritating and are not intended for long-term wound care.

  • Avoid over-cleaning. This can delay your healing and irritate your piercing.

  • Avoid undue trauma such as friction from clothing, excessive motion of the area, playing with the jewelry, and vigorous cleaning. These activities can cause the formation of unsightly and uncomfortable scar tissue, migration, prolonged healing, and other complications.

  • Avoid all oral contact, rough play, and contact with others’ bodily fluids on or near your piercing during healing.

  •  Avoid stress and recreational drug use, including excessive caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.

  •  Avoid submerging the piercing in unhygienic bodies of water such as lakes, pools, hot tubs, etc for the entire healing process of 3 months. Or, protect your piercing using a waterproof wound sealant bandage. These are available at most drugstores and work best for nipple, navel, and surface piercing placements.

  •  Avoid all beauty and personal care products on or around the piercing including cosmetics, lotions, and sprays, etc.

  •  Don’t hang charms or any object from your jewelry until the piercing is fully healed.

  •  Sleeping directly on a healing cartilage piercing can cause irritation, even causing shifts in the piercing’s angle. Placing a travel pillow, on top of your pillow, and then placing your ear in the opening can be helpful to avoid this.

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WHAT IS NORMAL?

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  • Initially : Some bleeding, localized swelling, tenderness, or bruising.

  • During healing : Some discoloration, itching, secretion of a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) that will form some crust on the jewelry. The tissue may tighten around the jewelry as it heals.

  • Once healed : The jewelry may not move freely in the piercing; do not force it. If you fail to include cleaning your piercing as part of your daily hygiene routine, normal but smelly bodily secretions may accumulate.

  • A piercing may seem healed before the healing process is complete. This is because tissue heals from the outside in, and although it feels fine, the interior remains fragile. Be patient, and keep cleaning throughout the entire healing period.

  • Even healed piercings can shrink or close in minutes after having been there for years! This varies from person to person; if you like your piercing, keep jewelry in—do not leave it empty.

ORAL PIERCING AFTERCARE

​CLEANING SOLUTIONS

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  • Alcohol-free and hydrogen peroxide-free mouth rinse, or a dry mouth oral rinse for hydration.

  • Plain clean water. Bottled or filtered water is preferred.

  • Packaged sterile saline solution with no additives (read the label). This is not for internal use but external use only (like cleaning the outside of your lip piercing).

  • Regardless of the brand of saline, the can should list sterile and isotonic. The only ingredients included should be water and 0.9% or 9mg/ml sodium chloride. Mixing your own sea salt solution is no longer a suggested practice from the APP. Mixing your own sea salt solution will commonly result in the product being far too salty and strong. This can over dry the piercing and interfere with healing.

  • Do not use contact solution, eye drops, or nasal rinse products on your piercing.

CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS

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INTERNAL:

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  • Wash your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason.

  • Keeping good oral hygiene practices is important in maintaining a healthy mouth and piercing. You will want to floss, brush and use mouth rinse at least twice a day. It is vital to not overuse the mouth rinse.

  • Gently brush the jewelry with a clean toothbrush regularly to avoid plaque build up.

  • Rinse with water (bottled or filtered) thoroughly after every time you eat, drink or smoke.

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EXTERNAL:

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  • Wash your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason.

  • Be sure to rinse your piercing thoroughly with warm water in the shower once a day. Then rinse with saline twice a day.

  • Gently remove any discharge or crust that may have built up on your jewelry, then dry the area carefully with gauze.

WHAT IS NORMAL?

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  • For the first three to five days you may experience swelling, light bleeding, bruising, tenderness, and/or a whitish to yellowish secretion that may form crust on the jewelry.

  • After the first week, you may still continue to experience some minor swelling and secretion.

  • A piercing might seem healed before the healing process is complete. This is because piercings heal from the outside in. Although it feels fine, the tissue remains fragile on the inside. Be patient, and keep cleaning throughout the entire healing period.

  • For lip piercings, it is typical for the jewelry to “nest” slightly into the lip (on the inside) once it is healed.

  • Even healed piercings that you have had for years can shrink or close within a few hours if the jewelry is removed. This varies from person to person; if you like your piercing, keep jewelry in! Do not leave the hole empty for a long period of time.

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TO MAINTAIN GOOD ORAL HYGIENE

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  • Use a new soft-bristled toothbrush and store it in a clean area away from other toothbrushes.

  • Brush your teeth and use your chosen rinse (saline or mouthwash) after every meal.

  • During healing floss daily, and gently brush your teeth, tongue and jewelry. Once healed, brush the jewelry more thoroughly to avoid plaque build up.

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TO STAY HEALTHY

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  • The healthier your lifestyle, the easier it will be for your piercing to heal.

  • Get enough sleep.

  • To help healing and bolster your ability to fight infection, eat a nutritious diet, or consider taking nutritional supplements daily.

  • Avoid emotional stress, which can increase healing times by up to 40%.

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WHAT TO DO TO HELP REDUCE SWELLING

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  • Allow small pieces of ice to dissolve in the mouth.

  • Take an over the counter, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen or naproxen sodium according to package instructions.

  • Don’t speak or move your jewelry more than necessary.

  • Sleep with your head elevated above your heart during the first few nights.

DISCOLSURES : 
 

  • If you have any questions or concerns, contact the body art facility where your tattoo/piercing was performed. In addition, you should seek medical attention if the tattoo site becomes infected or painful, or if you develop a fever shortly after being tattooed/pierced. Signs of infection may include pain, redness, swelling, rash, or discharge at the site of the tattoo, or a fever.

  • You may be allowed to donate blood within the standard deferral period if you present a copy of your client record provided by the body art facility to the blood donor facility.

  • Or, to make a complaint, contact the Oakland County Health Division at 248.424.7190 or 248.858.1312.

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