THE DOs
CLEAN YOUR HANDS PROPERLY before cleaning the area of your piercing. Ideally soak or spray the piercing to clean it. Always avoid touching the piercing or the area around it with your fingers wherever possible.
KEEP THE PIERCING CLEAN. Hygiene is crucial for successful healing. The most effective way to clean your piercing is to use sterile saline spray or saline solution. We do not recommend using any other solution. Let the external site air dry. Beware of towels. They can harbour bacteria and snag on your jewellery. Be gentle when cleaning new piercings. Over-cleaning can actually delay healing. We recommend a routine of 2 cleanings per day for the external skin area.
It is normal to find a small amount of crust on the entry holes of your piercing. If this does not come away easily after cleaning, leave it alone. It will drop away when the skin underneath is strong enough. If it doesn't come away easily, it isn't ready. Leave it be.
Showers are a safer option than baths in the initial healing period. If you do bathe in a tub (we strongly advise against this for the first 2 weeks), clean your bathtub thoroughly before and after each use, and rinse your piercing with fresh water before getting out.
MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. Health and diet have a real impact on healing. See this time as a time to nurture yourself. Eat well: choose healthy, anti-inflammatory foods, and drink plenty of water. Avoid hot and spicy foods, which may increase swelling, and foods containing live bacteria (e.g. yoghurts). For the first week or two, reduce caffeine intake. Avoid stress (wherever possible) and recreational drug use, including nicotine. Give yourself enough sleep. It is also worth considering daily nutritional supplements: Iron, Vitamin B, Vitamin C and Zinc.
THE DO NOTs
DO NOT TOUCH YOUR NEW PIERCING. We can't stress this enough. Our hands carry bacteria and it is crucial not to introduce this into what is essentially a fresh wound. Wash your hands thoroughly with an anti-bacterial hand wash before cleaning your piercing, or wear disposable latex gloves. Avoid catching your piercing and do not move the jewellery more than necessary. Even if it doesn't hurt or feel sore, the healing is still taking place internally. Playing with the jewellery during healing can cause scar tissue, migration and other complications. Long-term effects include permanent skin damage and a higher chance of recurring infections and inflammation.
DO NOT LET YOUR HEALING PIERCING TOUCH ANY BODILY FLUIDS. This includes saliva, sweat, and other secretions that can introduce bacteria and compromise healing. Be mindful during intimate contact and physical activity.
DO NOT REMOVE THE JEWELLERY BEFORE IT IS FULLY HEALED. During the healing period your body is creating a fistula, a channel, around the jewellery. Removing it prematurely can cause irritation, infection and scarring. Healing times vary from piercing to piercing, and from person to person. Your piercer will advise you. It is always better to wait longer than to change too early. That is precisely why we created the beautiful piercing pieces that we did.
DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PIERCING WITHOUT JEWELLERY IN, even after the healing period, even for piercings you've had for years. A piercing channel can shrink, fill in and seal very quickly.
DO NOT EXPOSE YOUR FRESH PIERCING TO ENVIRONMENTS WHICH MAY TRIGGER A NEGATIVE REACTION. No swimming pools, saunas or jacuzzis, and no long soaks in the bath for at least 2 weeks after piercing. Submerging a fresh piercing exposes it to excess bacteria, which can result in irritation or infection. Also avoid sun beds, sand, and dusty or dirty environments. Avoid sudden changes in climate. If you're planning to travel, speak to your piercer before getting pierced.
After the initial 2 weeks and until the end of the healing period: if you do go into any of these environments, take a long shower afterwards and use a saline soak or spray. Avoid friction from clothing, excessive motion of the area, playing with jewellery or vigorous cleaning. Avoid all beauty and personal care products directly on or around the piercing: cosmetics, sprays, creams, powders.
DO NOT COVER YOUR PIERCING WITH A PLASTER. Bacteria thrive under plasters. The area needs air. Only cover it temporarily if your piercing is bleeding or to avoid contact with bodily fluids.
DO NOT TAKE OUT THE PIERCING IF IT IS INFECTED. Visit your piercer as soon as possible for a check-up. If the jewellery is removed, surface cells can close up and seal the infection inside the channel, potentially leading to an abscess (which, we promise you, you do not want). Until an infection is cleared, leave your jewellery in.
WHAT IS NORMAL?
In the first days: a little bleeding, some localised swelling, tenderness or bruising. All normal.
During healing: discoloration, itching, and the secretion of a whitish-yellow fluid. This is not pus. It is sebum, produced by your glands to expel lymph, dead cells and interstitial fluid. It is a sign that you are healing well, and it's what forms the crust on your jewellery.
Even once healed: occasional secretions are normal. This is simply how bodies work. Continue to clean your piercing every now and then.
A piercing might feel healed before the healing process is actually complete. Tissue heals from the outside in; the interior remains fragile long after the exterior looks fine. Be patient and follow the guidelines through the entire healing period.
We love piercings and we love being pierced. They are a commitment. Even with a fully healed piercing, if you are run down, exhausted or under the weather, your piercings may start to complain. Which is a very good reason to value yourself, your body, and your piercings, and give them the love they deserve.
A QUESTION? WE'RE HERE.
If you're unsure about anything, reach out. We'd rather you ask than worry.