PIERCING AFTER CARE TIPS AND TRICKS
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LOBE PIERCINGS
Do:
Clean it twice a day, Once in the morning once at night. Make sure your hands are clean before cleaning your piercing.
use a cotton tip covered in a sterile saline solution so that the end is dripping wet in saline. Use this to wipe the front and back of piercing and clean away any crusties and discharge from the piercing site.
Don’t:
No twisting or turning the jewelry due to this causing more scarring to occur, Try not to bump, knock, sleep on or get the jewelry caught on anything. This can cause a slight tissue tear and encourage excess movement making the piercing irritated.
Tips: We do all of our piercings with a slightly longer bar to accommodate for any swelling to happen,
If you do bump, knock or accidentally sleep on your fresh piercing it is recommended to hold ice in a clean zip lock sandwich bag over the piercing to reduce any extra swelling and inflammation.
Ibuprofen and Nurofen can also help reduce swelling and inflammation.
What to expect:
Your piercing is likely to get crusties and discharge on the front and or back of your ear during the healing process, You should only remove crusties with a cotton tip and saline solution. Piercings tend to create a clear or white discharge while healing.
A slightly yellow discharge color will indicate that your piercing is a bit irritated which can clear up using ice in a zip lock sandwich bag as well as Ibuprofen and Nurofen
A green discharge to very dark yellow discharge means an infection which you should leave the piercing in and treat the infection with antibiotics to clear up the infection. Removing the piercing can trap the infection inside of the body making it easier to travel throughout the body.
If you’re unsure about whether your piercing is irritated or infected our piercers are always happy to take a look and let you know how your healing is going to ensure you are getting the right advice.
Healing time: 4-6 weeks to comfortably downsize your jewelry for shorter bars
Rings: 3 - 6 months for rings to be worn (roughly)
Fully healed: 6 - 12 months
GENERAL CARTILAGE PIERCINGS
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Do: Clean it once in the morning once at night, With clean hands and a cotton swab covered in a sterile saline solution. Clean the front and back of the piercing.
Don’t: Twist or turn your fresh piercing or touch with unclean hands. Avoid changing your jewelry to a ring too early and do your best to avoid sleeping on it.
Tips: ibuprofen can help with excess swelling.
It is recommended to ice cartilage piercings as well as they are very prone to swelling up as they are in a high-risk area for bumping or knocking.
You can apply pressure with a saline covered cotton tip on the top and bottom of your piercing to help reduce your chances of keloids or hypertrophic scarring.
Get someone to check the back of your piercing every few days to make sure your hair isn’t getting wrapped around the bar at the back.
What to expect: Cartilage piercings tend to be harder to heal than other piercings and have a higher chance of developing keloids or hypertrophic scars.
Discharge is normal! A clear or a white discharge is to be expected.
If the discharge is a yellow color, It means your piercing is irritated and you should ice the piercing in a zip lock sandwich bag and use Ibuprofen and Nurofen to help ease inflammation.
If you have a dark yellow to green color discharge your piercing is most likely infected and you should see antibiotics from your GP or pharmacy.
HELIX
6-8 weeks until a smaller stud can be comfortably put in, 2-3 months before a ring should be put in your healing piercing.
DAITH
Downsize can be done in the first 6 - 8 weeks but it is recommended to wait at least 2 - 3 months before changing to fancy piece of jewelry or a full ring with a hinge.
6-12 months before the piercing would be considered fully healed.
INDUSTRIAL
Can be one of the hardest ear piercings to heal.
It is recommended to downsize your bar in the first 4-6 weeks to reduce your chances of getting the piercing caught and creating extra scarring.
It will take 6-12 months to be fully healed but should be comfortable to change within 3-4 months.
ROOK
Approximately 6 - 8 weeks before you will want to downsize your piercing. Rooks can swell a lot, Using ice in a zip lock sandwich bag and Ibuprofen / Nurofen will help reduce inflammation and swelling
It is recommended to take your time and not rush the healing process by trying to change your jewelry too early.
Fully healed in roughly 6 - 12 months.
TRAGUS
Can be downsized within the first 6 - 8 weeks, to help reduce movement of your piercing.
A ring shouldn’t be worn until 3 - 4 months into the healing process. Avoid wearing headphones of any kind in the first month.
This piercing will be considered fully healed in 6 - 12 months depending on the aftercare.
CONCH
These are pierced with quite a long bar to allow for excess swelling. This should be downsized in the first 4-6 weeks.
A ring is typically the most popular type of jewelry for this piercing but should not be worn until 3-4 months into its healing process.
This piercing will take 6-12 months to be considered fully healed
SMILEY PIERCINGS
Do: salt water wash your mouth (1 cup of warm water to 1/4 teaspoon of salt) Â out after everything you eat drink or smoke.Â
Smoking and alcohol is not recommended during the piercings healing process.Â
Don’t: flip up your ring, or play with your jewellery with tongue or fingers, unless you are checking that the ball is screwed on tight still, make sure hands are clean!Â
What to expect: smiley piercings tend to be pretty painless.Â
You may feel a small bit of pressure or pain when waking up in the morning/ brushing your teeth or eating. This should go away by the second to third weekÂ
Tips: avoid eating hard foods for the first week, brush your teeth slowly until you’re used to your new piercing.Â
Healing time: 3-4 weeks before a smiley piercing tends to be painless.Â
There is always big chance of rejection from these piercings depending on your aftercare and how much pressure your top lip has on your piercing. Most of the time they can be re-pierced.
NAVEL PIERCINGS
Do: Clean it twice a day, Once in the morning once at night. With clean hands and a cotton tip covered in a sterile saline solution clean around the top and bottom of the piercing.
Make sure to clean in behind your piercing bar as well, This is due to bacteria building up behind the bar, Dead and dry skin can accumulate behind your navel bar making the area more susceptible to infection.
Don’t: Do any heavy lifting for the next two weeks at least, Avoid going to the gym and vigorous exercise for the first week or two. Avoid wearing any tight fitted clothing or high waisted pants, Wear low waisted, cropped or baggy clothing to minimize your jewelry getting caught on anything.
Tips: Navel piercings can be prone to keloids or hypertrophic scarring due to them being in a high movement area on the body.
Gently putting pressure on both the top and bottom of the piercing can help reduce this.
What to expect: Navel piercings tend to create a lot of discharge and crusties. If your discharge is clear or white color that is considered normal and indicates that the body is healing.
If the discharge is a yellow color your piercing is likely irritated and needs to be cared for and or downsized if it is ready to be downsized. If you have a dark yellow or green colored discharge this means you have an infection and you should seek antibiotics from your local GP or pharmacy.
Healing time: 4 - 6 weeks before downsizing your jewelry
6–12 months before being fully healed
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LIP PIERCINGS
Do: Clean the front of the piercing twice a day, once in the morning once at night. with clean hands and a
cotton swab covered in a sterile saline solution.
For the inside of your mouth wash out with salt water wash (1 cup or warm water to 1/4 teaspoon of salt) after everything you eat, drink and smoke.
It is best to avoid nicotine and alcohol.
Don’t: twist or turn your jewellery, avoid playing with the longer bars with your teeth as it will likely cause more damage.
Tips: Try eat slowly for the first few weeks. Avoid spicy or hard foods.
What to expect: lip piercings are very prone to swelling, because of this you will have a very long sized bar in your lip when first pierced.
Healing time: you will want to downsize your lip bar in the first 3-4 weeks once the swelling has gone down.
You will want to wait 2-3 months before changing it to a ring. It will take 3-6 months for your piercing to be fully healed.
NOSE AND SEPTUM PIERCINGS
Do: Clean it twice a day, once in the morning once at night. with clean hands and a cotton swab covered in a sterile saline solution top and bottom (on each side for a septum)
Don’t: Avoid flipping your septum up until fully healed to reduce the chances or keloids and hypertrophic scarring.
Flipping up your fresh septum can also increase your chances of your piercing migrating or rejecting. Avoid twisting your nose jewellery.
Putting a ring in your fresh nose piercing too early can also increase your change of keloids and hypertrophic scarring. It is recommended to wait 2-3 months for a ring.
Tips: it is recommended to check the tightness of the balls on your nose or septum piercing every 2-3 days as your piercing is in a high movement area.
What to expect: take blowing your nose very gently while your piercing is healing as your nose will be tender/ sore
Healing time: your septum will take 6-12 months to be considered fully healed. Nose piercing 3-6 months to be considered fully healed.
EYEBROW - BRIDGE / SURFACE PIERCINGS
Do: Clean it twice a day, once in the morning once at night, with clean hands and a cotton swab covered in a sterile saline solution
on each side of your fresh piercing.
Don’t: avoid any makeup or face washes entering the area
What to expect: bridge and eyebrow piercings (surface piercings) are prone to rejecting.
It’s important to downsize your jewellery to avoid catching or ripping your piercing.
There is always a risk of bruising developing around the area as these piercings are done in a sensitive spot.
Icing your piercing can help reduce the chances of this.
Tips: avoid twisting or playing with your piercing to help reduce the chances of keloids or hypertrophic scarring
Healing time: you will want to down size your piercing in the first 6-8 weeks. Your piercing will take 3-6 months to be considered fully healed.
NIPPLE PIERCINGS
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Do: Clean it twice a day, once in the morning once at night with clean hands and a cotton swab covered in a sterile saline solution on both sides.
Don’t: avoid having baths or soaking your piercing for the first month,
Tips: avoid wearing a bra whenever you can. Lace bras or sports bras will get caught on your fresh piercing. It’s recommended to ice your piercing especially if you bump or knock it. Ibuprofen can always be used to reduce swelling.
What to expect: nipples are very prone to creating discharge, a clear or a white discharge is considered normal. A yellow discharge normally means your piercing is irritated and a green discharge typically means an infection.
Healing time: you will want to downsize your jewellery in the first 1-2 months. Avoid putting any kind of ring in your nipple piercing til 3-4 months in. Your piercing should take 6-12 months to be considered fully healed.
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