Aftercare

 

Quick guide on everyday care


With super clean hands spray sterile saline, we recommend Neilmed on your piercing. Leave for a minute or so then wipe off gently using a pointed cotton bud\applicator\swab.

I like to recommend leaving the spray near your toothbrush. First, spray saline onto your new piercing, then after brushing your teeth, gently wipe it off.


Shower water is also good for loosening any ‘crusty bits’ 


Make sure piercing is completely dry after cleaning.


Please do not sleep on your new piercing. Use a clean travel pillow or a piercing pillow. (Kids or big kids, you can even sleep in a clean teddies armpit, or on their bum!)


What’s normal


A fresh piercing may, swell, bruise be red and tender and could bleed if knocked or slept on.

Your piercing can bleed on and off during the first few weeks and will excrete white/pale yellow fluid. This is lymph and it completely normal, it’s the same material our bodies make to form a scab. Try not to pick at it! 


A sign of infection is if the fluid is green and smelly, the surrounding area, (not just your piercing) is red and swollen, and you may also feel unwell.


Long Jewellery


We will always use jewellery that is too long for the initial piercing. This is to allow for some swelling, which is normal. 


Once the swelling had gone down, and the piercing has settled down, usually between 6-8 weeks, please book in for a bar shrink. This is where we replace the longer labret (bit through your ear) for a shorter one.


This is a really important part of the piercing process as the longer labret bar will irritate if left if for too long. Having the jewellery fit properly so that movement is kept to a minimum will help with healing times.



Please Read


Please don’t use the following on your piercings:


Dettol

TCP

Hydrogen Peroxide

Savlon 

Surgical spirit

Tea tree

Lavender oil

Any kind of alcohol 

Contact lens solutions 


All these products are too strong and will more than likely cause irritation and delay healing, even if watered down. They are not made for everyday use on the skin.


Also, please avoid ‘piercing solutions’ like the bottles sold in Claires. While these are sold as aftercare products, they are not sterile and often have other preservatives in them which can irritate. 


General tips to help your piercing


Don’t twist/turn/push/pull your jewellery. Doing this can drag dirt and bacteria into your piercing, or damage the skin whilst its healing. Only gently clean the front and back of your piercing.


If your jewellery moves while you are cleaning it, that’s fine.


Shower water is beneficial to you new piercing, but don’t soak it in the bath.


Do not get any cosmetics on your piercing, for example: 

Moisturisers, fake tan, deodorant, make up, hair spray/gel etc. They will irritate your new piercing. 


Don’t go swimming whist your new piercing is healing, shared water can lead to infection. 


If clothes are covering your piercing, make sure they are loose fitting and clean. 


For ear piercings, please use a clean pillow case every day, and/or a clean travel pillow.


Try not to lie on your new piercings, use a travel pillow or a ‘piercing pillow’ if you find you keep waking up on that side, this will help with the healing process and will reduce the risk of your piercing migrating.


Please clean glasses arms. 


Navel piercings, avoid high waisted items of clothing, and abdominal workouts for a few weeks.


Nipple piercings, please use clean bed sheets or loose clean night clothes every night.



Lumps and Bumps



Bumps are common and usually occur when the piercing is irritated, this can be caused by:


*Touching/playing with the jewellery

*Make up and skin/hair care products

*Using your phone 

*Clothing catching/rubbing the new piercing

*Trauma caused to the area eg; catching/snagging/bumping

*headphones, hats, masks etc

*sleeping on your new piercings.

*not drying your piercing properly after cleaning.


At the first sign of a bump, use a pointed cotton bud/swab saturated in Neilmed, gently press onto the bump or one minute twice a day, this will encourage it to settle. Alternatively you can use a hot compress/chamomile compress, see below for more details.


Chamomile or hot salt water compress


If you have a lump/bump or your new piercing has swollen, or if you just want to give your new piercing a helping hand, a hot compress is a great way to settle it down. It encourages lymphatic drainage and will help out any dirt, hair or skin products that may have found their way into your piercing.




Salt water compress


You can use Neilmed or the sterile saline single use pods. Please don’t mix your own salt water. This is no longer recommend as there are too many variables and too much room for error. You could be doing your piercing more harm than good. 

Spray the Nielmed or saline solution into a super clean cup, pop a plate on top to prevent too much water escaping, or the solution will be too salty. Warm up in the microwave until hot. With really clean hands, saturate some sterile gauze (you can buy from a pharmacy or amazon etc) with the saline and, making sure its hot but not scalding, wrap round the piercing and applying a gentle pressure. Keep on until gauze is cold, then repeat. 

Do this everyday for at least two weeks.


Chamomile compress


Please use 100% chamomile tea bags.

Chamomile is a cheap and simple way to sooth a troubled piercing. Chamomile is natural, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and is soothing which makes it a perfect hot compress substance. That coupled with the fact you can get it in tea bags makes this compress method quick and easy.


Pop a chamomile tea bag in some freshly boiled water, I like to leave a quarter of the bag out the water, it makes it easier to fish it out. Give it a minute to infuse and warm up. With very clean hands, carefully take the tea bag out, I like to hold it over the sink and give it a second to cool slightly. Flatten out the tea in the bag and place it round your piercing. Make sure you don’t hold it too tightly, a gentle pressure is perfect. Hold until the tea has gone cold. Repeat. 

Do this once a day, for at least two weeks. It is important that you keep up with the compresses, that’s when you’ll see the most benefit. I also have a chamomile compress how to video in my highlights on my instagram bio.


Hope this information is helpful. Please feel free to get in touch if you'd like any further advice. Or you can book a piercing heath check with me and pop into the studio for me to have a look.


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