ALL NEW PIERCINGS MAY…

 

• Be sore, swollen, itchy, and/or red

• Exhibit minor bleeding for several days

• Secrete a clear or white or yellowish fluid, which may harden into a “crust” on the surface of the jewelry

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HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR NEW PIERCING.

 

By following the suggested aftercare, your risk of problems can be minimized. In general, most piercing problems are caused by one or several of the following factors:

 

• Touching the piercing with unclean hands.

• Moving, or removing the jewelry.

• Excessive movement of the jewelry. This may also include any pulling, tugging or excessive pressure done too soon.

• Exposure to bacteria and germs through oral contact with another person, as well as contact with bodily fluids, either your own, or another person’s.

• Swimming in or soaking in bodies of water. This includes rivers, lakes, streams, pools and hot tubs. These are areas known to be very high in many forms of bacteria and germs.

• Over-cleaning or use of multiple cleaning agents at one time.

• Wearing jewelry that is not appropriate for your piercing. Ask your piercer for more information about this.

• Contact with hair and cosmetic products or other chemicals commonly used for personal care.

 

All of these factors, if not observed and followed, can lead to irritation, infection or your body’s rejection of your new piercing.

 

Still not sure? give us a call. 

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DO I HAVE AN INFECTION?

It’s normal for a piercing to be tender with a slight redness for the first few days. There’s also a normal secretion that can be whitish-yellow that may be seen during the healing process.The secretion is your body ridding itself of dead skin cells and generating new and healthy tissue.

 

Infections:

When a piercing is infected there are very distinct symptoms. Some of these symptoms may indicate other problems, but generally, you’re looking for:

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• Redness (not slight redness, mentioned above)

• Swelling and or hardness of the piercing site

• Pain and or hot sensation at and around the piercing site

• Thick yellow to green discharge from the piercing

• Intense pain

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Still not sure? give us a call. 

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THE INITIAL DO’S AND DON’TS

If you believe you have an infection, we strongly encourage you to contact your piercer so they can check the site professionally. Often times people mistake a cleaning agent reaction or a friction problem for an infection.

 

Further, you should NEVER take out the jewelry without first consulting either your piercer or your physician.

The infection site is the only route that the infected matter has to leave the body. Removing jewelry from an infected piercing has led to abscesses (a bigger problem) for some people.

We definitely encourage you to seek appropriate medical treatment if you think you should.

We are not physicians and any suggestions we make are based on our professional experience, as well as the experiences of other professionals in the piercing industry. We regularly enlist the advice and support of piercing-aware, friendly medical professionals and encourage you to do the same.

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Still not sure? give us a call. 

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IS MY BODY REJECTING MY NEW PIERCING?

All piercings can reject, although some have a much higher incidence than others. Although no pain is usually present, other signs you might observe are;

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• An enlargement of the opening of the piercing. A discharge of clear fluid

• A rash or excessive itching.

• A significant increase in the amount of jewelry that is visible outside of the piercing, or the ability to see the jewelry through the skin.

 

If any of these signs are present there are several things that can be done:

Often a simple change in cleansing agents is all that is needed or a different style of jewelry may stop this action.

Not every body will accept every piercing.

Contact your professional piercer as they will best be able to assist you quickly and appropriately.

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HOW SHOULD I CLEAN MY PIERCING?

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• Before cleaning any piercing sites, the first thing that you should do is to wash your hands using an antibacterial soap. Use a product designed specifically for hand washing only! These can be found at your local grocery store, are not expensive should be in the form of a pump dispenser. Read the labels carefully as not all pump soaps are antibacterial and some will be too harsh for your skin. We suggest that you avoid those products with fragrances, dyes or other additives and chemicals.

• Keep the piercing area clean. Your piercer will go over what they like using and we have aftercare products for sale in our store for your convenience.

• When you’re not cleaning the piercing, according to your piercer’s instructions, leave it alone.

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WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO HELP MY PIERCING HEAL?

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• Eat a healthy diet and observe good hygiene habits.

• Some people with new piercings have found the addition of a multi-vitamin as well as Vitamin C has helped in their healing processes.

• Follow the aftercare instructions given and use the recommended products as directed.

• DO NOT USE PRODUCTS SUCH AS BETADINE SURGICAL SCRUB, ISOPROPYL RUBBING ALCOHOL, HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, OR OTHER PRODUCTS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN SUGGESTED BY YOUR PIERCING PROFESSIONAL. These can actually slow the healing process and lead to complications for some people.