Don't Touch It

Q: How do I take care of my new piercing? - Sheree

​A: There are many schools of thought as to how best to approach piercing aftercare. This problem is expanded even further because of the availability of mis-information from unverifiable sources online, many of which will not only lead to problems while healing and some are downright dangerous. How is one expected to know what to trust?

The best approach is also the most simple. Understanding the big picture in healing terms will help guide you towards trusted information.

A “piercing” can be simply described a foreign object (jewelry) inside of a puncture wound. This is an unnatural healing task for the body to perform and rather challenging.

Irritation on a fresh piercing will generally lead to two outcomes. The body can reject the jewelry, migrating and slowly pushing it out of the body resulting in a scar. Or, the body can build tissue around the jewelry to absorb the irritation. This comes in the form of unsightly bumps and bubbles. Proper aftercare techniques should focus on reducing instances of irritation as much as possible.

Major contributions to the irritation of a new piercing are harsh soaks, rinses, twisting, turning, and foreign chemicals. These are all too damaging for the sensitive new cells that are trying to build around this jewelry. Ultimately we are trying to convince the body that this foreign object is supposed to be there.

You do not need to clean the actual piercing, as the body flushes piercings and cleans them naturally on its own. As the body heals it releases a discharge that collects on the entrance and exit of the jewelry. This will have a similar consistency and color as the discharge found in the corner of your eyes upon waking up in the morning.  

In order to clean this discharge effectively and safely, you should use sterile saline. We recommend "H2Ocean Healing Ocean". Sterile saline, is isotonic and has the same salinity ph as the human body. To use properly, spray your piercing with the solution allowing it to soak into the discharge that has accumulated on the jewelry for thirty seconds. Then gently remove the discharge with sterile gauze and pat dry. This process should be done while working to limit contact with the  entrance and exit of the piercing itself. You are effectively trying to clean the jewelry, not the piercing. This process is done twice a day for the full healing term.

“What about infection?” Simply minimizing the exposure to bacteria (hands, dirty bedding, other people, bodies of water. etc) will reduce your chances of contracting an infection. Be sure not to rotate the jewelry back and forth during the healing process. This will introduce bacteria inside your body and irritate the piercing. You want to wash the area and keep it clean.. But just like your eye, you wash around your eye, not in your eye.

Taking care of yourself is also important when taking care of a new piercing. Your health can contribute a great deal to the healing process, as a healthy body heals better. Drinking plenty of water and eating a balanced diet is always a great idea. Remember, this is an unnatural challenge for the body.

Keep it simple: Avoid germs, flush it, don’t touch it, and create a happy environment for your piercing. Happy healing!

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