Soft tissue and cartilage piercing.

1. Wash your hands thoroughly with liquid antibacterial or antimicrobial soap.

2. Place a pinch of sea salt in a cup of boiled water.

3. If possible, invert the cup right over the piercing and allow it to stay there for 2 minutes. This usually works well for nipple and navel piercings. If you can’t create a sufficient seal against the skin with the cup, then soak a cotton ball in the salt water solution and apply itto the piercing. Keep doing that two to three times a day until the piercing is healed.

4. Soap no more than once or twice a day. While showering, lather up a pearl size drop of the antibacterial soap to clean the jewellery and the piercing. Leave the cleanser on the piercing no more than thirty seconds, then rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of the soap from the piercing. Dry with disposable paper products such as gauze or tissues, because cloth towels can harbour bacteria and catch on new piercings causing injury. Pat gently to avoid trauma

5. Do not soak your piercing in water. Try to shower rather than bathe.

6. Avoid swimming pools, sunbeds or prolonged direct sunlight, and excessive sweating.
For lip and cheek piercings, also see the “Oral piercings” section.

Oral piercings

1. Fill a cup of boiled water with a pinch of sea salt, stirring until it is dissolved. Then, rinse your mouth for approximately 15 seconds. Do this two to three times a day.

2. Mouthwash rinses should be performed after eating, smoking or drinking anything other than bottled water.

3. During the healing process, hot and spicy foods and dairy products should be avoided.

4. Should the swelling occur, ice proves very helpful. For those who are extremely sensitive, an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen can help reduce swelling and pain.

It is important to brush your teeth three times daily while your piercing is healing. Brushing your teeth will cut down on the amount of bacteria and food particles in your mouth. It is suggested that you purchase a new soft-bristle toothbrush to use during the initial healing period. Also, plaque (a white crusty shell) will begin to build up on your jewellery, you should gently brush it daily if you want to prevent this from happening.

Additional tips

Remember: A piercing is a wound. Consequently, you should expect tenderness, swelling, discolouration, and possibly bruising, bleeding, and itching. Also, a natural part of the process for healing, any wound includes the secretion of a white-yellow fluid (containing dead cells and blood plasma). This fluid will dry and form crust on your jewellery.

Never touch your piercing without first washing your hands with anti-bacterial/microbial soap. This is a great way to avoid infections even after your piercing is healed.

Do not use petroleum-based ointments, peroxide, alcohol. These substances can hinder and prolong the healing process.

Always wear loose and clean clothing around your new piercing. Tight or unclean clothing can irritate or infect the piercing, possibly causing it to migrate.

Do not engage in rough activity that may threaten your piercing. Intense friction and pulling on a fresh piercing is a common way to trigger migration, a process in which the body “pushes” the jewellery out of the body.

Do not expose your fresh piercing to oral contact or other bodily fluids. Use protective barriers such as condoms, even if you are in a monogamous relationship.

Do not expose your piercing to cosmetics such as make-up, hair styling products, lotion, etc.

Cosmetics contain many different ingredients and can cause irritation and infection.

Drink plenty of fluids. 8-10 glasses of bottled or purified water every day is a good way to keep your body hydrated.

Try not to sleep on your new piercing. This will cause irritation and prolong the healing process.

Replace your bedding with clean sets of sheets, blankets, and pillow-cases as much as possible during the healing period.

Do not leave jewellery out of a piercing for too long! Even healed piercings can shrink or close in minutes after having been there for years! This varies from person to person; if you like your piercing, leave the jewellery in place.