your piercer has just spent a whopping 5 minutes piercing you...now comes the hard part!
Your piercing was done safely, so now it’s up to you! New piercings should be handled as little as possible, except when cleaning. Less is better when healing a piercing: over-cleaning can be as bad as not cleaning at all.
Wash your piercing twice a day (morning and evening) but NOT more often. Do not touch (spin or rotate) your jewellery. Use Spectro Jel or a mild salt water solution (recipe below) to clean with and to gently remove any crust on the jewellery or on the skin.
Do not use rubbing alcohol, peroxide, bactine or other harsh cleansers. Apply salt-water or soap with a q-tip and rinse with water. Stay out of pools and hot-tubs etc for at least 2 weeks, to avoid bacterial infections.
Here is a guide to piercing aftercare of some common piercings:
sea salt solution recipe
Soaking a piercing in a sea salt solution can help with healing. Dissolve 1/2 tsp of sea salt in 1 cup of warm water. Table salt can also be used. Apply once or twice a day with a cotton pad or swab, or place the glass around the piercing and soak. Rinse with clean water when done. Be aware, salt solution can dry the skin if used too frequently, so don’t over do it. Rule of thumb: the salt solution should be as salty as your tears, no more.
ear cartilage care
- Healing Time 3 - 12 months, depending on the amount of cartilage pierced
- Do not touch your piercing with unwashed hands
- Do not let others touch it while it is healing
- Clean your healing piercing once a day only, using antibacterial soap
- Wash and dry your hair before piercing, and frequently thereafter
- Never use alcohol swabs, Betadine, hydrogen peroxide or tea tree oil to clean your piercing
- Pain, redness and unusual discharge may be due to infection. Consult your piercer or a physician if you develop any of these symptoms
- Take vitamin C and zinc to maximise your healing
- Wait till your piercing is healed before changing jewelry yourself
eyebrow care
- Do not touch your piercing, or let others touch it while it is healing
- Healing Time 6 - 8 weeks
- Clean your healing piercing only once a day, with antibacterial soap
- Never use alcohol swabs, Betadine, hydrogen peroxide, or tea tree oil to clean your piercing
- Clean your healing piercing only once a day, with antibacterial soap
- Never use alcohol swabs, Betadine, hydrogen peroxide or tea tree oil to clean your piercing
- Pain, redness and unusual discharge may be due to infection. Consult your piercer or a physician if you develop any of these symptoms
- Take vitamin C and zinc to maximise your healing
labret care
- Avoid putting anything dirty in your mouth and refrain from kissing and oral sex till the piercing is healed
- Cold foods are best at first (e.g. ice-cream)
- Don't play with the piercing excessively, let it heal
- Never use alcohol swabs, Betadine, hydrogen peroxide, or tea tree oil to clean your piercing
- Take vitamin C and zinc to maximise your healing
- Never use alcohol swabs, Betadine, hydrogen peroxide or tea tree oil to clean your piercing
- To minimise swelling in the first few days, suck on ice-cubes and antibacterial/anti-inflammatory throat lozenges, and try not to talk too much
- Take vitamin C and zinc to maximise your healing
naval care (belly button)
- Do not touch your piercing, or let others touch it while it is healing
- Healing Time 6 months to a 1 years
- Clean your healing piercing only once a day, with antibacterial soap
- Never use alcohol swabs, Betadine, hydrogen peroxide, or tea tree oil to clean your piercing
- Clean your healing piercing only once a day, with antibacterial soap
- Never use alcohol swabs, Betadine, hydrogen peroxide or tea tree oil to clean your piercing
- Pain, redness and unusual discharge may be due to infection. Consult your piercer or a physician if you develop any of these symptoms
- Take vitamin C and zinc to maximise your healing
nipple care
- Healing Time 2 months, depending on the amount of cartilage pierced
- Do not touch your piercing with unwashed hands
- Do not let others touch it while it is healing
- Clean your healing piercing once a day only, using antibacterial soap
- Wash and dry your hair before piercing, and frequently thereafter
- Never use alcohol swabs, Betadine, hydrogen peroxide or tea tree oil to clean your piercing
- Pain, redness and unusual discharge may be due to infection. Consult your piercer or a physician if you develop any of these symptoms
- Take vitamin C and zinc to maximise your healing
- Wait till your piercing is healed before changing jewelry yourself
nostrils care
- Healing Time 3 - 12 months, depending on the amount of cartilage pierced
- Don't even think of having nose piercings done with a piercing gun
- Do not let others touch it while it is healing
- Clean your healing piercing once a day only, using antibacterial soap
- Wash and dry your hair before piercing, and frequently thereafter
- Never use alcohol swabs, Betadine, hydrogen peroxide or tea tree oil to clean your piercing
- Pain, redness and unusual discharge may be due to infection. Consult your piercer or a physician if you develop any of these symptoms
- Take vitamin C and zinc to maximise your healing
- Wait till your piercing is healed before changing jewelry yourself
septum care
- Healing Time 3 - 12 months, depending on the amount of cartilage pierced
- Don't even think of having nose piercings done with a piercing gun
- Do not let others touch it while it is healing
- Clean your healing piercing once a day only, using antibacterial soap
- Wash and dry your hair before piercing, and frequently thereafter
- Never use alcohol swabs, Betadine, hydrogen peroxide or tea tree oil to clean your piercing
- Pain, redness and unusual discharge may be due to infection. Consult your piercer or a physician if you develop any of these symptoms
- Take vitamin C and zinc to maximise your healing
- Wait till your piercing is healed before changing jewelry yourself
tongue care
- Comfortable: 3 days to 2 weeks
- Healing Time: 6 Months
- Rinse frequently with warm salty water.
- Avoid putting anything dirty in your mouth and refrain from kissing during the healing phase.
- Never leave your jewelry out for more than a few hours during the first 6 months - the piercing may close.
- To minimise swelling in the first few days, suck on ice-cubes and antibacterial/anti-inflammatory throat lozenges, and try not to talk too much
- Take vitamin C and zinc to maximise your healing
tragus care
- Healing Time 3 - 12 months, depending on the amount of cartilage pierced
- Don't even think of having nose piercings done with a piercing gun
- Do not let others touch it while it is healing
- Clean your healing piercing once a day only, using antibacterial soap
- Wash and dry your hair before piercing, and frequently thereafter
- Never use alcohol swabs, Betadine, hydrogen peroxide or tea tree oil to clean your piercing
- Pain, redness and unusual discharge may be due to infection. Consult your piercer or a physician if you develop any of these symptoms
- Take vitamin C and zinc to maximise your healing
- Wait till your piercing is healed before changing jewelry yourself