How to care for your piercing?

CLEANING SOLUTIONS

Mixing your own sea salt solution is no longer a suggested practice from the APP. Mixing your own sea salt solution will commonly result in the product being far too salty and strong, this can over dry the piercing and interfere with healing. We strongly encourage you to use a sterile saline, labeled for use as a wound wash. Your saline ingredients should list 0.9% sodium chloride as the only ingredient (sometimes purified water will be listed). Additives like moisturizers and antibacterials should be avoided, as well as similar sounding products like contact lens saline, nasal spray, or eye drops.


CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS FOR BODY PIERCINGS

WASH your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason.
SPRAY with sterile saline wound wash while healing. Moving or rotating jewelry is not necessary during cleaning/rinsing and may actually irritate the piercing.
DRY with clean, disposable products like gauze or cotton swabs, gentlyremoving any crusty debris or build up. Cloth towels should be avoided as they can harbor bacteria and snag on jewelry.


WHAT IS NORMAL?

Initially: some bleeding, localized swelling, tenderness, or bruising.
During healing: some discoloration, itching, secretion of a whitish-yellow fluid that will form some crust on the jewelry. The tissue may tighten around the jewelry as it heals.
A piercing may seem healed before the healing process is actually complete. This is because this type of wound will heal from the outside to the inside. Although it may feel fine on the outside, the interior could still be fragile. Be patient, and keep the piercing clean throughout the entire healing period.
Once healed: the jewelry may not move freely in the piercing; do not force it. Cleaning your piercings as part of your normal hygiene routine can help them stay clean and avoid having normal, possibly smelly, secretions accumulate.

TIP: Piercings, even healed ones, can shrink or close in minutes, even after having been there for years! This varies from person to person; if you like your piercing, keep jewelry in—do not leave it empty.