Aftercare

So with any piercing to begin with it will be quite swollen, red, maybe a little puffy & tender. In some cases they can also bruise which will  all go down in a few weeks sometimes couple months depending on the person & how well you look after them during this process. If you are worried about anything just contact me. 

➢ Swelling can happen not long after the piercing has been performed or it could even take a couple of days. Swelling  can go up & down within the first few weeks. if you are able you can take anti-inflammatory medicines again which will help & reduce 

➢ I  always recommend & ask you to come back for regular check ups just so I can see how everything is healing & possibly downsize your initial jewellery which will just be  swapping the post for a shorter one, this is to avoid the jewellery migrating (moving from its original position) or  causing irritation. 

➢ Most importantly – Look after yourself! Make sure you are staying hydrated! All this helps aid you to heal a healthy  piercing & can also help to combat swelling. 

➢ Occasionally you may get bleeding & secretion of sticky clear/white/pale yellow fluid (lymph) which is also a normal  body reaction to healing. It can happen throughout the healing process – this will form a crust once dried which is  usually mistaken for infection but is completely natural & shouldn't be picked off as it is protecting the healing  wound. 

 ➢ Minimal touching/trauma to the area will help to minimise swelling – only ever touch your piercing with clean hands,  when cleaning or checking your jewellery attachments. 

➢ ALWAYS REMEMBER to rinse your piercings when you’ve been in the bath or shower, coming in to contact with irritants such as – Soaps, Shampoo’s, Conditioners, Soaps, Bath Bombs, Bleach / Hair Dye, Hair Spray &  Perfumes 

➢ With Facial piercings ALWAYS REMEMBER to do the same when it come to any irritants, such as – Face Masks, Face  Wash, Moisturisers & Make up. Always make sure they are at least 1cm away from the piercing.   

 What to do when cleaning a healing piercing? 

  Here is some step by step cleaning tips using NeilMed!  

➢ Make sure your hands are clean 

➢ Open a fresh sterile gauze packet – I have supplied  

➢ Spray Stericlens/Neilmed/Sterile Saline Solution onto the gauze. 

➢ Then again make sure your hands are clean/ wash your hands thoroughly and always ensure your hands are clean  before touching your piercing! 

➢ Before cleaning your piercing and while your hands are clean, check that your jewellery attachment is secure. For threadless pieces make sure you hold the front & the back & then push together. If internally threaded, righty tighty

 ➢ Take out a piece of saline soaked gauze and wrap it around the piercing area. (For nostril piercings, just soak from the outside.) 

➢ Apply slight pressure for 2-3 minutes, then gently remove. 

➢ Dry the area thoroughly using a handheld fan or a hairdryer on the coolest setting.

 ➢ Clean your piercing as required, up to twice a day but no more.   

 DO NOT use any bottled re seal-able piercing solutions like those from Claire’s Accessories or online. Even though these are marketed as a piercing aftercare solution, they often contain nasty preservatives & they are not sterile, this means that once opened they carry a high risk of causing infection due to growth  of Pseudomona Aeruginosa or Notuberculosis Mycobacteria (NTM). 

➢ Home made salt water solutions should be avoided! 

➢ Don't use Alcohol, harsh substance to a healing piercing. 

➢ DO NOT use Antiseptic preparations such as Savlon cream or spray, TCP, Hydrogen Peroxide, Lavender  oil, Tea tree oil, Dettol,  vagasil, Surgical Spirit etc. – These are very harsh and will cause irritation and delay  healing. While natural oils can be beneficial for skin treatment they are not intended to be used on open wounds,  will cause an adverse reaction and excessive swelling. The only oil recommended for use on healed  piercings and to aid with scar reduction is Vitamin E oil (Bio Oil.) 

➢ DO NOT use contact lens solution or similar to clean your piercing – these contain preservatives and  chemicals not suitable for the skin or intended to be put into open wounds.

➢ DO NOT use any bottled cleaning solution / re-seal bottles which you can buy from Claire’s   

Always Remember! 

  ➢ Be gentle! Ears are very sensitive to knocks, temperature changes, environmental stress, illness, Periods & mental health, causing intermittent  swelling & soreness. 

➢ Avoid touching your piercing at all unless you’re cleaning it or checking the tightness of your attachment. 

➢ NO TWISTING! NO TURNING! NO FIDDLING! NO REMOVING THE JEWELLERY! FIDDLING WITH DIRTY  FINGERS CAUSES INFECTION! ➢ Piercings can sometimes form irritation lumps caused by insufficient blood flow to the area, jewellery irritation or unneeded trauma e.g. fiddling. 

➢ Cartilage piercings can take a minimum of 6 months or longer to heal fully, though it is usually safe to downsize your  jewellery around 4-6 week mark, depending on the person. Some piercings may require more than one downsize  over the course of their healing period, or may even require an up-size in the event of a snag or knock. 

➢ Ear lobe piercings can typically take around 3-6 months to heal with downsizing usually taking place around 2-4  weeks. 

➢ It is completely normal for piercings to flare up occasionally over their healing period. If this happens to your piercing,  return to cleaning twice a day with your chosen saline solution or perform hot chamomile compresses until the  soreness and swelling subsides. 

➢ Use the t-shirt trick: Dress your pillow in a large, clean t-shirt and turn it nightly; one clean t-shirt provides four clean surfaces for sleeping. 

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These neck / doughnut pillows are also a dream for a healing piercing. You can put them in your pillow case or just as they are, just make sure they are clean. These types of pillows are great because they take the pressure off the piercing during healing. This way you are less likely to see any migration & it will reduce any soreness.

➢ Maintain cleanliness of bedding, telephones, headphones, eyeglasses, helmets, hats, and anything that contacts the  pierced area and avoid the use of these items where possible to minimise trauma to the area.   

➢ Use caution when styling your hair and advise your stylist of a new or healing piercing. ➢ Rinse your piercing after using cosmetic items such as hairspray, perfumes/body sprays to avoid residue build up.   

➢ The use of headphone buds should be completely avoided with inner ear piercings like Daith & Tragus to minimise  the potential risk of extra trauma to the area. Headphones are also a breeding ground for bacteria, which poses the  risk of infection  

➢ Avoid wearing clothes that may rest on, rub or catch your piercing as this will delay healing and encourage migration.  This includes high waisted garments, tights and lacy items. 

➢ Avoid using substances like make up, lotions, perfumes, body sprays or fake tan around the piercing area for a  minimum of 3 months to avoid product/residue build up and infection. 

➢ A hard, vented eye patch (sold at pharmacies) can be applied under tight clothing (such as tights or leggings) or  secured using a length of bandage around the body (to avoid irritation from adhesive). This can protect the area from  restrictive clothing, excess irritation, and impact during physical activities such as contact sports. 

➢ AFAB (Assigned Female at Birth) nipple piercings require around 1mm breathing room each side, between the nipple  and attachments. This is to allow for any natural swelling or discharge which can occur around times the immune  system is low or if the wearer is on their period. 

➢ Navel piercings are especially susceptible to irritation lumps as they are in an area that has a lot of movement and is  prone to sweat. While it is advisable to cover your piercing if you are exercising, you must remember to thoroughly  rinse and dry your piercing afterwards to remove any sweat build up, which can cause irritation. 

➢ Nostril piercings can take a minimum of 6 months to heal, so it is advisable to wait a minimum of this long before  fitting a ring. It is usually safe to downsize jewellery between 2 and 6 weeks, depending on the person. ➢ Navel, surface and nipple piercings can take anywhere in the region of 12 months to heal fully and downsizing usually  occurs around the 3-month mark 

· Avoid spicy, hot & food that are strong in citric acids for at least 2 weeks.

· Avoid solid foods for at least two weeks for tongue piercings.

· Avoid smoking/vaping/e-cigarettes for the duration of your healing.

· Maintain good oral /general hygiene.

Brush your teeth twice daily, and use a separate soft bristle brush to clean the plaque off your jewellery as needed, it does build up over time. Avoid alcohol based mouthwashes, and avoid any product that contains whitening agents.