How to look after your new piercings....
You've just spent money on a nice new piercing so now you need to look after it to make sure you don't suffer from infection or complications! You'll be happy to know that it's pretty simple to look after a new piercing but you must follow the instructions so that your piercing stays nice and happy.
There are separate pages for Piercing Complications and Do's and Don'ts.
There are separate pages for Piercing Complications and Do's and Don'ts.
GENERAL Skin Piercings (Ears, Nose, Eyebrows, Bridge, Nipples, Navel and Dermals)
What you will need: Cotton Wool balls, Sterile Saline Solution (Sea Salt solution or Tea Tree solution can also be made at home)
Cleaning Frequency: Twice daily for 4 weeks and then once a day for 2-4 weeks.
USING STERILE SALINE: If you are using a pre-mixed Sterile Saline solution such as Neil Med Aftercare sold in my studio, it is very easy as all you need to do is gently clean the piercing using warm water and a cotton wool ball and then spray the piercing site with a 2-3 second blast of the saline spray. After spraying with saline, pat the area dry with a clean piece of paper towel to avoid the risk of bacteria settling in the miost warm space letft after cleaning.
MAKING YOUR OWN SALT SOLUTION: Using a small glass or bowl mix up a solution made from one cup of pre-boiled warm water and 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt. Table Salt does not suffice for this process. Be careful not to use too much salt. Too much salt in a cleaning mix is one of the biggest reasons why new piercings become irritated. Both salt and water must be carefully measured which is why it is often easier to buy pre-mixed saline. The water needs to be as warm as you can stand without burning you. Dip a cotton wool ball into the solution and use it to clean the piercing by gently rubbing the area clean on both sides of the piercing. Be as gentle as you need to be but don't be afraid to be thorough. If you are cleaning multiple piercings, use a separate cotton ball for each piercing.
MAKING YOUR OWN TEA TREE SOLUTION: Tea Tree Oil can be readily purchased from most chemists or Herbalist shops but due to it's potency, it is recommended to wait until your piercing has settled for a couple of weeks before bringing it into your aftercare routine. Simply add 1-2 drops of Tea Tree Oil into one cup of pre-boiled water and follow the same process as described above.
Cleaning Frequency: Twice daily for 4 weeks and then once a day for 2-4 weeks.
USING STERILE SALINE: If you are using a pre-mixed Sterile Saline solution such as Neil Med Aftercare sold in my studio, it is very easy as all you need to do is gently clean the piercing using warm water and a cotton wool ball and then spray the piercing site with a 2-3 second blast of the saline spray. After spraying with saline, pat the area dry with a clean piece of paper towel to avoid the risk of bacteria settling in the miost warm space letft after cleaning.
MAKING YOUR OWN SALT SOLUTION: Using a small glass or bowl mix up a solution made from one cup of pre-boiled warm water and 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt. Table Salt does not suffice for this process. Be careful not to use too much salt. Too much salt in a cleaning mix is one of the biggest reasons why new piercings become irritated. Both salt and water must be carefully measured which is why it is often easier to buy pre-mixed saline. The water needs to be as warm as you can stand without burning you. Dip a cotton wool ball into the solution and use it to clean the piercing by gently rubbing the area clean on both sides of the piercing. Be as gentle as you need to be but don't be afraid to be thorough. If you are cleaning multiple piercings, use a separate cotton ball for each piercing.
MAKING YOUR OWN TEA TREE SOLUTION: Tea Tree Oil can be readily purchased from most chemists or Herbalist shops but due to it's potency, it is recommended to wait until your piercing has settled for a couple of weeks before bringing it into your aftercare routine. Simply add 1-2 drops of Tea Tree Oil into one cup of pre-boiled water and follow the same process as described above.
Oral Piercings (Tongue, Lip and Cheek)
What you will need: Dental mouthwash, sterile saline, warm water.
Cleaning Frequency: Twice daily for 3 weeks and once daily for a further 3 weeks.
The inside of your mouth is the second quickest part of your body to heal. All you need to do is clean the inside of the mouth using mouthwash. Using sea salt solution inside trhe mouth is not recommended. When you have eaten a meal or drunk anything which isn't water, rinse your mouth out with tap water to avoid the spread of bacteria and to help rinse food debris away from the piercing site. If you have had your tongue pierced, you should be able to change the bar for a shorter one within 10-14 days. Try to avoid smoking...if this is impossible then at least try to cut down for the first 7-10 days.
To clean the exterior of your piercing (in the case of lip or cheek piercings) use sterile saline or sea salt solution as described in the earlier paragraph.
Cleaning Frequency: Twice daily for 3 weeks and once daily for a further 3 weeks.
The inside of your mouth is the second quickest part of your body to heal. All you need to do is clean the inside of the mouth using mouthwash. Using sea salt solution inside trhe mouth is not recommended. When you have eaten a meal or drunk anything which isn't water, rinse your mouth out with tap water to avoid the spread of bacteria and to help rinse food debris away from the piercing site. If you have had your tongue pierced, you should be able to change the bar for a shorter one within 10-14 days. Try to avoid smoking...if this is impossible then at least try to cut down for the first 7-10 days.
To clean the exterior of your piercing (in the case of lip or cheek piercings) use sterile saline or sea salt solution as described in the earlier paragraph.
Genital Piercings (Male and Female)
What you will need: Tea Tree Oil, warm water
Cleaning Frequency: 3 times daily and a tea tree bath every other day (if desired)
Your genitals are the quickest part of your body to heal following a piercing. It's a resilient part of your body which is used to bacteria and rarely presents any complications during healing provided that good aftercare and personal hygiene are maintained. For basic cleaning, fill a shot glass with water and add 2 drops of neat tea tree oil. Dip a cotton wool ball or bud into the solution and squeeze it to allow the solution to run over your piercing whilst you massage the cotton gently on your piercing. Move the jewellery around a little to allow the solution to rinse through the piercing.
If you like to take a bath, just add 10 drops of neat tea tree oil to a normal bath and bathe every other day for 5-10 minutes. Tea Tree Oil is a very strong natural antiseptic and this will serve as a soak. Adding the oil to the bathwater reduces the risk of infection which would normally be associated with bathing but it is not recommended to spend too long in the bath!
Do not engage in oral (as a recipient) or unprotected sex for 3-4 weeks following your piercing. Penetrative sex in general is fine but will be uncomfortable whilst the piercing is very new. Men in particular are advised to wait for 3-4 weeks but let your body be the judge.
Cleaning Frequency: 3 times daily and a tea tree bath every other day (if desired)
Your genitals are the quickest part of your body to heal following a piercing. It's a resilient part of your body which is used to bacteria and rarely presents any complications during healing provided that good aftercare and personal hygiene are maintained. For basic cleaning, fill a shot glass with water and add 2 drops of neat tea tree oil. Dip a cotton wool ball or bud into the solution and squeeze it to allow the solution to run over your piercing whilst you massage the cotton gently on your piercing. Move the jewellery around a little to allow the solution to rinse through the piercing.
If you like to take a bath, just add 10 drops of neat tea tree oil to a normal bath and bathe every other day for 5-10 minutes. Tea Tree Oil is a very strong natural antiseptic and this will serve as a soak. Adding the oil to the bathwater reduces the risk of infection which would normally be associated with bathing but it is not recommended to spend too long in the bath!
Do not engage in oral (as a recipient) or unprotected sex for 3-4 weeks following your piercing. Penetrative sex in general is fine but will be uncomfortable whilst the piercing is very new. Men in particular are advised to wait for 3-4 weeks but let your body be the judge.