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How to care for your new piercing printable version
- The most important way to avoid infection is to not touch your fresh wound with dirty fingers.
- Always wash your hands before touching your piercing, only touch to clean it and never allow anyone else to touch your piercing for the duration of the healing process.
- It is crucial that you do not allow your piercing to come into contact with anyone else's body fluids during the healing period.
- Your new piercing may bleed a small amount during the first two days. As with any puncture wound, this is normal. Consult your piercer if you have any concerns.
- Your piercing may be swollen or tender for 12 - 14 days after the date you were pierced. Consult your piercer immediately if the pierced tissue swells more than the jewelry can accommodate.
- Most piercings will exude a whitish discharge. This discharge consists of dead white blood cells, and is a sign of healing, not of infection. Discharge from an infected piercing will be green in colour. Consult your piercer for assessment if you believe you have an infection.
- For the duration of the healing period, avoid using any harsh chemicals on or around your piercing. Never put any makeup, cosmetic creams or perfumes on or near your piercing.
- Do not use perfumed soap to wash your piercing. Only use mild, unscented soap with NO antibacterial agents.
- Do not swim for the first month of healing. Public pools carry either many other peoples bacteria or very high levels of chlorine, which will cause serious irritation to your piercing. Most lake and ocean water is polluted with industrial chemicals, and many communities drain their sewage into their lakes. Neither of these is healthy for you or your piercing.
- While you are healing your piercing do not wear anything tight or constrictive over it. If your piercing is in an area normally covered by clothes, try to wear loose fitting natural fiber clothes as much as possible. Your wound needs oxygen to heal properly, and to help prevent the growth of bacteria.
- Sweat in your piercing may irritate it. You can clean your piercing after sweating with Sea Salt solution, or plain water.
- A piercing is a minor surgical procedure. While healing a piercing be sure to get plenty of rest and eat healthy nutritious food to aid your immune system and healing process.
- Never Use Polysporin On Your Piercing.
- Never use hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, or any products containing chlorohexidine gluconate to heal your piercing.
- Peroxide destroys developing tissue, inhibiting healing.
- Alcohol dehydrates tissue and promotes swelling.
- Chlorohexidine gluconate can cause blindness or deafness.
