After Care 

Simple Steps for Successful Healing

Congratulations on your new piercing! To ensure proper healing and prevent complications, please follow these simple guidelines:

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WHAT TO DO:

1. Gentle Cleansing: Wash your piercing no more than twice a day with a non-scented, dye-free cleaning product. The best time to do this is usually in the shower, allowing for thorough rinsing of all soap and debris.

2. Soothing Warm Water Soaks: You can soak your piercing with warm water only as often as you can. This can help soothe and cleanse the area.

3. Keep it Clean: Always wash your hands thoroughly before touching your piercing or the surrounding area.

4. Leave it Alone: Avoid touching or playing with your piercing except when you are cleaning it.

5. Maintain Initial Jewelry: Please keep your original starter jewelry in for the entire minimum initial healing period.

6. Bead Changes Welcome: You are welcome to change the beads or ends on your jewelry 8 weeks after a new piercing. Or any time after a healed piercing. This applies to all types of threaded or threadless ends.

7. Keep Jewelry In: Even well-healed piercings can shrink quickly if jewelry is removed. If you need to remove your jewelry and cannot reinsert it, please bring it to the studio in a clean plastic bag or container, and we will do our best to assist you. Unbagged jewelry poses a risk of contamination.

8. Temporary Retainers: If your piercing needs to be temporarily removed for medical procedures, we can insert a biocompatible retainer made of materials like glass, PTFE, or Tygon® medical tubing. Please remember these are for temporary wear only and should be replaced with your regular jewelry as soon as possible.

9. Clean Bedding: Ensure your bedding is clean and change it frequently during the healing process.

10. Breathable Clothing: Wear clean, comfortable, and breathable fabrics around your piercing.

11. Healthy Lifestyle: Getting enough sleep, eating a nutritious diet, and avoiding undue stress, recreational drugs, and excessive alcohol will significantly aid your body's natural healing process.

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WHAT NOT TO DO:

1. Avoid Over-Cleaning: Cleaning more than twice a day can irritate your piercing and prolong healing.

2. Use Single-Use Drying Materials: Do not dry your piercing with reusable materials like face cloths, as they can harbor bacteria.

3. No Fibrous Materials: Avoid using cotton balls, Q-tips, or tissues, as the fibers can snag on your piercing.

4. Do Not Rotate Jewelry: Rotating your jewelry is outdated advice and can cause irritation, bleeding, and tissue damage.

5. Avoid Triclosan Soaps: Do not use soaps containing Triclosan (like Dial), as this can be harsh on your piercing.

6. No Topical Products: Do not apply moisturizers, makeup, ointments, or similar products on or around your new piercing, as they can cause irritation.

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COMMON SOURCES OF IRRITATION TO AVOID:

• Sleeping on Your Piercing: This can lead to "irritation bumps" (often mistakenly called "keloids"). These bumps are usually not keloids or infected but can cause migration or rejection of your piercing. Please avoid sleeping directly on your new piercing. If you develop a lump or bump, please visit us for advice.

• Dirty Hands or Saliva: Avoid touching your piercing with unwashed hands or allowing saliva to contact it before it is fully healed.

• Harsh Cleaning Agents: DO NOT use antibacterial soaps, alcohol, peroxide, or ointments on your piercing, as these can damage the tissue.

• Prematurely Stopping Aftercare: Continue your cleaning routine for the entire recommended healing period.

• Applying Topical Products: Avoid makeup, moisturizers, and similar products on or near the healing piercing.

• Playing with Jewelry: Refrain from twisting, turning, or excessive movement of your jewelry before the piercing is healed.

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We are always happy to inspect your piercing, offer advice, and help in any way we can. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns!

Following Up on Your Piercing Journey

 

Whether your healing process is going smoothly or if you're encountering some challenges, staying in touch with your technician is key to a successful outcome.

 

We strongly recommend scheduling a "Check-up Appointment" approximately 8 to 12 weeks after your piercing procedure.

 

During this appointment, you will meet with your technician again, who will:

• Evaluate your healing progress to ensure everything is on track.

• Address any concerns or questions you may have about your piercing.

• Determine if a jewelry adjustment is needed. This may include upsizing or downsizing your jewelry for optimal comfort and long-term health of your piercing. This adjustment can often be done during the check-up or at a subsequent appointment.

• Provide personalized aftercare tips and guidance based on your individual healing.

• Offer jewelry fitting advice and take measurements if a change in style or size is recommended.

 

Your communication is vital. We rely on your feedback or this check-up appointment to understand how your piercing is healing. Without direct contact or this evaluation, we cannot accurately assess your progress or provide timely support.

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We understand that you may receive information from various sources, which can sometimes be confusing or conflicting.

 

That's why we emphasize the importance of adhering to a simple aftercare routine and maintaining direct contact with the technician who performed your piercing.

 

We are the most familiar with your specific procedure and can offer the most relevant and effective guidance throughout your healing journey.

 

Please don't hesitate to reach out to schedule your check-up appointment or contact us with any questions or concerns you may have before then.

 

We are here to support you every step of the way!

Simple Steps for Successful Healing

Congratulations on your new piercing! To ensure proper healing and prevent complications, please follow these simple guidelines:

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WHAT TO DO:

1. Stay Healthy! Support your body's natural healing abilities by eating nutritious foods, staying well-hydrated, getting plenty of quality sleep, and practicing good general hygiene, especially frequent handwashing.

2. Rinse After Everything: Rinse your mouth thoroughly with a non-alcohol-based mouthwash every time you eat, drink (anything other than plain water), or smoke.

3. External Cleansing (for lip/cheek piercings): For the outside of your lip or cheek piercing, gently wash the area no more than twice a day with a non-scented, dye-free cleaning product. You can also soak the external piercing with warm water only as often as you like for soothing relief.

4. Boost Your Immune System: A strong immune system helps your body heal. Focus on a balanced diet, hydration, and sufficient rest.

5. Consider Alternatives to Smoking: If you smoke, consider switching to an e-cigarette that uses water vapor mixed with nicotine to minimize the drying and damaging effects of cigarette smoke on your new piercing, especially during the initial healing weeks. Try to reduce smoking as much as possible.

6. Keep the Inside Clean: For lip, cheek, oral web, or tongue piercings, use a non-alcohol-based mouthwash to clean the inside of your mouth after eating, drinking, or smoking. Avoid alcohol-based mouthwashes as they can dry out your piercing and delay healing.

7. Careful Brushing and Flossing: Be gentle when brushing your teeth, especially around your new piercing. Avoid bumping your toothbrush into it or snagging it with dental floss.

8. Minimize Trauma: Avoid excessive talking and playing with your jewelry to prevent irritation, excess scar tissue, increased risk of infection, and potential migration or other complications.

9. Downsize Your Jewelry: Your initial jewelry is longer to accommodate swelling. Once the swelling subsides, it's important to downsize to a shorter barbell or smaller diameter ring to prevent rubbing against your teeth and gums, irritation while eating, and potential damage to your teeth or piercing.

 

WHAT NOT TO DO:

1. Avoid Alcohol and Aspirin: During the first week or so, you may experience some minor bleeding. Alcohol and aspirin can thin your blood, making it harder for clots to form. It's best to avoid both.

2. No Alcohol-Based Mouthwash: As mentioned before, alcohol-based mouthwash can dry out your piercing, delay healing, and increase the risk of infection.

3. Don't Play With Your Jewelry: Playing with your piercing can damage your teeth and gums, lead to excessive scar tissue, cause migration or rejection, and introduce bacteria, increasing the risk of infection.

4. Avoid Kissing and Oral Sex: Refrain from open-mouth kissing and oral sex to avoid introducing other people's bacteria to your healing piercing.

5. Don't Chew on Foreign Objects: Avoid biting your nails, chewing on tobacco, pencils, pens, or other foreign objects that can introduce bacteria into your mouth.

6. Don't Share Food, Drinks, or Utensils: Sharing can expose you to other people's bacteria, increasing the risk of infection.

7. Don't Change Jewelry Prematurely: It's crucial to wait until your piercing is fully healed before changing your jewelry, unless it becomes too tight due to swelling or you experience an allergic reaction. In these cases, consult your piercer.

8. Avoid Submerging in Dirty Water: Do not swim in pools, soak in hot tubs, or submerge your healing piercing in other bodies of water due to the bacteria they may contain. Even chlorinated pools can be irritating.

9. Don't Apply Creams, Oils, or Balms Externally: Avoid applying creams, oils, or balms to the outside of lip or cheek piercings, as they can cause irritation.

 

IDENTIFYING & ADDRESSING ORAL PIERCING ISSUES:

• Lymph Discharge: It's normal to see a clear or whitish fluid (lymph) that may crust around the piercing. Gently clean this away with a warm water-soaked cotton ball or a clean tissue. If the discharge becomes thick, yellow, or pus-like, please contact us.

• Swelling: Some swelling is expected. However, excessive swelling can cause your jewelry to press into the surrounding tissue, potentially leading to tissue damage and infection. Your initial jewelry is sized to accommodate swelling. If you experience significant swelling, contact us immediately. Do not attempt to change the jewelry yourself on a fresh piercing.

 

REMEMBER: DO NOT USE antibacterial soap, alcohol, peroxide, or ointments on your piercing, as these can damage the tissue and hinder healing.

We are here to help! Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns during your healing journey.