Piercing Aftercare
Always wash your hands before touching your piercing or jewelry!
Soak your piercing with a wound wash saline mixture for a few minutes. After soaking, wipe away any loose crust with a wet cotton swab or the corner of a folded paper towel. Pat dry after cleaning. Clean your piercing daily as needed. Do not over clean your piercing. Remember, this is a wound and can become inflamed and/or irritated. Less is more when healing your piercing. If it is not crusty or dirty, leave it alone!
Use Saline soaks to care for your piercing during the entire healing time.
You may purchase a pre-made Saline mixture from me here at Kreative Ink or at any pharmacy near the band-aids. When using a brand name Saline, follow the instructions on the bottle. (INGREDIENTS SHOULD BE ONLY SODIUM CHLORIDE & WATER)
Dissolve 1/8 teaspoon (a pinch) of non-iodized sea salt into 1 cup (8 ounces) of hot/warm distilled water.
Bulk Saline mixture: 1 Gallon of distilled water and 4 teaspoons of non-iodized sea salt.
A stronger mixture is NOT better! A saline that has too much salt will dry out your skin & irritate your piercing.
DON'T change or remove your jewelry before it is completely healed!
DON'T soak in public water. No pools, hot tubs, oceans, or swimming of any kind until your new piercing is healed.
DON'T use alcohol, peroxide, or any medicated ointments on your piercing! You want to slow heal the wound to stay open for your jewelry, not shrink or close the hole.
DON'T twist, tug, or play with your jewelry. LEAVE IT ALONE!
Oral Piercing Care
Rinse your mouth with an Alcohol-free mouthwash after every meal, drink, smoke, or anything that dirties your mouth and piercing.
Ice and ibuprofen may be used within reason to help control swelling.
Avoid eating salty & spicy foods with a fresh piercing in your mouth. With tongue piercings you'll want to eat softer foods that you can swallow easily without needing to chew much.
Allow your tongue to rest as much as possible to allow it to heal quickly.
downsizing Jewelry
Some piercings must be done with posts that are long enough to accommodate for swelling. Once the initial stages of healing are complete it is important to downsize the post to fit your body properly. Not doing so can result in piercings snagging and possibly migrating. I recommend 4-6 weeks for most piercings before downsizing. Schedule with me for a jewelry swap when it’s time to downsize.