When you get a piercing, just as with a tattoo, there is an aftercare procedure which you must follow in order to heal your body modification and prevent infection. As the piercer, it is your responsibility to educate your client on the proper method of caring for their new piercing. As a client, it is equally important to listen to your piercer, understand the aftercare instructions, and ask questions before you leave the studio.
Keep it Clean
When you get a piercing, it is important to keep it clean. It is, essentially, an open wound and therefore at a high risk for infection so you need to be cautious during the healing process. With piercings, each location has its own specific healing time—so make sure to ask your piercer how long you will have before the area is considered healed.
-When touching your piercing for any reason, wash your hands first.
-Avoid using soaps or cleaners with harsh fragrances, dyes, or chemicals. Ask your piercer for their recommendation.
-Make sure to rinse the soap residue completely. Leaving any residue behind can irritate the piercing.
-Dry the piercing with disposable paper towels. Using regular towels can lead to infection as they harbor bacteria. Not to mention, they can get caught on jewelry and cause injury.
-Use a Non-iodized Saline Solution (such as After Inked Vegan Piercing Aftercare Spray) to maintain moisturize retention and keep the area cleansed at the frequency your piercer recommended.
Tips for Healing
When healing your new piercing, there are a few things you can do to help the process along. Staying healthy is perhaps the biggest thing you can do. If your body is healthy, it can focus its efforts on healing the piercing as quickly and easily as possible. Eat healthy, stay hydrated, and get plenty of rest. Change your bedding and towels after getting a new piercing and wash them continuously through the healing stages. Avoid soaking the piercing—stick to showers and steer clear of baths, hot tubs, lakes, oceans, swimming pools, etc. until your body has healed completely.
Remember—It May Look Healed
When dealing with piercings, it is important to remember that they heal from the outside in. The outside may appear fully healed, however, the internal aspect of the piercing can take several weeks longer to complete the process. To prevent infection or rejection, continue your cleaning and aftercare routine for the time allotted by your piercer.
