What should I clean with?

Sterile Saline Solution

Saline solution labeled as a ‘wound wash’ without any additives that comes in a sprayable container is perfect for cleaning piercings. Saline used for contacts or anything other than ‘wound wash’ are NOT safe to use on piercings. At Ghostfire, we offer Neilmed Piercing Aftercare, as their products are the easiest to use, isotonic, and free of additives. The only ingredient in your aftercare should be 0.9% sodium chloride and water. Avoid ‘DIY’ at home saline solution.

How to clean?

Wash your hands before you begin cleaning your piercing. Hands are dirty, and you want to limit the amount of germs and bacteria that go on your piercing. Avoid touching the piercing directly. Touching your piercing introduces germs and bacteria to the site, as well as cause movement. This can lead to irritation and even infection.

Saline rinse as needed using sterile saline wound wash with no additives. I typically recommend cleaning once or twice daily, along with lightly patting around the piercing site with gauze soaked in saline. A good rinse afterwards will get rid of any left over residue. Cleaning your piercing in the shower is a personal favorite. Harder to reach spots in the books and crannies could use very light pats with a q-tip soaked in saline to remove debris.

Dry by patting the site lightly with gauze, or a clean disposable paper towel. Regular cloth towels are unsafe to use as they harbor bacteria and can easily snag jewelry. A hands free method for sensitive piercings is a blow dryer on the lowest coolest setting (not too close on your piercing)

For ORAL PIERCINGS, follow the same steps as listed above for the outside of the piercing but incorporate an alcohol fee mouthwash (1-2 times daily) and rinse your mouth out with water after smoking, drinking, eating, etc. Practice good oral hygiene, and do not play with jewelry if you like having all your chompers.

What is normal?

Initially:

Some bleeding, redness, swelling, and tenderness are all things you may experience within the first few days of getting pierced. This can occur throughout healing due to irritation, or improper aftercare.

While healing:

Healing a piercing is taking care of an open wound, and should be treated as any other open wound would. Once swelling has subsided a downsizing is essential. Initial piercing requires a piece of jewelry with room to allow for swelling, but once the extra space is no longer needed the extra length can move around, get caught on things, and irritate the piercing. Downsize time depends on which piercing you received, but typically 4-6 weeks is a good time span for a checkup. DO NOT sleep on your piercing. The constant pressure can lead to irritation bumps, soreness, and shifting the piercing to an angle it can no longer heal at (cartilage in particular is a big baby). If you bump, sleep on, or irritate your piercing and intense swelling occurs (constant pain, tightness around piercing site, and embedding are a few ways to tell), visit your local reputable piercer to assess. Multiple ‘upsizes’ and ‘downsizes’ may be needed depending on the type of piercing, or the amount of irritation it experiences. Slight bleeding, discoloration, itchiness, and secretion of fluids that turn to crust around the jewelry are perfectly normal during healing, but not in excess. Cleaning daily will minimize the amount of crust buildup you experience, along with good hygiene.

Healed:

Healing piercings successfully takes patience. All piercings have different healing times, which also vary from person to person. Listen to your body, check up with your piercer, and make sure to keep cleaning the piercing a daily part of your routine (failure to do so may result in smelly, but normal, bodily secretions). Fully healed piercings can still shrink or close, so I recommend leaving jewelry into avoid this from happening. Almost all piercings can accommodate appropriately fitted rings once healed.

WHAT TO DO:

• Listen to your body. If it hurts to do something, don’t do that thing.

• Clean your bed sheets and pillow cases regularly.

• Wear clean, comfortable clothes that don’t effect the piercing.

• Shower daily, avoid taking baths as bathtubs can harbor bacteria.

• Take some time to relax throughout the day, and let your body do it’s thing.

• Practice good hygiene

WHAT TO AVOID:

• Avoid advice from the internet and from friends. If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to me

• Avoid cleaning your piercing with anything put sterile saline wound wash or water.

• Avoid ointments, pastes, oils, soaps, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and random cleaning solutions.

• Avoid trauma such as snagging the jewelry, excessive movement of the site, twisting or turning your piercing, playing with jewelry, and excessive/rough cleaning as much as possible

• Avoid oral contact and other people’s bodily fluids.

• Avoid swimming. You can protect your piercing using a waterproof bandage, but I recommend avoiding swimming all together.

• Don’t put any products (sun screen, lotion, makeup, etc.) directly on your piercing.