• Neilmed Sterile Saline Wound Wash. Saline for contact lenses should not be used as piercing aftercare. Wound wash saline is available in the studio, online or at any local pharmacy.

• WASH your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason.

• SALINE rinse as needed while healing. For certain piercings it may be easier to apply using clean gauze or paper towels saturated with saline solution.

• DRY gently with clean, disposable paper products. Cloth towels could snag on jewelry, and they might have bacteria on them.

Do not remove, turn or twist jewelry when cleaning!

• At first: some bleeding, bruising, swelling, redness, and soreness or mild pain.

• During healing: some discoloration, itching, oozing of a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) that will form some crust on the jewelry. Your skin may tighten around the jewelry as you heal.

• After healing: the jewelry may not move easily in the piercing; do not force it. If you don’t clean your piercing as a part of your daily bathing, normal but smelly secretions may build up.

• A piercing may seem just fine before the whole healing process is done. This is because they heal from the outside in. Even if it feels fine, the new skin is weak on the inside. Be patient, and keep cleaning all the way to the end of entire healing period.

• If you have had a piercing for years, it can still shrink or close in minutes if you take out your jewelry! This is different from person to person; if you like your piercing, keep jewelry in—do not leave the hole empty.

• Wash your hands before you touch the piercing; leave it alone except when cleaning. During healing, you do not have to to rotate, turn, or move your jewelry.

• Stay healthy; the healthier your lifestyle, the easier it will be for your piercing to heal. Get enough sleep and eat a nutritious diet. Exercise during healing is fine; listen to your body.

• Make sure your sheets and towels are washed and changed weekly.

• Showers are safer than baths because bathtubs can harbor germs. Before you get into a bath tub, clean it first, and rinse off your piercing when you get out.

• Avoid cleaning with alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, antibacterial soaps, iodine, or any harsh products, as these can damage cells. Also avoid ointments as they prevent necessary air circulation.

• Avoid Bactine®, pierced ear care solutions, and other products containing Benzalkonium Chloride (BZK). These can be irritating and are not intended for long-term wound care.

• Avoid over-cleaning. This can delay your healing and irritate your piercing.

• Avoid undue trauma such as friction from clothing, excessive motion of the area, playing with the jewelry, and vigorous cleaning. These activities can cause the formation of unsightly and uncomfortable scar tissue, migration, prolonged healing, and other complications.

• Avoid all oral contact, rough play, and contact with others’ bodily fluids on or near your piercing during healing.

• Avoid stress and recreational drug use, including excessive caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.

• Avoid submerging the piercing in unhygienic bodies of water such as lakes, pools, hot tubs, etc. Or, protect your piercing using a waterproof wound sealant bandage. These are available at most drugstores and work best for nipple, navel, and surface piercing placements.

• Avoid all beauty and personal care products on or around the piercing including cosmetics, lotions, and sprays, etc.

• Don’t hang charms or any object from your jewelry until the piercing is fully healed.

• Sleeping directly on a healing cartilage piercing can cause irritation, even causing shifts in the piercing’s angle. Placing a travel pillow, on top of your pillow, and then placing your ear in the opening can be helpful to avoid this

• Unless there is a problem with the size, style, or material of your initial jewelry, leave it in for the whole healing period. If you have an emergency and need to change your jewelry during healing, make a jewelry change appointment or contact us.

• If your metal jewelry must be removed (for example, if your doctor or dentist makes you take it out for a procedure) we can place a glass retainer. Book a jewelry change appointment or order online.

• Leave jewelry in at all times. Your piercing can shrink or close super fast—even if you’ve had it for years. If you take it out, getting it back in later can be difficult or impossible.

• With clean hands be sure to check threaded ends on your jewelry for tightness daily. (“Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey.”)

• If you decide you don’t want your piercing any more, simply remove the jewelry (or have a professional piercer remove it). Keep cleaning the piercing daily until the hole closes. Most of the time, only a small mark will be visible.

• If you think you have an infection, leave in quality jewelry so the infection can drain. If you take the jewelry out, the surface can close up. That can trap the infection inside the piercing and cause an abscess. Do not remove jewelry unless instructed to do so by a medical professional.

• Use the t-shirt trick: Dress your pillow in a large, clean t-shirt and turn it nightly; one clean t-shirt provides four clean surfaces for sleeping.

• Keep everything super clean that comes near or touches the pierced area: telephones, headphones, eyeglasses, helmets, and hats.

• Be careful when styling your hair, and let your stylist know if you are healing a piercing.

• A hard, vented eye patch (sold at pharmacies) can be applied under tight clothing (such as nylon stockings) or secured using a length of elastic bandage around the body (to avoid irritation from adhesive). This can protect the area from restrictive clothing, excess irritation, and impact during physical activities such as contact sports.

• The support of a tight cotton shirt or sports bra may provide protection and feel comfortable, especially for sleeping.

• Avoid all oral contact, rough play, and contact with others’ bodily fluids on or near your piercing during healing.

If you experience a problem that is beyond the scope of your piercer, the following facts can assist you and your healthcare provider in decision-making about the best care and treatment.

Visit a doctor immediately if you have problems with your piercing and you:

• Experience severe redness, swelling, or pain from the piercing

• Have a large amount of discharge that is thick, green, yellow, or gray and smells bad

• Have red streaks coming from from the piercing site

• Take steroids or have a chronic illness or other health condition

• Have symptoms that last for a week or get worse

• Experience fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or disorientation

These guidelines are based on a combination of vast professional experience, common sense, research, and extensive clinical practice. This is not to be considered a substitute for medical advice from a doctor. If you suspect an infection, seek medical attention. Be aware that many doctors have not received specific training regarding piercing. Your local piercer may be able to refer you to a piercing-friendly medical professional. For more information, visit www.safepiercing.org

• Use any or all of the following solutions for inside the mouth:

• Alcohol-free and hydrogen peroxide-free mouth rinse. Or you can use dry mouth oral rinse for hydration

• Plain clean water. Bottled or filtered water is preferred.

• Neilmed packaged sterile saline solution with no additives (read the label). This is not for internal use but external use only (like cleaning the outside of your lip piercing).

• Regardless of the brand of saline, the can should list sterile and isotonic. The only ingredients included should be water and 0.9% or 9mg/ml sodium chloride. Mixing your own sea salt solution is no longer a suggested practice from the APP. Mixing your own sea salt solution will commonly result in the product being far too salty and strong. This can over dry the piercing and interfere with healing.

Do not use contact solution, eye drops, or nasal rinse products on your piercing.

• Wash your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason.

• Keeping good oral hygiene practices is important in maintaining a healthy mouth and piercing.You will want to floss, brush and use mouth rinse at least twice a day. It is vital to not overuse the mouth rinse.

• Gently brush the jewelry with a clean toothbrush regularly to avoid plaque build up.

• Rinse with water (bottled or filtered) thoroughly after every time you eat, drink or smoke.

• Wash your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason.

• Be sure to rinse your piercing thoroughly with warm water in the shower once a day. Then rinse with Neilmed Sterile Saline twice a day.

• Gently remove any discharge or crust that may have built up on your jewelry, then dry the area carefully with gauze.

• For the first three to five days you may experience swelling, light bleeding, bruising, tenderness, and/or a whitish to yellowish secretion that may form crust on the jewelry.

• After the first week, you may still continue to experience some minor swelling and secretion.

• A piercing might seem healed before the healing process is complete. This is because piercings heal from the outside in. Although it feels fine, the tissue remains fragile on the inside. Be patient, and keep cleaning throughout the entire healing period.

• For lip piercings, it is typical for the jewelry to “nest” slightly into the lip (on the inside) once it is healed.

• Even healed piercings that you have had for years can shrink or close within a few hours if the jewelry is removed. This varies from person to person; if you like your piercing, keep jewelry in! Do not leave the hole empty for a long period of time.

• Use a new soft-bristled toothbrush and store it in a clean area away from other toothbrushes.

• Brush your teeth and use your chosen rinse (saline or mouthwash) after every meal.

• During healing floss daily, and gently brush your teeth, tongue and jewelry. Once healed, brush the jewelry more thoroughly to avoid plaque build up.

• The healthier your lifestyle, the easier it will be for your piercing to heal.

• Get enough sleep.

• To help healing and bolster your ability to fight infection, eat a nutritious diet or consider taking nutritional supplements daily.

• Avoid emotional stress, which can increase healing times by up to 40%.

• Sleep with your head elevated in the beginning to minimize overnight swelling.

• Once the swelling has subsided, it is vital to replace the original, longer jewelry with a shorter post or barbell to avoid damage to the teeth and gums. Book your jewelry Downsize Appointment here.

• Because this necessary jewelry change often occurs during healing, it should be done by a qualified piercer. This information should have been given to you during the piercing.

• With clean hands or paper products, be sure to regularly check threaded ends on your jewelry for tightness. For threadless jewelry make sure there is no gap between the post (inside) to the top (outside). In case of a gap, place your index finger and thumb on both sides of the jewelry and press them together. Be sure to check that the gap is closed.

• If your metal jewelry must be removed (for example, if your doctor or dentist makes you take it out for a procedure) we can place a glass retainer. Book a jewelry change appointment or order online.

• Should you decide you no longer want the piercing, simply remove the jewelry or have a professional piercer remove it and continue cleaning the area until the hole closes. In most cases, only a small mark will remain.

• Take your time with eating until you are used to the piercing and the jewelry is downsized to prevent irritation or prolonged healing.

• Avoid eating spicy, salty, acidic, or hot temperature foods or beverages for the first two weeks (no specific foods need to be avoided).

• Cold foods and beverages can be soothing and help reduce swelling.

• For labret (cheek and lip) piercings: be cautious about opening your mouth too wide as this can result in the jewelry catching on your teeth.

• Do not play with your jewelry. Long term effects include permanent damage to teeth and gums.

• Avoid undue trauma; excessive talking or playing with the jewelry can cause scar tissue, migration, and other complications.

• Avoid using mouthwash containing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. It can irritate the piercing and delay healing.

• Avoid oral sexual contact including wet kissing or oral sex during healing.

• Avoid chewing on tobacco, gum, fingernails, pencils, sunglasses, and other foreign objects that could harbor bacteria.

• Avoid sharing plates, cups, and eating utensils.

• Avoid using straws. Straw use can increase the risk of swelling and bleeding.

• Minimize the intake of smoking and vaping (tobacco or cannabis). It increases risks and prolongs healing time.

• Avoid aspirin, alcohol, and large amounts of caffeine as long as you are experiencing bleeding or swelling.

• Avoid submerging healing piercings in bodies of water such as lakes, pools, oceans, and even the bathtub.

• Each body is unique and healing times vary considerably. If you have any questions, please contact a professional piercer.

These guidelines are based on a combination of vast professional experience, common sense, research, and extensive clinical practice. This is not to be considered a substitute for medical advice from a doctor. If you suspect an infection, seek medical attention. Be aware that many doctors have not received specific training regarding piercing. Your local piercer may be able to refer you to a piercing-friendly medical professional. For more information, visit www.safepiercing.org