Let The Healing Begin

The cleaning routine discussed between you and your piercer should be continued throughout the entire healing period.

Please do not over-clean your piercing. Cleaning too often can irritate or even damage your piercing and prolong the healing process.

During the healing process of your piercing, you can expect your piercing to discharge lymph (an odorless, whitish-yellow fluid that turns crusty), blood, blood plasma, and dead cells. This is completely normal. It is incredibly important to clean your piercing to rid of these, any dirt, and/or any bacteria that may have accumulated on the piercing site/jewelry.

The products that you will use to clean your piercing do not heal the piercing; they only help the process. These products will not heal the piercing but will flush the wound out so that your body will handle the rest. The only thing that will truly heal your piercing is your body; therefore, it is important that you take care of yourself. This includes, but is not limited to, drinking plenty of water, personal hygiene, a good diet, and plenty of sleep. It also helps to minimize your stress levels, which promotes healing.

Aftercare for an oral piercing requires you to clean both the inside (your mouth) and outside of your piercing (the skin on your face), such as with any lip piercing. Of course, if you have a piercing limited to your mouth, such as a tongue piercing, you will only need to clean your mouth.

To clean the Inside of your Piercing (your Mouth)

Any time you smoke, eat, or drink anything aside from bottled water, you need to rinse your mouth for 30-60 seconds. This will soothe the piercing, as well as effectively clean the piercing site.

The preferred method is using a sea salt solution. Mix a ¼ teaspoon of non-iodized sea salt (not table salt) with 1 cup (8oz) of warm water.

Should you need to rinse with a mouthwash, make sure that you choose one that is not alcohol-based, as this will irritate the piercing and prolong the healing process. Do not use the mouthwash too often; otherwise, you can cause more harm than good.

To clean the Outside of your Piercing (the Skin on your Face)

Common approved methods to heal your Piercing

Sea salt sprays/soaks

• This is the most accepted method among piercers. We highly recommend that you keep this as a regular part of your routine as it flushes out the piercing site and helps to draw out any discharge. These sea salt soaks/sprays help circulate the blood within the site, as well as calm any irritation.
• We recommend using H2Ocean’s spray. You can either spray this directly onto the piercing site or by spraying onto a piece of sterilized gauze. Make sure that you spray liberally. Do not rotate the jewelry or rinse the solution off the piercing.
• You may also make your own sea salt soaks. Use non-iodized sea salt (not regular table salt). Use warm water (please be careful not to burn yourself). Use a clean glass to mix ¼ Teaspoon of the salt with 1 cup (8 oz) of water. Use the glass to create an airtight seal around the piercing site and soak until the water returns to about room temperature. For piercings that can be submerged, submerge them in the glass to ensure proper coverage.

Mild Liquid Soap

• Although the sea salt soak or bath is the most preferred aftercare method, soap also effectively removes dirt, bacteria, cosmetics, and natural discharge that were not removed with saline.
• Please refrain from using soaps that contain triclosan (Dial is a good example) as they can irritate and dry the piercing out. You will want to use a fragrance-free and dye-free soap.
• Do not use bar soaps as they are known for collecting bacteria.

DO NOT USE THE FOLLOWING

• Rubbing Alcohol
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Anti-biotic Ointments
• Bactine
• Pierced Ear Care Solutions
• Benzalkonium Chloride
• Benzethonium Chloride
• Betadine (iodine)
• Cotton balls
• Q-tips

Rubbing Alcohol and Hydrogen Peroxide are much too harsh on your skin to promote healthy healing. Rubbing Alcohol will dry your skin out as well as irritate the piercing. Hydrogen Peroxide will damage your healthy skin cells. Both of these items will actually prolong the healing process.

Antibiotic ointments, such as Neosporin, Bacitracin, A&D, or any other triple anti-biotic ointments, must be avoided, as they are not meant for long-term use. These products will not only suffocate the piercing from oxygen, but they also can create a warm, moist area in which bacteria will grow. These products are meant for minor cuts and scrapes, not piercings.

Swelling and Things to Avoid

For any oral piercing, expect swelling for a few days. Swelling may even be present to a degree for a few weeks. For any discomfort, we recommend sucking on crushed ice. You may also use common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Ibuprofen. You should try to avoid anything that will thin your blood such as alcohol, aspirin, caffeine, or any other stimulants until the swelling has subsided.

While healing, there are no foods/drinks that you must stay away from. Keep in mind, however, that it may not be enjoyable to partake in hot/spicy foods. Make sure that you eat/drink whatever you are comfortable with.

It is highly recommended that you abstain from smoking to the best of your ability while your piercing is healing.

Avoid all exchange of bodily fluids including, but not limited to, wet kissing and oral sex, while your piercing is healing.

Once Your Piercing Has Healed

You will need to change your jewelry to a smaller diameter or length piece as the original piece of jewelry was selected to accommodate for swelling. Ill-fitting jewelry left in the piercing after it has healed is one of the most common reasons for irritation to occur.

Always keep jewelry in your piercing. Leaving jewelry out, even for short periods of time, can make reinsertion of jewelry difficult, painful, or impossible. This is because oral piercings close very quickly, even after having them for years.

Always make sure that the ends on your jewelry are properly tightened or otherwise secured. Check this often. as losing either one or both of the ends of the jewelry could cause you to lose the piercing altogether.

Irritation Versus Infection

Irritation and Infections can occur if you neglect your piercing by not following proper aftercare. By following your aftercare instructions and exercising common sense, you likely will not have to worry about either irritation or infections. You will know when you have a true infection if the tissue in or around the piercing site turns red, is swollen, warm to the touch, has a dark yellow/greenish discharge, and/or a bad odor. You may occasionally see a small “pimple” that is filled with fluid; however, these are not always due to an infection. If you suspect that you have an infection, do not remove your jewelry. Removing your jewelry can trap any infection that you may have and infections are easier to treat if there is still an opening for the discharge to exit. Proceeding with warm sea salt-water soaks help keep minor infections under control, as they not only soothe, but also help draw out any unwanted discharge and promote your body’s natural healing process. Naturally, in the case of a serious infection, you should always see your doctor to put you on the appropriate medical treatment plan. Please keep in mind that not all doctors are familiar with body piercings. We are more than happy to speak to your doctor.

What people think are infections are usually just irritation. If you see that the piercing is red, has dry peeling skin around the piercing site, bleeding slightly, excreting white/yellow discharge, or seems to have a fluid filled bump, it is usually not an infection, but irritation instead. These can be signs that they have been exposed to unnecessary trauma. If you suspect that your piercing is irritated, once you have figured out why and have ensured that it can no longer happen, you will notice the irritation go away on its own. If you are unable to calm the irritation, please come see us and we will give some recommendations.

Common reasons for irritation are, but not limited to, the following:

• Touching your piercing other than cleaning it
• Applying too much pressure while sleeping or speaking on your phone
• Not cleaning your pillow cases
• Not cleaning your phone
• Cleaning the piercing too much
• Not cleaning the piercing enough
• Wearing clothing that is too tight and restricts the piercing site
• Engaging in wet kissing or sexual activity too soon
• Any activities that may have caused the piercing to be bumped, twisted, snagged, or yanked

Common Healing Times

All piercings have common healing times; however, they can vary from person-to-person. Remember, your environment, health, and aftercare regimen all affect healing times. The better you take care of yourself and your piercing, the more likely your piercing will heal in a timely fashion.

• Lip/Labret: 6 – 8 weeks
• Tongue: 4 – 5 weeks
• Cheeks: 6 months – 1 year