Steph Simpson
Body piercings have been a popular part of modern society for a number of decades now, yet the whole concept of body piercing is far from new as it can be traced back literally thousands upon thousands of years, though back then it was mainly a part of culture and tradition, rather than fashion as it is today. There are a number of different parts of our bodies that we can have pierced, yet unfortunately for some of us, getting various piercings doesn’t always run smoothly and at times we may find ourselves experiencing pain, swelling, inflammation, and even infection as a result of not taking the necessary steps in regards to piercing aftercare. Once we have a new piercing, the first few weeks following the piercing are absolutely crucial, as that is when we’re most likely to experience problems and side effects. If you’ve ever had an infected piercing, you won’t need anybody to tell you just how painful and unpleasant the entire experience can be. Generally the infected area becomes swollen and inflamed, it will become red and tender, painful to the touch, and your body will produce pus in an attempt to fight the infection. Doesn’t sound too pleasant does it? Well, if you want to avoid experiencing any of those side effects, or any others for that matter, make sure you look after your piercing correctly. To help you out, take a look at these natural remedies for piercing aftercare that you can easily throw together in the comfort of your own home.
Antibacterial soap and water – When it comes to caring for new body piercings, often it’s the most simple of ingredients which prove the most effective, and this is testament to that fact. One of the main reasons why new body piercings tend to become inflamed and infected is because bacteria and other nastiness may find their way into the open wound, which is basically what a new piercing is. A fantastic way of helping to ensure that bacteria stays well clear of your piercing is to use a good quality anti-bacterial soap along with warm water. Simply take a cotton wool pad or something similar, wet it with warm water, dab the piercing gently, add a touch of anti-bacterial soap, gently wipe the piercing and surrounding areas, and then rinse away with warm water. It’s also important that before you even begin this process, that you wash your hands in the same anti-bacterial soap as otherwise your hands could transfer bacteria to the piercing, which could then lead to infection.
Sea salt solutions – Another fantastic piercing aftercare remedy that you can easily create at home which has proven extremely effective at killing bacteria and germs and keeping piercings clean and hygienic is a basic sea salt solution, which you can make very simply at home. With new piercings, avoid alcohol-based cleaning solutions as they are often packed full of ingredients which can prevent your skin cells from healing and regenerating correctly. Instead, create a simple sea salt solution. To make this solution, all you will need to do is take an 8 oz cup, fill it with slightly warm water, and add around a quarter of a tea spoon of fine sea salt. Next, mix well until the salt has dissolved, soak a cotton bud or cotton wool ball in the solution, and gently swap your piercing using the solution. Make sure you use sea salt as regular table salt contains iodide, which you will want to avoid.
Tea tree oil solutions – Tea tree oil is a fantastic natural remedy to use on new body piercings as it has been proven to help destroy bacteria and help sterilize open wounds. It is a natural anti-septic ingredient which has a number of healing penetrative qualities meaning that not only does it help clean and sterilize the area surrounding your piercing, but it also works its way naturally inside the piercing, helping to clean it from within. What’s more, it has been proven to not aggravate the piercings so you experience no pain, swelling, itching, or anything else after applying the oil. It’s important to remember that tea tree oil should never be applied at full strength as applying it directly to new piercings could cause itching and swelling, and possibly even dermatitis. To make a basic tea tree oil solution, take 8 ounces of distilled water, add 6 – 8 drops of tea tree oil, mix gently, and then apply using a cotton bud or cotton wool pad.
