So, you got a new piercing?

It is now time to take care of it so that it can heal properly.

Different people’s bodies react differently to piercings. Piercings are not a natural thing and may be rejected by your body.

However, you can minimize the chances of rejection by taking proper aftercare.

Here are some dos and don’ts of piercing aftercare that can help you in the healing process.

Dos of Piercing Aftercare

  1. It is important to maintain good personal hygiene when you get a new piercing done. Most of the piercing sites get infected by bacteria if the skin and hair remain unwashed for a long time. Therefore, if you want to minimize the risk of infection, you must keep yourself clean and follow personal hygiene practices.
  2. Your piercer will most likely recommend some products to use for cleaning the piercing. Follow their advice to ensure that your piercing wound heals as soon as possible.
  3. If you start to feel any complications, get in touch with your piercer immediately. If there is too much redness or swelling on the piercing site even after weeks, then contact a doctor. Also, see a doctor if you feel that there is pus developing on the piercing site as it is a sign of a budding infection that needs to be treated as soon as possible to avoid any further complications.
  4. If you face any initial swelling and pain, you can use Ibuprofen. Make sure you don’t exceed the recommended dosages.

 

Don’ts of Piercing Aftercare

  1. While it is important to keep the piercing wound clean, don’t use any harsh products to clean the wound. Products like Rubbing Alcohol, Betadine, Neosporin, Hibiclensand Peroxide are all too harsh for fresh piercing wounds. They will cause more harm than good.
  2. Fresh piercings should not be submerged in water until they are fully healed. Soaking your fresh piercings in water exposes them to a lot of bacteria. Therefore, no swimming until that wound has completely healed.
  3. Don’t fiddle with your piercings at all. This can introduce bacteria to the site and will also cause irritation which can prolong the healing process. Therefore, let the piercing be and don’t keep touching it over and over again.
  4. Don’t take the jewelry out until the piercing site has completely healed. Get your jewelry changed for the first time by a professional only.
  5. Don’t wear tight clothing around the area of the piercing (e.g. naval). It can irritate the skin and can prolong the healing process. Your body may also reject the piercing.
  6. Don’t sleep on the piercing until it is fully healed. It can put a lot of pressure on the new wound and can prolong the healing process. It will also be very painful.

 

Follow these dos and don’ts of piercing aftercare to heal your piercing site quickly. If you face any issues, contact your piercer or a doctor to ensure that there is no infection on the site of the piercing.