Whether you’re new to piercings or are a piercing fanatic, be sure to care for your new look the best way possible with our Ultimate Piercing Guide! From the Do’s to the Don’ts and the What If’s and the Should I’s this blog has you sorted! So what are you waiting for? Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty! (note: nitty gritty should be cleaned from your piercing at all costs) Got a shed load of questions about your piercing and how you should care for it? If so, then this piercing guide blog is the place to be!
The Do’s and Don’ts: A Simple Run Down
When it comes to piercing aftercare and piercing guides, here at The Viper Pit we take your well-being highly seriously. It’s highly important that you keep your new found piercing well looked after to reduce the risk of any unwanted infection, swelling, or even rejection. To put it simply, here are the ‘Do’s’ when it comes to your piercing:
DO:
Always wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap and hot water before touching your piercing!
If you have a new ear piercing or a facial piercing, it’s highly recommended that you keep any long hair tied back. This ensures your piercing doesn’t become entangled – and saves you from those nasty, unexpected caught piercing moments!
Always ensure that your jewellery is secure. If you have threaded or screw on ball jewellery, ensure that they are fastened securely. This ensures you a) don’t lose your new found jewellery and b) your piercing can heal properly
If you notice any excess fluid or crusting, don’t panic! Ensure that you remove it gently utilising solution (saline solution will also work) with either a cotton ball or pad. With the more stubborn build-ups, don’t lose heart – keep working on breaking it down gently!
If your piercing gets wet, either during showering or when washing your face etc, always gently pat the surrounding area dry with a non-fibrous towel. This prevents the piercing from getting snagged or caught on the material, and can save you a lot of unnecessary pain! Stay clear from using toilet paper or tissues to dry the area, this can result in hard to rid residue being left behind!
Keep and eye out for any suspicious lumps and bumps! Sometimes, especially in the case of cartilage piercings, bumps can occur around the piercing channel. Although most often, these bumps aren’t considered dangerous, however with respect to migration, it is important that you discuss any signs of movement as soon as possible with your/a qualified piercer. Spotting these things early on can save you from a lot of complications further on, such as rejection and skin splitting.
DON’T:
Avoid playing/twisting/rotating your body jewellery as this can often irritate the newly pierced area and can spread bacteria during the crucial healing period
If you have to touch your piercing, try and do so as little as possible outside of the cleaning regime. This will allow your piercing to heal naturally in its own time. You can’t rush a good thing right?!
Always use alcohol-free cleaning products when it comes to caring for your body jewellery. Bacteria isn’t always bad – alcoholic cleaning products are designed to eradicate ALL bacteria which means even the good guys can’t do their job! Your piercing needs to heal naturally, yet fragranced soap and alcohol based cleansers can often prolong the healing period and cause unnecessary irritation.
Refrain from using shower scrubbers! Much like drying with a fibrous towel, we can’t stress enough how important it is to refrain from using a shower scrubber. Getting a piercing caught on it’s netted structure is not something we’d wish on our worst enemy! Avoid them at all costs!
With any piercing, we always suggest that you refrain from any form or watersport/activity. However, if that’s out of the question, then we highly recommend that you cover your piercing with an eye patch, ensuring it’s kept dry, secure and chlorine free!
‘WHAT SHOULD I DO?’ and ‘WHAT IF?’
What If My Piercing Becomes Infected? What Should I Do? – Panic not. It’s quite easy to figure out whether a piercing has become infected. More than often the surrounding area may appear red and swollen, it may also be painful to touch. Similarly, if you notice an unusual amount of discoloured discharge, often yellow or green, and even symptoms of a fever, it’s highly recommended that you visit your GP immediately. Spotting such signs early on can be vital!
I Have An Operation Coming Up, What Should I Do? – It is quite common for many hospitals to request you to remove your body jewellery before you enter for an operation, as some jewellery can often harbour unwanted bacteria. In some circumstances it is possible to wear a retainer, a clear flexible item of jewellery, however, it is highly recommended that you discuss this with your GP or local hospital beforehand.
I Don’t Like The Jewellery That’s Currently In My Piercing, What Should I Do? – We understand that piercings can sometimes take a long time to heal and that during that time you might get bored with the existing jewellery. We highly recommend that unless there is a pressing issue with either the size, material or style of your jewellery, you just ride it out! Piercings, especially cartilage based ones, slowly heal internally – so if you decide to change jewellery mid-healing period you greater the risk of rejection/incorrect healing/infection!
I Think My Body Is Rejecting My Piercing, What Should I Do? – Sometimes your body can reject the jewellery due to the type of metal used. If you notice any signs of migration or rejection, it is highly recommended you check in with your piercer ASAP. It is best to query things earlier on as if left too late a migration can often break through the skin and cause scarring.
We hope you like our little guide to do's and don'ts but if you get stuck you can download our aftercare pdf even if you didn't have your piercing with us :)
DOWLOAD OUR AFTERCARE SHEET HERE
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