Body Piercing :: Specific Aftercare of Sites
Proper aftercare directly affects the healing process for any piercing.
Proper aftercare will allow an individual to remove the body mass from
the metal without causing any irritations.
AFTERCARE for LIP, LABRET And MONROE PIERCING:
The use of a mild, liquid antibacterial/anti-fungal of antimicrobial
soap such as SATIN.
CLEANING for LIP, LABRET AND MONROE PIERCING:
This is to be proformed 1 to 2 times a day. The best place to do this
in the shower . Be sure it is the last thing you do in the shower. Lather
the liquid soap completly in your hands. Rub the soap onto the piercing
working the soap all around the area. Slowly move the jewelry back and
forth 3 to 4 times, wait about 30 seconds. Let the warm water run on the
piercing while you move the jewelry back and forth 4 to 5 times to rinse.
When you dry off use some Q-tips to dry off the piercing thouroghy all
around the piercing"be sure to check your balls"
THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS ARE USED TO CARE FOR THE INSIDE OF
THE MOUTH.
1. To care for the outside, follow instructions for facial piercings.
To clean the inside of an oral piercing we suggest a special antibacterial
mouthwash, Oral-B or Biotene which is alcohol free and can be used undiluted.
2. If an alcohol based mouthwash is used it should be diluted 1/3 mouthwash
to 2/3 water. It should be used after everything you eat, drink or smoke
until the piercing is fully healed. With an oral piercing there will be
some swelling, this is perfectly normal and the jewellery you have been
pierced with is large enough to allow for this.
3. Sucking on ice can help reduce the swelling. If you are at all worried
about the amount of swelling, or if the jewellery starts embedding, please
call in to have it looked at by your piercer.
4. For the first few days of your new piercing eating may be difficult
(you may notice this especially with tongues). Take it easy, start on
soft foods like soup or yoghurt and work your way up to tougher foods.
We suggest you avoid hot spicy food at this stage. It is also advisable
to change your toothbrush as your old one may harbour bacteria.
5. The tongue is covered in a very thin natural healing agent called "peptide",
this will help aid the healing process.
HOT COMPRESS OR OSMOSIS (FOR NAVAL & EYEBROW)
1. Approx. 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt to 200ml / cup of water. This method
works best when used with hot but not boiling water from the kettle.
2. Soak a cotton gauze with the saline solution and place on the piercing
for 5 minutes ( until it starts to cool down ), This helps to open the
pores of the skin.
Pour the remainder into a clean container that is just big enough to cover
the area ( eg Navel/mug, Eyebrow/long contact lense case or an eggcup
). Soak the piercing for 10 minutes, making sure the water is warm at
all times.
3. This draws any of the impurities or trapped fluid out of the piercing.
Your antibacterial solution should then be used to clean the area. This
can be Benzalkonium Chloride ( Ear Care ) on a cotton bud or our antibacterial
soap which should then be rinsed off with CLEAN water thoroughly. This
can be repeated a few times a week, or if a problematic piercing twice
daily is preferred
GENERAL AFTER CARE FOR TONGUE
1. Piercing of the tongue is normally performed in the midline of the
tongue anterior to lingual frenum.
2. Because of the swelling, it is recommended that a longer barbell shank
initially be placed in the tongue, followed by the insertion of a shorter
barbell shank after healing.
3. Oral piercing usually heals within 4-5 weeks. Jewelry should not be
left out because an oral piercing can close fast.
Swelling is normal. Gently suck on small ice cubes, especially in the
morning. Ibuprofen is also good for swelling. Slight jaw cramps might
be present as your body adjusts to the jewelry. Your tongue may feel uncoordinated
since you are not used to having jewelry in your mouth. Keep your tongue
level in your mouth. Eat foods that you do not have to chew a lot for
the duration of the swelling.
4. You must rinse with Listerine after smoking, eating or drinking anything
other than water or ice.
5. Keep hands, fingernails, pens, necklaces or any other foreign object
out of your mouth. They carry bacteria and can infect you. Do not "play"
with this piercing for at least 4 to 6 weeks such as clicking the barbell
on your teeth, biting it, licking your lips, etc. Refrain from oral sexual
contact for at least 4 to 6 weeks.
6. Avoid high sodium foods.
Triple Antibiotic Cream (Neosporin) twice daily on the outside of the
piercing, following instructions under "Basic Piercing Care."
PROBLEMS RELATED TO TONGUE PIERCING.
1. Tooth fracture: Our clinical case serves to illustrate one of the
most immediate outcomes associated with intra oral piercing. In addition,
when a patient reports Para functional habits such as bruxism, it is not
unreasonable to infer that the risk of tooth fracture increases. Individuals
who choose piercing need to be made aware of this risk and that damage
to the dentition may result in cracked tooth syndrome or outright fracture
of the dental hard tissues with or without pulpal involvement.
2. Speech impediment: A review of the literature suggests that speech
may be hindered. In one case, a student with a pierced tongue was forced
to remove his barbell because his speech was altered.
3. Infection and allergic response: Infection from un-sterilized instruments
is always a risk. Despite performing invasive procedures, many body piercers
do not have any formal education on sterilization, effective skin care
and proper infection control. Consequently, piercing may include an increased
risk of the transmission of Hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, tetanus, syphilis and
tuberculosis.
The literature does not provide statistics on the risk of transmission
of these diseases due to the lack of regulation on body piercing. Allergic
reactions to nickel or other alloys used in the metals are also a possibility.
All jewelry should be made of inert non-toxic metals such as stainless
steel, 14K gold, niobium or titanium.
AFTERCARE FOR EAR
1. Leave studs in ears for 6 weeks continuously (12 weeks for cartilage).
2. After 6 weeks (12 weeks for cartilage), the studs can be removed and
other post-type earrings may be worn continuously.Use only post style
earrings continuously for the first 5 months from piercing (12 months
for cartilage). The post should be surgical stainless steel or other hyper-allergenic
material.
3. Keep hairspray, soap, shampoo and other preparations away from the
ear. After shampooing the ear should be rinsed with clear water.
AFTERCARE FOR NAVAL PIERCING
1. Use a mild antibacterial soap or sea salt in the shower twice a day.
Cup your hand under the piercing and soak it for 1-2 minutes. Make sure
when washing to ALWAYS rotate the ring. If this step is not taken your
skin will start to heal around your jewelry and may tear the inside of
the wound when jewelry moves. This is painful and can lead to infection.
2. Do make sure you dry your navel thoroughly after cleaning. This should
be done with a paper tissue as towels can harbor bacteria. If you have
a very deep navel you should clean it every day using a clean cotton swab
soaked in warm water taking extra care to remove any dirt and dry it properly
afterwards.
3. Do use tea tree oil as it promotes healing and lubricates the wound
reducing tenderness. Apply a small amount with a cotton swab after cleaning
then move the jewelry gently so it gets into the wound. Remove any excess
with a tissue as leaving it on can cause the skin to become irritated.
It may be purchased at supermarkets in the medicine section.
4. Don't pull you naval up to look at the piercing as this will aggravate
the wound. It's there for other people to see. If you want to see it looks
in the mirror
5. Don't wear tight clothes such as tight jeans or skirts during the
healing process. They can cause the piercing to grow out, which means
that the piece of flesh taken by the piercing gradually diminishes until
the ring finally comes out; after the piercing is healed you may wear
anything you like. Try to avoid synthetic fabrics that don't let the wound
breath. Try to wear clothes that give the piercing as much fresh air as
possible.
6. Don't hang chains or charms on your navel ring until the piercing
is fully healed. They can get caught and tear the wound and hamper the
healing process.
Related Topics
Body Piercing :: General Information
Body Piercing ::
The Aftercare Programme
Sites of Body Piercing
Body Piercing :: Specific Aftercare of Sites
Risk of Body Piercing
Tattooing
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