Piercing Aftercare
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW PIERCING!
Now the successful healing and enjoyment of your new piercing is up to you!
Please refer to the below information for aftercare instructions specific to your new piercing, information on when you can change your jewellery and how long it takes to heal.
Do not touch, twist, or turn the jewellery in your piercing while it is healing. Your piercing may form scabs around the jewellery, this is a normal part of the healing process. Do NOT pick the scabs off, as they are there to protect your piercing. You may remove the scabs while cleaning, only with a cotton bud, and only if the scabs are ready to fall off easily. Do NOT be too rough and over-clean your new piercing.
Any touching or twisting of the jewellery will slow down the healing process, and increase your chance of an infection. Remember that a healing piercing is an open wound, and touching with your fingers can introduce harmful bacteria. If you must touch your piercing, then you must wash and dry your hands thoroughly first.
Throughout the healing process you may notice redness, swelling, tenderness and some excretion of fluids. These are all a normal part of the healing process. If you are nervous about knocking or bumping, you can cover the piercing with a plaster.
RECOMMENDED CLEANING SOLUTIONS
Simcha Saline Spray: Available from Keen on Piercing for $8.
Salt Water Solution: Mix half a cup of boiled water (cooled) with half a teaspoon of salt - a fresh solution made every 24 hours.
Oral / Mouth Piercing Aftercare
Mouthwash: Alcohol free and diluted with water so you can barely see the mouthwash but still taste it.
Salt Water Solution: Mix half a cup of boiled water (cooled) with half a teaspoon of salt - a fresh solution made every 24 hours.
If you are experiencing increased levels of irritation and, or redness please contact us via
Phone, Facebook or Instagram.
The staff at Keen on Piercing are always happy to answer any questions you may have, as well as offering free cleans and check ups.
We are happy to help with the selection of new jewellery for your piercing when it is ready to be changed, a fitting fee applies for us to change it for you.
There is always a piercer on premises at all times so please do not hesitate to contact us.
EAR LOBE PIERCING
To care for your new ear lobe piercing you should clean it with one of the recommended Skin Piercing Aftercare solutions morning and night. Apply the solution to a cotton bud and gently clean around the jewellery on both sides of the piercing to remove any scabs/crust. Continue this for at least the first 2 months, and then until your piercing is no longer producing any scabs or crust.
Please ensure that the piercing is kept clean and dry after it gets wet. Excess moisture, especially behind the ears, can cause irritation and slow down the healing process. After any swimming, or showering, clean with one of the Skin Piercing Aftercare solutions and dry with a cotton bud. Do not leave wet hair resting against the piercing while it is healing.
You can generally change the jewellery in your lobe piercing after 8-12 weeks - downsizing is recommended to reduce movement/irritation for the final healing stage, which can take up to 6 months.
CARTILAGE PIERCING
To care for your new cartilage piercing you should clean it with one of the recommended Skin Piercing Aftercare solutions morning and night. Apply the solution to a cotton bud and gently clean around the jewellery on both sides of the piercing to remove any scabs/crust. Continue this for at least the first 2 months, and then until your piercing is no longer producing any scabs or crust.
Please ensure that the piercing is kept clean and dry after it gets wet. Excess moisture, especially behind the ears, can cause irritation and slow down the healing process. After any swimming, or showering, clean with one of the Skin Piercing Aftercare solutions and dry with a cotton bud. Do not leave wet hair resting against the piercing while it is healing.
Cartilage piercings are extremely sensitive while healing, so please avoid knocking, bumping and sleeping on the piercing as much as possible.
You can generally change the jewellery in your cartilage piercing after 6 months - downsizing is recommended to reduce movement of the jewellery for the final stages of healing which can take up to 12 months.
EAR LOBE AND CARTILAGE SYSTEM 75:
The butterfly at the back of your earring has been placed as far back on the stud as possible. It needs to remain in this position for the entire healing period to allow room for swelling and cleaning of the piercing.
NOSE PIERCING
To care for your new nose piercing you should clean it with one of the recommended Skin Piercing Aftercare solutions morning and night. Apply the solution to a cotton bud and gently clean around the jewellery on both sides of the piercing to remove any scabs/crust. Continue this for at least the first 2 months, and then until your piercing is no longer producing any scabs or crust.
Nose piercings are extremely sensitive to knocking and bumping! Twisting, turning and any general touching will cause the piercing to swell and will increase the healing time. If your piercing is knocked or touched often, a small lump may form beside the piercing known as hypertrophic scarring. This lump is your body’s way of protecting your piercing from knocks and bumps and is very common. Please contact the store for more information on how to care for this.
You can generally change the jewellery in your nose piercing after 2-3 months, if your piercing is pain free and not causing any issues, and the piercing can take 6 months to fully heal.
NOSE PIERCING - SIMCHA Cartridge
To care for your new nose piercing you should clean it with one of the recommended Skin Piercing Aftercare solutions morning and night. Apply the solution to a cotton bud and gently clean around the jewellery on both sides of the piercing to remove any scabs/crust. Continue this for at least the first 2 months, and then until your piercing is no longer producing any scabs or crust.
Nose piercings are extremely sensitive to knocking and bumping! Twisting, turning and any general touching will cause the piercing to swell and will increase the healing time. If your piercing is knocked or touched often, a small lump may form beside the piercing known as hypertrophic scarring. This lump is your body’s way of protecting your piercing from knocks and bumps and is very common. Please contact the store for more information on how to care for this.
Your jewellery is one whole piece, and the end of the stud is slightly thicker to prevent it from falling out. We do recommend sleeping with a plaster over the jewellery for the first 1-2 weeks for peace of mind that it will not come out while you sleep.
You can generally change the jewellery in your nose piercing after 2-3 months, if your piercing is pain free and not causing any issues, and the piercing can take 6 months to fully heal.
SEPTUM PIERCING
To care for your new septum piercing you should clean it with one of the recommended Skin Piercing Aftercare solutions morning and night. Apply the solution to a cotton bud and gently clean around the jewellery on both sides of the piercing to remove any scabs/crust. Continue this for at least the first 2 months, and then until your piercing is no longer producing any scabs or crust.
If you have chosen a circular (horseshoe) and need to have it hidden:
You may choose to wear the jewellery tucked up into your nose for the entire healing process.
You should keep the jewellery in the same position for at least the first 4-6 weeks - please refrain from moving it up and down for this time.
When you do need to flip it up or down, wash your hands thoroughly and clean the piercing with one of the Skin Piercing Aftercare solutions before moving the jewellery.
After your piercing has fully heaed (generally about 6 months) you can tuck it up and down as needed.
You can generally change the jewellery in your septum piercing after 2-3 months, and the piercing can take 6 months to fully heal.
NAVEL PIERCING
To care for your new navel piercing you should clean it with one of the recommended Skin Piercing Aftercare solutions morning and night. Apply the solution to a cotton bud and gently clean around the jewellery on both sides of the piercing to remove any scabs/crust. Continue this for at least the first 6 months, and then until your piercing is no longer producing any scabs or crust.
Please wear a plaster over your piercing for at least the first two weeks - changing this twice a day to clean the piercing, and replacing with a fresh plaster. We also recommend wearing a plaster over your piercing when wearing any clothing that may rub against it, or when doing any physical activity.
For at least the first 3-6 months, you will need to avoid high-waisted clothing or anything that will put pressure directly onto the piercing or jewellery, and avoid sleeping on your stomach.
You can generally change the jewellery in your navel piercing after 6 months of healing. At this point you may consider downsizing the bar to reduce movement/irritation for the last stages of healing, which can take up to 12 months.
NIPPLE PIERCING
To care for your new nipple piercing you should clean it with one of the recommended Skin Piercing Aftercare solutions morning and night. Apply the solution to a cotton bud and gently clean around the jewellery on both sides of the piercing to remove any scabs/crust. Continue this for at least the first 6 months, and then until your piercing is no longer producing any scabs or crust.
Females- we suggest that for the 1st few weeks that you keep something clean on the inside of your bra like a folded piece of tissue/ panty liner/ breast pad. This is to protect your nipple piercing and give it something clean every day to rub up against. We also suggest that you wear a tight singlet or bra to bed for the first few weeks, this will protect your piercing from knocking or too much movement while you're asleep.
Males- we suggest that for the 1st few weeks that you cover your nipple with a plaster daily, to avoid too much movement or knocking the jewellery.
You can generally change the jewellery in your nipple piercing after 6 months of healing - downsizing is recommended to reduce movement/irritation for the last stages of healing, which can take up to 12 months.
SURFACE PIERCING
To care for your new surface piercing you should clean it with one of the recommended Skin Piercing Aftercare solutions morning and night. Apply the solution to a cotton bud and gently clean around the jewellery on both sides of the piercing to remove any scabs/crust. Continue this for at least the first 3 months, and then until your piercing is no longer producing any scabs or crust.
For the first 2-4 weeks, please keep the piercing covered with a plaster (one plaster over each end of the piercing if required), changing this twice a day to clean the piercing and replace with a fresh plaster.
Surface piercings can migrate slightly during healing. This is where the skin thins out and the jewellery moves forward from where it was originally pierced. This is very common and typically it will settle into position and continue to heal successfully.
In some cases, surface piercings can reject or grow out completely. This is where the piercing does not settle and continues to move forward. You may notice a red/purple line between each side of the jewellery, and the skin thinning out more. If this does happen then we would recommend removing the jewellery to avoid more serious scarring.
We recommend downsizing the jewellery after 2-3 months, if it is healing well and not causing any issues. This will reduce movement/irritation for the final stages of healing which can take up to 6 months.
DERMAL ANCHOR
A dermal anchor is a semi-permanent single point surface piercing that can be placed almost anywhere on the body. 4mm underneath your skin there is a small “t” shaped plate, with one side longer than the other. This plate has 3 small holes designed so that the skin will grow into the plate, anchoring the dermal in place.
To ensure that your dermal anchor heals flush against the skin it is extremely important that you wear a plaster over it at all times for at least one month. This will ensure that the plate is constantly in the same place allowing for a much stronger anchor.
You will need to remove the plaster twice a day to clean the piercing with one of the recommended Skin Piercing Aftercare solutions. Apply the solution to a cotton bud and gently clean around the jewellery to remove any scabs or crust, then cover with a new plaster. Continue this cleaning for at least the first 3 months, and then until your piercing is no longer producing any scabs or crust. It can be difficult to clean underneath the jewellery, so you can also rinse the piercing thoroughly in the shower to loosen any scabs, then clean and dry it thoroughly after the shower.
The jewellery on top of your dermal anchor can be changed when the plate is completely anchored, which is usually after about 3 months. Full healing can take up to 6 months, however if you wish to keep your dermal piercing long term then you will need to continue caring for it as long as you have it. If you knock the piercing and it becomes tender, then you will need to cover it with a plaster for 3-5 days and clean it daily with a Skin Piercing Aftercare solution, to allow the damaged skin cells to recover.
If you have any concerns or would like to have your dermal piercing removed, please feel free to come in for a consultation.
LIP PIERCING
To care for your new lip piercing, you have two surfaces that require different cleaning - the inside and outside. Continue the following for at least the first 6 weeks, and then until your piercing is no longer producing any scabs or crust.
For the outside of your piercing you should clean it with one of the recommended Skin Piercing Aftercare solutions morning and night. Apply the solution to a cotton bud and gently clean around the jewellery on both sides of the piercing to remove any scabs/crust.
For the inside of your piercing you should rinse your mouth any time you eat, drink or smoke (this includes vaping), using one of the recommended Oral / Mouth Piercing Aftercare solutions.
During the first 2-4 weeks of healing, you will notice some redness and swelling. This is very normal and we will have pierced you with a longer labret bar to allow for this swelling. After at least two weeks and once the swelling has come down, it is important to downsize your jewellery to reduce movement/irritation for the final stages of healing which can take up to 4 months.
If you are interested in wearing a ring in your piercing, we do recommend waiting 2-3 months before you do this, as a ring will move around a lot more and slow down the healing process.
Please check the ball on your labret regularly to ensure it is still screwed on tightly, as they can loosen over time from talking/eating causing the jewellery to move.
TONGUE PIERCING
To care for your new tongue piercing you will need to rinse your mouth after eating, drinking or smoking (this includes vaping), with one of the recommended Oral / Mouth Piercing Aftercare solutions. Continue this for at least the first 3 weeks.
During the first 2-4 weeks of healing, you will notice some redness and swelling. This is very normal and we will have pierced you with a longer bar to allow for swelling. After at least two weeks and once the swelling has come down, it is important to downsize your jewellery to reduce movement/irritation for the final stages of healing which can take 2-3 months.
While you have the longer bar in your piercing, it is important to eat only soft foods eg. mashed potatoes, soup, and yoghurt. This is to avoid too much movement or potentially biting down onto the jewellery.
To reduce swelling and inflammation you can take ibuprofen, or suck on ice blocks and ice cubes.
Please check the balls on your barbell regularly to ensure they are still screwed on tightly, as they can loosen over time from talking/eating causing the jewellery to move.
WEB PIERCING
To care for your new web piercing you will need to rinse your mouth after eating, drinking or smoking (this includes vaping), with one of the recommended Oral / Mouth Piercing Aftercare solutions. Continue this for at least the first 3 weeks.
Be careful when eating for the first few weeks of healing - consider eating only soft foods to avoid too much movement or pressure on the piercing.
When brushing your teeth, gently lift the jewellery out of the way to brush without knocking the piercing or jewellery.
You can generally change the jewellery in the piercing after 3-4 weeks of healing. Full healing can take 2-3 months.
CHEEK PIERCING
To care for your new cheek piercing, you have two surfaces that require different cleaning - the inside and outside. Continue the following for at least the first 6 months, and then until your piercing is no longer producing any scabs or crust.
For the outside of your piercing you should clean it with one of the recommended Skin Piercing Aftercare solutions morning and night. Apply the solution to a cotton bud and gently clean around the jewellery on both sides of the piercing to remove any scabs/crust.
For the inside of your piercing you should rinse your mouth any time you eat, drink or smoke (this includes vaping), using one of the recommended
Oral / Mouth Piercing Aftercare solutions.
During the first few weeks of healing, you will notice some redness and swelling. This is very normal and we will have pierced you with a longer barbell to allow for this swelling. After at least three weeks of healing and the swelling has come down, it is important to downsize your jewellery to reduce movement/irritation. You may need to do this a few times throughout the healing process before wearing a snug fitting bar. If your piercing flares up or begins to swell again, you may need to switch back to a longer bar to allow it to settle.
Please check the balls on your barbell regularly to ensure it is still screwed on tightly, as they can loosen over time from talking/eating causing the jewellery to move.
Cheek piercings can take 8-12 months to fully heal.
HYPERTROPHIC SCARRING (IRRITATION BUMPS)
Hypertrophic scarring (irritation bumps) are the result of too much movement/irritation to a healing piercing. This can be knocking, touching, picking and sleeping on your piercing during this time. It will usually start to show as a small reddish bump next to the piercing. This is very common, but the bump may not go away on its own without some further treatment from you. We suggest that you purchase a bottle of Betadine Antiseptic Liquid from a pharmacy. Clean your piercing with betadine 1 x day at night, applying liberally with a cotton bud and pressing firmly on the bump. Leave the betadine to dry, this will temporarily stain your skin orange, when your skin is orange the active ingredient in the betadine is working. (Once the bumps starts to bleed, let it form a scab, generally once the scab falls off the bump will go).
You will also need to avoid touching and sleeping on your piercing as much as possible. In the morning clean excess betadine off with the recommended studex solution or salt water and a cotton bud. We suggest that you only use the betadine for 4 nights then rest for 4 nights and repeat until the bump has gone. (If you use the betadine too often, it will stop working as effectively). You should start to notice an improvement over the next 2-4 weeks.
Please do not hesitate to contact the store or make contact online, we are more than happy to answer any further questions you may have.
