Body piercing aftercare information varies slightly from piercer to piercer as each piercer has their own experiences with certain healing techniques. A piercing is a wound – expect tenderness, swelling, and possibly bruising, itching and bleeding.

Here are some general guidelines, meant to help you care for your piercing:

• If your piercing becomes infected, go back and see your piercer for specific advice!
• If you follow your piercer’s advice and the infection is not getting better, visit your doctor right away!
• Never touch your piercing without washing your hands first!
• Wash your hands thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap before touching your new (healing) piercing.
• Clean it twice daily either during or immediately following a hot shower(will help soften your skin and loosen the crust at the base of your jewelry)
• Gently remove the crust from your jewelry with a tissue or swab (don’t use a face cloth as bacteria can be present).
• Gently wipe the jewelry and your piercing with your fingertips, moving the bar to wipe as much as possible
• Soak a tissue or cotton ball with a sea salt solution (like H2Ocean) and firmly press it on your piercing (5-10 minutes) then pat dry.
• For extreme sensitivity, an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen can help reduce swelling and pain.