SUGGESTED AFTERCARE GUIDELINES FOR BODY PIERCING

CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS FOR BODY PIERCING
~ WASH your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason.
~SOAP no more than once or twice a day, with a mild, fragrance-free liquid soap, preferably anti-microbial or germicidal. While showering, lather up a pearl size drop of the soap to clean the jewelry and the piercing. Leave the cleanser on the piercing for sixty seconds, then rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of the soap from the piercing. It is not necessary to rotate the jewelry through the piercing.
~DRY by gently patting with clean, disposable paper products. Cloth towels can harbor bacteria and snag on jewelry, causing injury.

WHAT IS NORMAL?
~INITIALLY: some bleeding, localized swelling, tenderness, or bruising.
~DURING HEALING: some discoloration, itching, secretion of a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) that will form some crust on the jewelry. The tissue may tighten around the jewelry as it heals.
~ONCE HEALED: the jewelry may not move freely in the piercing; DO NOT force it, if you fail to include cleaning your piercing as  a part of your daily hygiene routine, normal but smelly bodily secretions may accumulate.
~A piercing may seem healed before the healing process is complete. This is because they heal from the outside in, and although it feels fine, the tissue remains fragile on the inside. BE PATIENT, and keep cleaning throughout the entire healing period.
~Even a healed piercing can shrink or close in minutes after having been there for years! This varies from person to person; if you like your piercing, keep jewelry in –
do not leave it empty.
WHAT TO DO
~Wash your hands prior to touching the piercing; leave it alone except when cleaning. During healing, it is not necessary to rotate your jewelry.
~Make sure your bedding is washed and changed regularly. Wear clean, comfortable, breathable clothing that protects your piercing while you are sleeping.
~Showers tend to be safer then taking baths, as bathtubs can harbor bacteria.
WHAT TO AVOID
~Avoid all oral contact, rough play and contact with other’s bodily fluids on or near your piercing during healing.
~Avoid submerging the piercing in unhygienic bodies of water such as lakes, pools, hot tubs, etc. Or, protect your piercing using a waterproof wound-sealant bandage (such as Tegaderm). These are available at most drugstores.
~Avoid ALL beauty products and personal care products on or around the piercing including cosmetics, lotions, sprays, etc.
~Don’t hang charms or any object from your jewelry until the piercing is fully healed.

FOR PARTICULAR AREAS

Each body is unique and healing times vary considerably.
If you have any questions, please contact your piercer.

NAVEL
~A hard, vented eye patch (sold at pharmacies) can be applied under tight clothing )such as nylon stockings) or secured using a length of ACE bandage around the body (to avoid irritation from adhesive). This can protect the area from restrictive clothing, excess irritation, and impact during physical activities such as contact sports.

EAR/EAR CARTILAGE & FACIAL
~Use the t-shirts trick: Dress your pillow in a large, clean t-shirt and turn it nightly; one t-shirt provides four clean surfaces for sleeping.
~Maintain cleanliness of telephones, headphones, eyeglasses, helmets, hats, and anything that contacts the pierced area.
~Use caution when styling your hair and advise your stylist of a new or healing piercing.

NIPPLES
~The support of a tight cotton shirt or sports bra may provide protection and feel comfortable, especially for sleeping.

GENITAL
~Genital piercing – especially Prince Alberts, Ampallangs, and Apadravyas – can bleed freely for the first few days. Be prepared.
~Urinate after using soap to clean any piercing that is near the urethra.
~Wash your hands before touching on or near a healing piercing.
~In most cases you can engage in sexual activity as soon as you feel ready, but maintaining hygiene and avoiding trauma are vital; all sexual activates should be gentle during the healing period.
~To increase comfort and decrease trauma, soak in warm saline solution or plain water to remove any crusty matter prior to sexual activity.
~Use barriers such as condoms, dental dams, and waterproof bandages, etc, to avoid contact with your partner’s body fluids, even in monogamous relationships.
~Use clean, disposable barriers on sex toys.
~Use a new container of water-based lubricant, do not use saliva.
~After sex, an additional saline soak or clean water rinse is suggested.