Precision Body Arts Piercing Aftercare Suggestions
We are not doctors, any suggestion made in this form is based on the experience of our staff along with that of other professionals in this field and is not intended to be presented as medical advice.
This form has been prepared by Precision Body Arts and may not be reproduced in any way without written permission.

Your piercing has been done under clean, professional conditions.
Now it's up to you to take proper care of it. The chances of infection are minimal if aftercare instructions are followed properly. We have found that most problems/irritations occur when:

  • Handling the piercing with unwashed hands.
  • Being too rough with an unhealed piercing.
  • Oral contact with the piercing, your body's fluids or someone else's.
  • Improper cleaning, using too much or inappropriate cleaning agents.

Swimming in unclean or clorinated water is strongly discouraged for the first 4-6weeks. Stay out of any body of water including: oceans, pools, and hot tubs. They are filled with bacteria and can quickly lead to infection. If you must go in these areas be sure to ear a waterproof bandage and clean your piercing afterwards thoroughly.

How will I know if my piercing is infected or irritated?
Slight redness is normal for the first few days up to two weeks. There will be a discharge of a white/slightly yellow color, this is also normal. This discharge is called lymph, it is a natural substance that your body secretes during the healing process, do not mistake this for puss which is a thick, dark green discharge. Typical signs of irritation/infection are:

  • Continued excessive redness
  • Swelling or hardness
  • Pain or sensation of heat in the area
  • Thick, dark green discharge

What should I do if I think I have an infection?
It is usually best not to remove jewelry in a piercing you suspect may be irritated or infected since this will close off any passageway for the discharge to escape. If you think the problem is serious come in for your piercer to look at it or visit a piercing knowledgeable doctor immediately.

How will I know if my piercing is rejecting?
Remember, all piercings can reject, though some have a higher tendency to do so. There is usually little or no pain associated with rejection. The signs to watch for are:

  • Enlargement of the openings of the piercing, along with some redness.
  • Discharge of a clear fluid.
  • Itching and rash. This can be caused by the cleaning agents you are using, before panicking, change the cleaning agent and see if there is an improvement.

What do I do if my piercing is rejecting?
Not all bodies will accept the piercing you have selected. Sometimes trying a different type of material in the piercing will help improve the piercing. Should your piercing show signs of rejection get in touch with your piercer as soon as possible.

How can I help my piercing heal?

  • Do not touch or play with your piercing excessively or with unwashed hands.
  • Eat a nutritious diet, a multi-vitamin may help also
  • A zinc supplement taken for the first week or two after a piercing can also help with speedy healing. Consult a Doctor or Pharmacist for recommendations.
  • Clean your piercing on a regular schedule and stick to it.
  • Consider following the aftercare suggestions provided to you.

    It is always important to make sure you start your aftercare procedure by washing your hands. Remember that your hands come in more contact with germs and bacteria than any other part of you body, so it is important that you don't transfer those germs to your new piercing. The correct aftercare product is also very important, using the wrong type of chemical or substance on a piercing can greatly impede or prevent proper healing. It is suggested that you use only products outlined in this sheet.
    Healing time is different for everyone, and every piercing. Some piercings may heal very fast; earlobes for instance can heal in a few weeks. While cartilage piercings can take six months or up to a year to heal completely. It is important to leave jewelry in a new piercing during the initial healing period, although you may think it is healed it may still take several weeks or months for the piercing to "toughen" up. We suggest leaving initial jewelry in your piercing for between two and four months minimally. If you have any questions about changing or removing jewelry feel free to call or stop by.

Non-Oral Piercings: Facial, Ear, Nipple, Navel, Surface, etc.
*Thoroughly clean your piercing daily in the shower using an antimicrobial soap such as Satin. Allow warm running water to help remove any dried build-up on the piercing. Lather the soap onto the jewelry and piercing, next slowly move the jewelry through the piercing to work soap in, it is crucial that you remove any dried matter from the jewelry prior to rotating. Allow soap to be in contact with the piercing for one full minute, then rinse. Thoroughly rinse the piercing under fresh running water, do not leave any soap on the piercing or jewelry as this may agitate or over-dry the piercing.
*You will also want to clean your piercing additional times daily either under the above mentioned way, or by using a mixture of Sea Salt and warm clean water (mixing instruction for sea salt solution are at the end of this aftercare packet). For using Sea Salt place the solution on a clean cotton swab, do not use a cotton swab on more than one side of one piercing so you do not transfer bacteria. Use the solution soaked cotton swab to gently work away any dried up discharge on the jewelry. Once all build up has been removed gently move the jewelry back and forth through the piercing to work some solution into the skin. We suggest you clean your piercing about two times daily for the first 4-6weeks. After the first six weeks cleaning multiple times daily is not required but daily cleaning in the shower is strongly suggested to maintain a healthy piercing.Try not to over clean you piercing, this could over dry your skin slowing the healing process. Also use caution when changing clothes so you don't catch or snag any jewelry.
*Special note on Facial piercings: Do not apply make-up in the direct area of a piercing as this will clog the site and cause irritation.
*Special note on Ear piercings: Make sure to not put any public phones directly on a freshly pierced ear, make sure to use a tissue or barrier against bacteria. Disinfecting home or work telephones prior to use is also suggested to prevent irritation.
*Special note on piercings below the neck: Do not wear tight or restrictive clothing especially during the first four to six weeks; this can cause severe irritation especially to navels and surface piercings. Also, make sure you do not wash your clothes in a detergent that may agitate a fresh piercing, perfumes and bleaches often do this.
*Special note on Surface piercings: These piercings can take extra time to heal due to location. It is crucial that you adhere closely to the aftercare provided to you. You can also use pure vitamin E oil once daily to help condition the area and reduce scar tissue. If you think you may be having difficulty healing a surface piercing consult your piercer.
*Special note on Genital piercings: It is crucial to use limit sexual contact and use barriers (condoms, etc.) for at least the first three to six months to prevent infection and STDs.
*Speciall note on increasing jewelry size (stretching your piercing): It is crucial to wait until your piercing is fully healed before you increase jewelry thickness so as not to cause healing problems or scarring. Once healed a piercing should never be stretched more than one gauge size per every six (6) weeks. Stretching too fast can easily lead to severe scarring. If you have any questions about stretching a piercing consult your body piercer.

Oral Piercings: Tongue, Lip, Labret, Monroe, Scrumper, etc.
*It is crucial not to engage in oral contact of any kind with any unhealed piercing, this means no deep kissing with a new piercing for at least the fist 4-6weeks!
*Oral piercings must be cleaned with a mouthwash that will help promote the bodies natural healing and not impede healing by using harsh chemicals, it is for this reason that we no longer suggest Listerine due to it's high alcohol content. We also no longer suggest the use of peroxide based mouthwashes such as Peroxyl or Gly-Oxide. Although widely used in the body piercing field as aftercare agents we find that these products disrupt the natural Ph balance in the mouth and cause over-drying of the mucus membranes. And in some cases where they are over used they can help contribute to Candida albicans better known as Thrush, a type of oral yeast infection. It is for this reason that we suggest the use of mouthwashes with mild yet highly effective antiseptics of a non-alcohol base such as Biotene or Tech 2000 (biotene is available at most major drug stores).
*Care for oral piercings is simple, after meals, or drinks other than bottled water rinse your mouth out with the above-mentioned mouthwashes. It is suggested that you rinse your mouth out between 6 and 8 times daily for the first month. After the first month you can start cutting down your daily usage to just a few times a day. After the first 6 weeks multiple cleanings per day are not required, but once daily cleaning is suggested to maintain a healthy piercing.
*For lip or cheek piercings clean the inside tissue as mentioned in the above section by rinsing with an antiseptic mouthwash three to five times daily for the first 4 to 6 weeks. Clean the outside tissue as outlined in the facial piercings section with a Sea Salt water solution. (Instructions for the sea salt solution mixture at end of cleaning instructions). Also wash the outer tissue daily in the shower with an antibacterial soap such as Satin. Be sure to rinse off any cleaning product residue from the outer tissue with fresh water after use.
*The area of an oral piercing will swell, it is for this reason that we stress the importance or eating soft foods for the first three to five days or until you have adjusted to you new piercing so as not to bite the jewelry. It is also suggested that you reduce the intake of hot or spicy food, excessively salty foods, alcohol, tobacco products, or orally ingested drugs. To reduce the swelling we suggest that you chew on crushed up ice or drink ice water, this will greatly reduce the amount of swelling and discomfort. Taking pain medicine is at your discretion, consult your local pharmacist or physician for recommendations. Smoking can also irritate a new oral piercing so you may want to consider limiting intake of tobacco products for the first few weeks.
*You may want to consider changing oral piercing jewelry once the intital healing period is up (6-8 weeks) to a slightly shorter piece to lessen potential tooth and gum damage.
*It is crucial not to engage in oral contact of any kind with any unhealed peircing, this means no deep kissing or oral sex with a new piercing for at least the first 6-8 weeks.

*Below we've listed the names and brief descriptions for the aftercare products mentioned in this form, we have also listed some alternatives in the event that you cannot locate your primary aftercare products. Most of these products can be obtained through your piercer, piercing supply stores, or your local pharmacy. Consult your piercer if you have any problems with your aftercare products. In most cases we have found that Sea Salt solution works best for most piercings.

-Soaps-
Satin (preferred aftercare)- antimicrobial soaps containing PCMX (chloroxylenol), very effective at fighting bacteria but still very gentle to the skin. Dial / Softsoap- antibacterial soaps with the active ingredient triclosan can be over-drying and irritating to some. if you are using an antibacterial soap try using the sensitive skin version of that product to avoid excess dyes and perfumes.
Castile- Dr. Bronner's peppermint castile soap is a natural alternative for those with high chemical sensitivities, it does however have very little antibacterial effect.
-Topical Cleansers-
Sea Salt Solution (preferred aftercare)- very gentle on skin but also highly effective as an aftercare agent. Bactine- a liquid antibacterial with an anesthetic quality, containing the chemicals benzalkonium chloride and lidocaine it may cause irritation to mucous membranes.
-Mouthwashes-
 Biotene / Tech 2000 (preferred aftercare)- antimicrobial mouthwashes, highly effective at reducing bacteria while also being very gentle on oral tissue. Listerine- an antiseptic mouthwash, very irritating due to high alcohol content, it also over-dries the mouth which greatly impedes the healing process.
Gly-Oxide / Peroxyl- peroxide based mouthwashes which lift out debris, these products can weaken your mouths ability to heal naturally, this may lead to thrush, dry mouth, and other complications.

- Never use any harsh chemicals or ointments on your piercing such as; hibiclens, betadine / iodine, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or antibiotic ointments as they will greatly impede the healing process and possibly cause damage to your skin.

A natural alternative to chemical antiseptics is a Sea Salt water solution. Dissolve 1/4 a teaspoon of sea salt in eight ounces of warm clean water. Use on a cotton swab to clean you piercing daily. You can also use sea salt water as a soak or compress to help heal irritated piercings. Used daily this can help speed up the healing process safely and effectively. Make sure you do not use the salt soak too frequently as this can over-dry your skin. Use only pure sea salt with no additives or preservatives, which is available at some supermarkets, vitamin stores, and all health food stores. DO NOT USE: table salt or epsom salt, these are not the same as sea salt and will cause damage to your piercing.
-Taking a mild non-asprin, non-steroidal pain medication (Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, etc.) is at your discretion. If you do choose to use a pain medication consult a doctor or pharmacist for recommendations and follow package instructions.

Thank you for choosing Precision Body Arts. If you have any questions feel free to contact Ryan, PBA's senior piercer.
Shop#: 1-603-889-5788
Visit us online at: www.PrecisionBodyArts.com

We are not doctors, any suggestion made in this form is based on the experience of our staff along with that of other professionals in this field and is not intended to be presented as medical advice.
This form has been prepared by Precision Body Arts and may not be reproduced in any way without written permission.

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