Aftercare

A mild, liquid anti-bacterial is required to aid the healing process. Be wary of inferior products and those not designed for body piercing, in most cases these will have a detrimental effect on the healing of your piercing, damaging the exposed skin cells instead of allowing them to heal, and drying out the surrounding skin instead of keeping it moisturised. At Urban Piercings we sell a solution from Metal Morphosis specifically designed for body piercing. (For more information on Metal Morphosis cleaning solution; please click here.) It is a mild, anti-bacterial with moisturising properties that will keep your piercing both clean and moisturised. Another solution we can recommend is a sea salt and water mix. Simply add a teaspoon of granulated sea salt to a cup of boiling water and allow to cool down to body temperature. A good substitute for sea salt water that will give the same effect without the time consuming mixing is saline solution. Be aware that a sea salt solution or saline solution lacks the moisturising properties of the Metal Morphosis solution. If you are in any doubt as to the various cleaning solutions available, or that you have already used please contact Urban Piercings.

Your piercing will need to be cleaned twice daily throughout the healing process. Firstly ensure you wash your hands prior to contact with your piercing with an anti-bacterial soap and hot water. The plasma or ‘crust’ will need to be removed from the piercing and jewellery, in order to allow access to the skin cells beneath it and your piercing. Often it is advisable to clean your piercing after a bath or shower, this way the excess plasma or ‘crust’ will be loosened, and a lot easier to clean away. A cotton wool bud, soaked with warm water placed on the jewellery and rotated will be the easiest way to remove it. Once the piercing site is free and visibly clean, soak a fresh cotton wool bud with your Metal Morphosis cleaning solution. Place it against your piercing and ensure the solution comes into contact with the skin all around the jewellery. Gentle rotation of the jewellery ensures the solution is worked into the piercing. If you are using the sea salt solution a cotton wool pad is more effective. Soak the entire pad with your sea salt solution and press it against your piercing, allowing two to three minuets for it to fully soak into your piercing. If you have any queries about the cleaning procedure please contact Urban Piercings.

Ideally your piercing will need to look as if it had never been pierced, (with the obvious addition of the jewellery!). No redness, swelling or inflammation should be visible and the piercing should not feel sore or itch. Unfortunately the temperamental nature of body piercing and indeed your body means that outside influences such as ill health and stress can cause your piercing to revert to an earlier stage of healing. Should this happen simply continue to clean your piercing. If you are unsure whether your piercing is fully healed feel free to visit Urban Piercings and ask your piercer’s advice.

An anti-inflammatory, such as Ibuprofen, can be used as advised on the packet. Though generally un-necessary it can help initial swelling and resultant discomfort. Please ask your pharmacist for advice. Many people have found zinc supplement or arnica tablets greatly increase healing times by boosting the body’s natural defence systems, so providing natural assistance. These both can be purchased from your local health food shop.

Plasters and other patches, even surgical patches, should not be worn for any lengthy periods of time. They will ‘suffocate’ the piercing and make it sweat, causing your piercing to harbour more bacteria un-necessarily. Avoid bodily fluid contact with your piercing, including saliva. This is particularly important within the first three to four days as your piercing will not have been able to effectively seal itself off, leaving it open to bacteria and inviting infection. Alcohol, particularly in large quantities will thin your blood, causing your piercing to continue to bleed. This will also slow down the rate at which the blood will congeal, leaving your piercing open for longer and increasing the chances of an infection. Finally avoid touching or allowing others to touch your piercing outside of the cleaning process. Excessive irritation to your piercing will drastically lengthen the healing process, and greatly prolong the initial period of discomfort and irritation.

Naval: Avoid tight or restrictive clothing including high waist bands and large belt buckles. Cartilage and nostril; Through experience cartilage piercings should not be rotated during the cleaning process and any un-necessary movement should be avoided. This includes any un-necessary movement at all. Because of the delicate nature of cartilage, movement aggravates the site and can drastically prolong the healing time. As long as the correct solution and method is applied, the cleaning solution will find its way into the piercing perfectly well. Generally your piercing….reach through. If your….of its own accord. Nipple: Women may find a padded or sports bra will be more comfortable for the initial few days. It is also recommended to wear an old tee-shirt to bed as nipple piercings often bleed the first night after having them pierced

A non-alcohol based, anti-septic mouthwash is required in the healing process of your oral piercing. Urban Piercings sell an anti-septic mouthwash from Metal Morphosis, specifically created for oral piercings. This mouthwash is not alcohol based, is highly effective in healing oral piercings, and is highly recommended. (For more information on Metal Morphosis cleaning solution; please click here.) Alternatively a sea-salt and water mixture can be used. Simply mix a teaspoon of granulated sea salt into a cup of boiling water and allow to cool to body temperature before use. While being effective in its gentleness, a sea salt solution will lack the variety of healing properties found in the Metal Morphosis anti-septic mouthwash. It is strongly recommended to avoid other mouthwashes as most have a high alcohol content, which will have a detrimental effect on the healing process of your oral piercing. Many are too strong and will just damage the delicate, and exposed skin cells. If you are in any doubt as to the various mouthwashes available to you, please feel free to contact Urban Piercings.

Your oral piercing will need to be cleaned two to three times daily throughout the healing process. Simply dilute your mouthwash one part mouthwash and one part water, then gently gargle for one to two minutes. Not a great deal of mouthwash is needed, the lid of your Metal Morphosis mouthwash serves as a good measuring aid. It is also recommended that a soft bristled toothbrush is used to brush your tongue, gently removing any plaque forming around the piercing. This process should ideally be carried out after brushing your teeth. If you choose to use a sea salt water solution then the same process applies. If you have any queries concerning the cleaning procedure, contact Urban Piercings.

Ideally your piercing will need to look as if it had never been pierced, (with the obvious addition of the jewellery!). No redness, swelling or inflammation should be visible, and the piercing should not feel sore or itch. Unfortunately the temperamental nature of body piercing and indeed your body means that outside influences, such as ill health and stress, can cause your piercing to revert to an earlier stage of healing. Should this happen simply continue to clean your piercing. If you are unsure whether your piercing is fully healed feel free to visit Urban Piercings, and ask your piercers’ advice.

An anti-inflammatory such as Ibuprofen can be used as advised on the packet. Though generally un-necessary it can help initial swelling and resultant discomfort. Please ask your pharmacist for advice. Many people have found zinc supplement or arnica tablets greatly increase healing times by boosting the body’s natural defence systems, so providing natural assistance. These both can be purchased from your local health food shop.

The first three to four days are the most important in the healing process of your oral piercings. Solid food is best avoided, as the stress placed on your piercing during chewing will prolong the time it will be swollen and sore. Also alcohol consumption is inadvisable. Alcohol will thin your blood causing your piercing to bleed, thus delaying the time it takes for your body to seal the wound and allowing excessive bacteria into your piercing. It will also increase the initial swelling time, greatly adding to the discomfort this will cause. After the initial three to four days, a degree of common sense is required. If what you are eating or drinking causes discomfort, then avoid it until the healing process has advanced sufficiently. Contact with other people’s bodily fluid is also inadvisable for the first two to three weeks due to the amount of bacteria contained within saliva, and other bodily fluid.

With genital piercings, particularly women, a cleaning solution as close to the p.h balance of your body is required, and it is for this reason that we recommend sea salt water baths for the after care of your genital piercing.

Your genital piercing will need to be cleaned twice daily for the entire healing process. The two methods available to you are a sea salt water bath or compress. For the bath simply run a warm, shallow bath and, add to it a table spoon of sea salt and soak your piercing for five to ten minuets. This method is particularly effective if you are finding your piercing extremely uncomfortable as it will soothe as well as clean. Alternatively use a sea salt water compress by mixing a tea spoon of sea salt into a cup of boiling water, allow to cool to body temperature and soak a cotton wool pad with your solution, then press against your piercing allowing two or three minuets to fully soak into your piercing.

Ideally your piercing will need to look as if it had never been pierced, (with the obvious addition of the jewellery!). No redness, swelling or inflammation should be visible, and the piercing should not feel sore or itch. Unfortunately the temperamental nature of body piercing and indeed your body means that outside influences, such as ill health and stress, can cause your piercing to revert to an earlier stage of healing. Should this happen simply continue to clean your piercing. If you are unsure whether your piercing is fully healed feel free to visit Urban Piercings, and ask your piercer’s advice.

An anti-inflammatory such as Ibuprofen can be used as advised on the packet. Though generally un-necessary it can help initial swelling and resultant discomfort. Please ask your pharmacist for advice. Many people have found zinc supplement or arnica tablets greatly increase healing times by boosting the body’s natural defence systems, so providing natural assistance. These both can be purchased from your local health food shop. Sanitary towels are beneficial to both male and female genital piercings in order to keep your piercing cushioned and absorb any blood. Also slightly tight underwear will help your piercing remain comfortable.

Avoid bodily fluid contact with others, even in a monogamous relationship. Bodily fluid, including saliva, carries bacteria which will hinder the healing process. Use a latex barrier (condom) during sex and always ensure that the piercing is thoroughly cleaned after physical intimacy.