Aftercare For New Piercings

NeilMed Piercing Aftercare is available for purchase at Captain Tattoo.

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IMPORTANT
Consult your piercer if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Redness or swelling that extends more than a quarter inch from the piercing.
• Thick yellow or greenish discharge.
• Continuous oozing or bleeding.
• If 48-72 hours after the piercing there is heat present.
• Red streaks coming from the piercing.

If an infection occurs get professional advice from your piercer or doctor before removing the jewelry. New piercings close very quickly sometimes within a few hours and may seal an infection in your body. Leaving the jewelry in allows drainage and may reduce complications such as an abscess.

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​CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ORAL PIERCINGS

​Swelling of the area is normal during the first part of healing. It can be reduced by allowing small pieces of ice to dissolve in your mouth. The majority of the swelling lasts for only 3-5 days. 

A new soft bristled toothbrush should be purchased to help reduce the number of bacteria that is introduced into your mouth.

Rinse mouth for 30-45 seconds with an alcohol-free antibacterial mouth rinse after meals during the entire initial healing time (2-4 weeks) Do not use more than three to four times daily and space the intervals throughout the entire day. You can also rinse your mouth briefly with *mild sea salt mixture* for 10-15 seconds instead but do not use the sea salt rinse method more than two times a day.
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If you are cleaning too often you can kill off the friendly bacteria in your mouth and the top of your tongue will start to turn a white to yellow color. If this happens continue to clean your piercing but reduce the number of times per day you are cleaning it.
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Plaque may form on oral jewelry commonly on the bottom ball or post. Scrub the barbell with a soft bristle toothbrush to remove. Make sure you do this gently during the healing period. 

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​CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS FOR BODY PIERCINGS

​WASH your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason.

SALINE soak for five to ten minutes once or more per day. Invert a cup of warm saline solution over the area to form a vacuum. For certain piercings it may be easier to apply using clean gauze or paper towels saturated with saline solution. A brief rinse afterward will remove any residue.

SOAP no more than once or twice a day. While showering, lather up a pearl size drop of the soap to clean the jewelry and the piercing. Leave the cleanser on the piercing no more than thirty seconds.

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.
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Depending on the type of body piercing you have, healing times can vary widely. Consult your piercer about how long it will take your piercing to heal. ​

CLEANING SOLUTIONS
Use one or both of the following solutions for healing piercings:

• A mild, fragrance-free liquid soap – preferably anti-microbial or germicidal.
• Packaged sterile saline solution with NO additives (read the label), or a NON-IODIZED SEA SALT MIXTURE (Dissolve ¼ teaspoon of non-iodized, iodine-free sea salt into one cup (8oz) of warm distilled or bottled water. A stronger mixture is not better; a saline solution that is too strong can irritate the piercing.)​

Consult your piercer, the APP website, or call  (888) 888 1APP for current suggested products.

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​WHAT TO AVOID
Avoid cleaning with Betadine, Hibiclens, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, Dial, or other harsh soaps as these can damage cells and inhibit new cell growth.
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Avoid Bactine, pierced ear solutions, and other products containing Benzalkonium Chloride (BZK). These can be irritating and are not intended for long term wound care.
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Avoid ointments as they prevent necessary air circulation. Having your piercing exposed to air is important for proper healing. Ointments are also very difficult to clean out of the piercing.
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Avoid all oral contact, and contact with others’ bodily fluids on or near your piercing during healing.
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Avoid undue trauma such as friction from clothing, excessive motion of the area, playing with the jewelry, and vigorous cleaning. These activities can cause the formation of unsightly and uncomfortable scar tissue, migration, prolonged healing, and other complications.
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Avoid over-cleaning. This can delay your healing and irritate your piercing.
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Avoid submerging the piercing in unhygienic bodies of water such as lakes, pools, hot tubs, etc. If you must then, protect your piercing using a waterproof wound-sealant bandage (such as 3M, Nexcare, Clean Seals). These are available at most drugstores.
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Avoid all beauty and personal care products on or around the piercing including cosmetics, lotions, and sprays, etc.
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Don’t hang charms or any object from your jewelry until the piercing is fully healed. 

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WHAT IS NORMAL
Initially some bleeding, bruising, swelling and discoloration are not uncommon. Any break in the skin including a new piercing can bleed or bruise. These are not indications of complications. For above the neck piercings try sleeping with your head elevated above your heart to limit overnight swelling.
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Tenderness or discomfort at the area of your new piercing is common. You may feel stinging, aching, burning or other unpleasant sensations on and off for several days or longer. During healing there may also be some itching. The tissue may tighten around the jewelry as it heals.
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Secretion of a fluid which contains blood plasma, lymph and dead cells is normal. It is whitish-yellow in color and forms a crust on the jewelry at the piercing site. This is not pus and indicates a healing piercing.
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Piercings may have a tendency to have a series of ups and downs during healing by seeming healed and then regressing. This is because tissue heals from the outside in, and although it feels fine, the interior remains fragile. BE PATIENT and keep cleaning the piercing throughout the entire healing time.
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Listen to your body when exercising or engaging in activities that affect the piercing area. If it hurts don’t do it. Clothing, cleaning solutions, and trauma to the piercing can cause irritation. If you experience irritation you probably need to change the way you are treating the piercing. Most infections are due to poor aftercare.
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Tightness is normal. Even once healed the jewelry may not move freely in the piercing. DO NOT FORCE IT.
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Once healed, if you fail to include cleaning your piercing as part of your daily hygiene routine, normal but smelly bodily secretions may accumulate discharging a substance called sebum. This is not pus and indicates a healed piercing. 

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​HELPFUL TIPS

Unless there is a problem with the size, style, or material of the initial jewelry, leave it in place for the entire healing period. See a qualified piercer to perform any jewelry change that becomes necessary during healing.
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Contact your piercer if your jewelry must be removed (such as for medical procedure). There are non-metallic jewelry alternatives available.
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Leave jewelry in at all times. Even old or well-healed piercings can shrink or close in minutes – even after having been there for years. If removed, re-insertion can be difficult or impossible.
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With clean hands or paper product, be sure to regularly check threaded ends on your jewelry for tightness. (“Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey.”)
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Carry a clean spare ball in case of loss or breakage.
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Should you decide you no longer want the piercing, simply remove the jewelry or have a professional piercer remove it, and continue cleaning the piercing until the hole closes. In most cases only a small mark will remain.
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EAR/EAR CARTILAGE & FACIAL: Use the t-shirt trick: Dress your pillow in a large, clean t-shirt and turn it nightly; one clean t-shirt provides four clean surfaces for sleeping. Maintain cleanliness of telephones, headphones, eyeglasses, helmets, hats, and anything that contacts your pierced area. Use caution when styling your hair and advise your stylist of a new or healing piercing.
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NAVEL: To protect the area from restrictive clothing, excess irritation, and impact during physical activities such as contact sports, 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).

If you take the time to heal your new piercing properly you will thank yourself. If you have any questions throughout the process you should not hesitate to contact your professional piercer.