Piercing Aftercare
Body After Care
Do:
- Drink plenty of water and take vitamins daily.
- Gently clean piercing once a day in the shower with Dr. Bronner’s soap (or other vegetable-based, liquid castile soap).
- Change bedsheets and clothing on a regular basis.
- Spray piercing with sterile saline spray 2-3 times daily.
- Avoid contact with foreign objects such as headphones, clothing, hair products, pet hair, etc.
- If a soak is needed, use warm, distilled water.
- Call if you have any problems questions or concerns.
Do not:
- Touch your piercing or allow others to touch it.
- Swim for 8-10 weeks.
- Use alcohol, peroxide, anti-bacterial soap, ointments, salt, BZK products (eg. Earcare solution, Bactine or Epsom salt).
- Rotate, move, or change jewelry.
- Clean piercing over a sink (only do it in the shower).
- Apply makeup, perfumes, hair products, or lotions to piercing site.
- Sleep on your piercing (donut-shaped pillows, like travel neck pillows, can help with this)
- Take advice from friends, and/or Google it.
Oral After Care
Do:
- Drink plenty of water.
- Rinse with alcohol-free mouth wash 3-5 times daily.
- Take Ibuprofen for swelling.
- Gently brush jewelry to avoid plaque buildup.
- Eat shaved or crushed ice, or popsicles.
- Call if you have any problems, questions, or concerns.
Do Not:
- Touch piercing or allow others to touch it.
- Eat spicy, hot, or acidic foods or juices.
- Drink alcohol until the piercing is healed.
- Rotate jewelry.
- Take advice from friends, and/or Google it.
Downsizing
Downsizing is the process of returning to your piercer to have the fit of your jewelry adjusted; because your tissue will swell a bit after being pierced, your jewelry needs to start out a little longer/larger in diameter to account for that swelling (trust us, you don’t want to start with tight fitting jewelry, oof). Downsizing is mainly needed for piercings done with studs or barbells, and around 4-8 weeks – depending on the piercing and how your specific healing is going – it’s a good idea to return to your piercer to have shorter posts put in. This can help reduce the issues that can arise from jewelry moving in the piercing, getting snagged or tangled in hair, and being slept on. It is not required, but tends to be better for the long-term health and happiness of your piercing.
Every studio is different, but there is often a small fee associated with the downsizing process to cover the cost of the new component(s) needed. At our studio, for example, the cost of a shorter post for your 4 week old nostril piercing will be discounted, and we don’t charge a jewelry change fee for downsizing.
