Bodypiercing Aftercare
Proper care of your new piercing during the initial healing period will largely determine how well your piercing heals, and ultimately how good it looks. Remember, a piercing is basically a deep puncture wound and should be treated as such! NEVER  touch the jewelry or the area around the piercing with dirty hands.  In fact, even when cleaning, if a cotton swab can be used in place of your hands, this would be better. Always wear clean, loose fitting clothing that allows the piercing to breathe.  It is also important to make sure bed linens and pillow cases are washed regularly as they will collect dead skin, hair, and dust that can be harmful to your new piercing. Any kind of oral or sexual contact with new piercings should be avoided as well, as bacteria and viruses are easily transmitted through open wounds. New skin is fragile, so it’s important not to subject a fresh piercing to heavy play or tugging until it is fully healed.  Movement of jewelry during cleaning should be minimal as well.  If you follow your piercer’s instruction closely, your piercing will heal and look beautiful in the shortest possible time.

Basic Aftercare
For most piercings we recommend a combination of unscented glycerine, or a natural soap, and water, as well as saline solution ( 0.9% sodium chloride ), or ‘H2Ocean’.  ‘H2Ocean’ is available through our store. 
All piercings should be cleaned once to twice a day, as over cleaning can be irritating to your new piercing and therefor counter productive.  Morning and night are the best times to clean as your body does most of its healing while you rest. 
Always start by washing your hands!  Soaking the piercing prior to cleaning to loosen “crusty” matter ( dry lymph fluid ) around the jewelry is recommended to avoid tearing or trauma.  This can be done in the shower, or with warm saline in a “shot” glass.  Next, use a cotton swab to remove any lymph fluid left behind on the jewelry or around the piercing.  Be sure to dry the piercing thoroughly with a cotton swab after cleaning. 

*If using soap, it is best done in the shower to ensure thorough rinsing.  Try not to get too much soap inside the piercing, and avoid using “harsh” scented soaps or bodywash. 
*If you are mixing your own salt water / saline mixture, be sure it is mixed accurately.  If the mixture is too strong it can cause irritation and burning.  Mixture should be approximately 1% salt.  Mix 1/4 non-iodized sea salt to 500 ml distilled water.  Not tap water!
*If you are using store bought saline, we recommend saline with no additives or preservatives.  Generic brand saline or ‘Lens Plus’ is best.
*Vitamin supplements such as Iron, Zinc, and Vit E will help to promote fast healing.

Oral Piercings
We recommend a non-alcohol based mouthwash 2 times daily, morning and night after brushing your teeth is best.  Using saline and / or a salt mixture ( same as above ) after eating, drinking, or smoking is also recommended.  We recommend that you avoid excessive smoking, drinking alcohol, sexual contact, and eating spicy foods.  These can easily irritate and cause extreme swelling and / or infection in a new piercing.  Though some swelling is normal with a new piercing, you can minimise it using Camomile tea, ibuprofen, and ice, or a combination of all three.

Genital Piercings
Avoid sexual contact immediately following genital piercings.  In the event that there is sexual contact before the piercing is completely healed, practice safe sex!  This means using condoms or dental dams to protect your piercing from viruses and germs during the healing period.  It should also be mentioned rough play or tugging on an unhealed piercing can result in tearing and / or scarring as genital tissue is very soft. 

*Besides ‘Basic Aftercare’, your own urine works well for cleaning genital piercings.  It is slightly acidic and totally sterile to your own body.

What Not To Use
Products such as hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, ‘Bactine’, betadine or iodine, distilled witch hazel, ‘Ear Care Solution’ ( sold with gun piercings ), and antibacterial soaps, should definitely be avoided.  These products will damage and / or kill new growing skin cells, slowing healing and potentially causing irritation and scarring.  ‘Neosporin’, ‘Polysporin’, and similar products should also be avoided as they can clog piercings because they are petroleum based.
Though there are many other products on the market that people have used either successfully or unsuccessfully to heal piercings, our recommendations are based on industry standard and years of experience.  If you have a question about a particular product, or if you think you are having a problem, call your piercer!  They will be happy to answer any of your questions or queries. That’s what we’re here for!

Infection
Though infections are extremely rare for piercings as long as proper care is taken, sometimes they do occur.  Symptoms of infection include, but are not limited to, extreme redness and / or pain, and excessive discharge and / or bleeding.  Do not remove the jewelry, contact your piercer or physician immediately!  

Changing Jewelry
Though time does vary from piercing to piercing, it is important to keep the jewelry you are pierced with initially in for an appropriate amount of time to ensure proper healing.  Consult your piercer before changing jewelry for the first time.  Quality and style are important.  If the jewelry you are wearing is low quality or unsuitable i may inhibit healing.  Someone should be able to help you make informed decisions, sterilize, and insert new jewelry no matter where you go to buy it.   Quality counts!