ORAL PIERCING AFTERCARE

 

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TO DO'S

 

1. SALINE SPRAY

Gently spray saline solution on both sides of your piercing 3 times daily for the first year. 

Benefits - This soothes your piercing and helps to rinse off any dried discharge on your jewelry.

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2. REMOVE CRUST

Gently remove all crust from skin and jewelry every morning and evening with a wet q-tip.

Benefits - Removing debris creates a smoother surface making it easier for your body to form new skin cells. This keeps excess crust from irritating the new cells that are forming around the edges of your piercing.

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3. CHECK JEWELRY ENDS

Jewelry ends come apart and need to be checked every day! Some styles screw on and some snap together so it's important to know which style you have so you know how to secure it. Rings don't need to be checked.

Benefits - Because the ends of your jewelry may loosen over time checking them daily will minimize the chance of you losing your jewelry and your piercing. 

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4. DOWNSIZE JEWELRY

Piercings swell initially so most starter jewelry is longer to accommodate for that swelling. It is important to downsize your jewelry after 4 weeks.

Benefits - Starting with longer jewelry accommodates for any initial swelling after getting pierced. You will need to downsize the length of your jewelry in order to stabilize it and minimize any snagging and prevent shifting. Too long of length may cause your jewelry to shift to an angle so your piercing is no longer straight. 

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DON'T DO'S

 

1. DON'T TOUCH

Wash your hands first if you have to touch your piercing for any reason. 

Benefits - This will decrease the chance of introducing microorganisms that may multiply and lead to infection.

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2. NO HARSH PRODUCTS

Don't use harsh products like alcohol, peroxide, bactine, hibiclens, witch hazel or ointments on your piercing.

Benefits - It's important to keep any harsh chemicals out of your piercing because they impede healing. They also dry out the skin and irritate your piercing which leads to increased soreness, redness, dryness, migration, and rejection. 

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3. AVOID PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS

Don't get any make-up, lotion, hair products etc. in your piercing.

Benefits - It's important to keep any harsh chemicals out of your piercing because they impede healing. They also dry out the skin and irritate your piercing which leads to increased soreness, redness, dryness, migration, and rejection. 

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4. DON'T BE TOO ROUGH

Don't put pressure on your piercing. Pulling, bumping, snagging, sleeping on it, and changing your jewelry frequently is traumatic to the delicate skin cells forming inside your piercing.

Benefit - If you are too rough with your piercing it will slow your healing. You will experience increased soreness, redness, overall irritation, swelling, bleeding, bumps near your piercing, and other complications such as drifting,  migration, and rejection.

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5. AVOID OPEN BODIES OF WATER

Don't submerge your piercing in pools, hot tubs, lakes, or the ocean for 8 weeks or if irritated.

Benefit - Open bodies of water are full of microorganisms which can infiltrate your piercing, multiply, and lead to an infection. If you must swim I suggest covering it with a waterproof bandaid to seal out any contaminants.

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6. DON'T CHANGE YOUR JEWELRY TOO OFTEN

Don't change your jewelry too frequently the first year. You are forming new skin cells. When you drag metal through them it's not unlike dragging metal over a healing wound. 

Benefit - You avoid scraping the new skin cells and damaging taking jewelry in and out

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7. DON'T TAKE YOUR JEWELRY OUT

If you take you jewelry out your piercing may start to close in within minutes.

Benefits - Once your jewelry is removed your piercing tunnel begins to shrink in thickness making it difficult to put your jewelry back in. If you force your jewelry back in its traumatizing to the delicate skin inside because it scrapes through the piercing damaging the cells on its way through.

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