Body Piercing Aftercare


Though body piercing was part of many ancient cultures, it began diminishing due to Westernization. However, in the recent years, body piercing has gained immense popularity, especially among young girls and boys who consider piercing to be a style statement. Among the different types of body piercings, those that are most commonly done include ear piercing, nose piercing, cartilage piercing, navel piercing and the recent favorite, the lip and oral piercings. Whatever type of piercings one chooses, if one wants the piercing to sustain on the body for a long time, it is important to follow the aftercare instructions given by the piercer carefully. However, many people ignore this, only to end up with an infected body piercing. To avoid this, it is essential to know about its prescribed aftercare during the healing period.

Aftercare Instructions For Body Piercing
The healing period is a crucial time when it comes to body piercing. One must understand that body piercing is conducted by perforating the chosen area with a needle. This makes the pierced area similar to an injury or a surgical wound. Hence, the aftercare for body piercings has to be taken seriously, so that no complications arise during the healing period. Here are some tips that you have to follow during the body piercing healing period.

Cleaning the Body Piercing
The most important part of the aftercare process is to keep the piercing clean by washing it regularly. You have to clean your piercing thoroughly with a mild, antibacterial liquid soap at least 2-3 times in a day. However, never clean your piercing without cleaning your hands because hands that are dirty can give rise to infection. Once you have cleaned your hands, soak a cotton ball with warm water and gently wipe the piercing area to remove the crusts that have formed around it. After you have done this, take some liquid soap in your hands and apply in on your piercing and the area around it with your fingertips. Lather the soap thoroughly and while cleaning it is necessary to rotate the jewelry gently to clean the area inside the jewelry. When you are sure that the soap has reached the entire area, rinse it well with warm water and then, dry it with a paper towel.

Sea Salt Soaks for Body Piercing
Apart from cleaning the body piercing with antibacterial soap, it is equally important to apply some sea salt soaks on the piercing. In a clean cup, take a pinch of sea salt, not more than 1/8 teaspoon and add 3 ounces of warm or hot water to it. Mix the solution well and then gently place it on the piercing area with the help of cotton balls till the water begins to cool. Though it is fine to use sea salt soaks twice in a day, you should increase the usage if your piercing becomes irritated. Another important thing that you have to remember is that you should not use anything else than sea salt. In other words, using iodized, kosher or table salt can cause irritation and may lead to piercing infection sometimes.

Things to Avoid
Apart from the things that you should do during the healing period, it is also important to know about the things that you have to avoid to prevent the occurrence of any kind of infection. One of the most crucial things that you have to remember is that you should not touch your piercing, except when you have to clean it. Unwanted touching can expose the piercing to bacteria which can give rise to infection. Also, other than antibacterial soap and sea salt soaks, it is not advisable to use any other things to clean the pierced area. Though there are people who advise the use of rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, neosporin, etc. on the piercing, this should be strictly avoided as these things can prolong the healing process. Another thing that you have to keep in mind is that you should not remove your piercing under any circumstances as this can lead the hole to close in. If you want to remove the jewelry, get it done by your piercer.

You must remember that if you want to flaunt your body piercing for a long time, you have to take extra care of your piercing. Nevertheless, you should avoid too much cleaning of your piercing as this can also lead to infection.

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