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The following pages and
the information below is from our book
on aftercare
available from us
free of charge
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50,000 books free of charge on aftercare over the past 10
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Detailed Piercing Care Instructions
Body piercings
need to be cleaned once or twice daily, every day, for the entire
initial healing time. Most people clean morning and/or night, in the
shower. Do not clean with your Saline solution more often than twice
a day as this can irritate your piercing, and possibly delay your
healing. For once-a-day cleanings, do it at the end of your day.
Optimal frequency will depend on your skin sensitivity, activity
level, and environmental factors. Many people do just fine doing one
daily cleaning.
Before cleanings
wash hands thoroughly with liquid antimicrobial soap and hot water.
Ideally, use a brush to remove dirt from skin & under nails. If you
wish, you may wear disposable latex or vinyl gloves and/or also use
a hand sanitizing gel. Never touch healing piercings with unwashed
or dirty hands. This is vital for fast healing and to avoid
infections and complications.
Apply a generous
amount of Saline solution to the area with Q-tips or soak in small
cup or glass. Allow the solution to remain on piercing for a apx. 1
minute. You may bathe normally, just don’t purposely work anything
other than the Saline solution soap onto the inside of the piercing.
Rinse the area thoroughly under running clean water. Gently pat dry
with disposable paper products such as gauze or tissues, as cloth
towels can harbor bacteria.
Please try to be
patient. Each body is unique, and healing times can vary
considerably. If your piercing is tender or secreting you should
continue the care regimen, even if it is past the stated average
healing time.
More on Piercing Crystal Soaks
Piercing crystal
soaks are strongly suggested at least once a day to accelerate
healing and increase your comfort. This may also help to reduce
irritation in the area. Dissolve your crystals in a new gallon of
distilled water (available from any grocery store or pharmacy).
Pour an once or so in a small cup and invert it over the area to
form a seal and soak directly for a minute or so. For certain
placements it is easier to use a clean cotton ball, gauze pad or
Q-tip soaked in the crystal water and applied to the pierced area.
Follow with a clear water rinse or splash then pat dry with paper
products. Do not rotate the jewelry with crystal solution on it.
Crystal water soaks are for the exterior of the piercing only.
Crystal soaks help to stimulate oxygen and blood circulation which
facilitates healing.
What to do
Wash your hands
prior to contact on or near the area of your healing piercing!
Leave the piercing alone except for when you are cleaning it. It is
bad to rotate the jewelry while healing except during cleanings.
Leave the
starter jewelry in during the entire minimum initial healing time!
(Assuming your initial jewelry is appropriate in terms of metal
content, style, and size for the anatomy. Inappropriate jewelry
should be changed out by a Guns 2 Roses.)
Check daily with
clean hands to make sure the balls are screwed on tight on threaded
jewelry such as barbells. Both balls tighten clockwise (to the
right).
If you like your
piercing leave jewelry in at all times. Even old, well-healed
piercings can shrink or close in minutes after having been there for
years! This varies from person to person, and even if your ear lobe
piercings stay open without jewelry your body piercing may not!
Contact your piercer if your jewelry must be temporarily removed
(such as for a medical procedure). PTFE or another inert
non-metallic substance may be able to be inserted to maintain the
piercing until jewelry can be reinserted.
Make sure your
bedding is clean and changed frequently while you are healing,
especially if pets share your bed.
Wear clean,
comfortable, breathable fabric clothing in the area of a body
piercing.
A multi-vitamin
mineral supplement containing zinc and vitamin C will help boost
your body’s healing abilities. Take it with your morning meal
according to package instructions.
Get enough
sleep, eat a nutritious diet, avoid undue stress, recreational
drugs, and heavy alcohol consumption. The healthier your lifestyle,
the easier it will be for your piercing to heal.
Showering is
safer than taking a bath, as bath tubs tend to harbor bacteria. To
bathe safely, clean your tub with a bleach product before each bath,
and rinse the tub before you fill it. Also, be sure to do a running
water rinse on your piercing when you are done in the tub. Number
one rule: If the water is not clean enough to drink, keep your wound
out of it.
In the event
that the piercing drains a thick pus discharge instead of the normal
liquid secretion, you may wish to see a physician for evaluation and
possible antibiotic treatment. If you do have and infection, the
jewelry should be left in the piercing to allow for drainage of pus.
If the jewelry is removed, the holes can close up, resulting in an
abscess.
LEAVE YOUR JEWELRY IN unless directed to remove it by a doctor!
What to avoid
Don’t listen to
the well meaning aftercare advice of family and friends. Too many
people all telling you different things will cause major problems.
Follow this written procedure unless directed to do otherwise by
Guns 2 Roses or your doctor.
Don’t use
alcohol, peroxide, Betadine or Hibiclens as they are overly strong
and drying which can hinder healing. Hibiclens is a definite no-no.
Do not use Hibiclens.
Don’t apply any
ointment such as Bacitracin, Neosporin or any triple antibiotic
ointment on your piercing. These prevent oxygen from reaching the
wound and form a sticky residue which can cause complications. They
are not designed for use on puncture wounds or healing piercings.
It is possible to achieve good results in some cases but contact
your piercer or doctor before use.
Don’t over
clean. Cleaning more often than once or twice a day is NOT better.
This can delay your healing and irritate your piercing.
Don’t use too
many different products to clean your piercing; select and use only
one cleaning solution plus piercing crystals.
Avoid oral
contact, rough play, and contact with others bodily fluids on or
near your piercing during healing.
Don’t overuse
band aids on a healing piercing. They limit air circulation and the
adhesive can irritate the surrounding
area.
Avoiding
sleeping directly on a piercing.
Don’t hang
charms or any object from your jewelry until the piercing is fully
healed.
Avoid submerging
your piercings in water such as pools, lakes, Jacuzzis, etc. unless
you feel confident that the water is clean enough for you and an
open wound (which is what your piercing is while it is healing).
Most bodies of water harbor large amounts of bacteria. If there is
fish, children or soap scum in the water it is not clean enough!
If you must be
in water of questionable cleanliness use a breathable, non
water-permeable wound sealant such as Tegaderm or Clean Seals
(available from Guns 2 Roses) before you go in, to protect yourself
and prevent dirty water from getting inside your open wound.
Cleaning afterwards is not likely to be effective in preventing
infection. Best advice—If you would not drink the water, stay out of
it!
Exercise during
healing is fine, just “listen” to your body. Try to avoid activities
that put undue stress on the area. Your own sweat and bodily fluids
are not harmful to your piercing, provided you clean daily as
directed.
What is normal
Any break in the
skin, including a new piercing can bleed off and on for a few days,
or swell, or bruise. These may not be indications of complications.
Reduce intake of aspirin, alcohol, and caffeine. For above-the-neck
piercings try sleeping with your head elevated above your heart
(prop up on some pillows) to limit overnight swelling. A
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such as Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin,
etc.) can help lessen swelling and reduce discomfort. These are
available from any drug store.
Some tenderness
or discomfort in the area of a new piercing is not unusual. You may
feel stinging, burning, aching or other unpleasant sensations off
and on for several days or longer. During healing there may be some
itching which can be a normal sign of healing. Do not scratch!
Secretion of a
fluid which contains blood plasma, lymph and dead cells is perfectly
normal. It is fairly liquid, whitish-yellow in color and forms a
crust on the jewelry at the openings of the piercing. This is not
pus, but indicates a healing piercing.
Once healed your
piercing may secrete a semi-solid white malodorous substance from
the oil glands called sebum. This is not pus, but indicates a healed
piercing. Piercings may have a tendency to have a series of “ups and
downs” during healing by seeming healed and then regressing. Try to
be patient, and do keep cleaning during the entire initial healing
time, even if the piercing seems healed sooner. Tightness is normal.
Do not expect jewelry to swing freely in most body piercings, even
after they are thoroughly healed.
Disclaimer
These guidelines are based on a
combination of professional experience, common sense, research, and
extensive clinical practice. This is not to be considered a
substitute for medical advice from a doctor. Be aware, however, that
many doctors and dentists have no specific training or experience
regarding piercing and may not be educated on how to best assist
you. If you do get an infection, the jewelry should be left in, so
that pus can drain. If the jewelry is removed, the holes can close
up, resulting in an abscess. LEAVE YOUR JEWELRY IN unless directed
to do so by your primary care physician knowledgeable in piercings!
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