BODY PIERCING AFTERCARE
Ear, Dermal, Lip, Smiley, Nose, Septum, Belly Button, Nipple, Genital.
Piercing Aftercare Guide – How to Heal Your Piercing Safely
Cleaning
• Clean your piercing twice a day using a professional piercing aftercare spray or sterile saline solution.
• Don’t use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or strong soaps: they can slow down healing.
• Spray or gently soak the area, then let it air dry or pat it dry with a clean paper towel or cotton swab. Remove any crust or buildup gently.
Do Not Touch
• Only touch your piercing with clean, freshly washed hands.
• Don’t twist, turn, or move the jewelry around – it can cause irritation and delay healing.
What to Avoid
• No swimming in pools, hot tubs, the sea, lakes, or baths while your piercing is healing.
• Try not to sleep on your new piercing.
• Keep creams, oils, and makeup away from the area.
• Avoid tight clothing or anything that rubs, catches, or puts pressure on the piercing.
• Be careful when dressing or undressing. Don’t bump or snag it.
• Don’t change the jewelry until it’s fully healed.
Jewelry
• Never remove or change your jewelry during healing unless your professional piercer tells you to.
• Always use high-quality, implant-grade jewelry for safety and comfort.
What to Expect
• Mild swelling, redness, and clear fluid are all normal at first.
• Some itching is also normal, it’s part of the healing. Don’t scratch it.
• Healing time depends on the piercing:
-
Earlobes: 8 to 12 weeks
-
Cartilage and body piercings: 3 to 6 months (or more)
Contact Us If:
• You see signs of infection like pus (yellow or green), spreading redness, unusual heat, or increased pain.
Once Healed
• Even when healed, jewelry might not slide in easily. Never force it.
• Make piercing care part of your regular hygiene to avoid buildup or odors.
Important Tip
Even healed piercings can sometimes shrink or close in minutes; yes, even after years.
If you want to keep your piercing open, keep jewelry in it. Don’t leave it empty!
Symptoms
Do not panic if you experience: bleeding, swelling, bruising, discoloration, itching, or crusting. The Association of Professional Piercers notes that these symptoms are absolutely normal. After the first part of the healing process (a couple of weeks), most likely you won’t experience any of the aforementioned symptoms. However, you need to continue with the daily hygiene routine and piercing aftercare instructions as the interior takes much longer to fully heal.
Ear Piercing Aftercare (Lobes, Tash Rook, Forward Helix, Daith, Conch, Tragus, Antitragus, Industrial, Orbital)
- Healing period: 6-8 weeks.
- Avoid anything that applies pressure to the piercing. For instance headphones, winter hats, accessories.
- Travel pillows can help you avoid sleeping on your ear.
- Dry your hair before going to sleep.
- Your cellphone must be frequently cleaned with antiseptic gel/spray. A study by the University of Arizona has shown that mobile phones are 10 times more contaminated with bacteria/germs than toilet seats. As a result, using your (contaminated) phone can cause nosocomial infections. It is possibly the dirtiest object we constantly come in contact with on a daily basis.
Dermal / Surface
- Healing period: 8-12 weeks.
- Keep it fully covered and air-tight with a bandage for 1 week. The first bandage will be applied by the piercer. If it gets dirty or removed, replace it with another one.
- Strictly no moisturizers, body creams, or perfumes anywhere near the dermal.
- Avoid contact with other bodily fluids.
- Do not wear accessories that might get in contact with your dermal jewelry.
Lip / Oral
- Healing period: 3-4 weeks.
- Avoid makeup and crayons.
- Avoid oral contact and contact with other people’s body fluids (incl. kissing)
- Do not drink thick beverages (such as milkshakes) and definitely do not share straws.
- Avoid hot, crunchy, spicy food, dairy products, and excessive consumption of alcohol, aspirin, caffeine, and smoking. Smokers must rinse their mouth with mouthwash (such as Listerine) or at least bottled water after smoking.
- Avoid chewing on gum, fingernails, and anything else that isn’t food.
- Avoid playing with the jewelry. This can cause irreversible damage to teeth and gum.
SMILEY
- Healing period: 4-12 weeks.
- The smiley jewelry goes through the frenulum (the small piece of skin connecting the upper lip to the upper gum). As there is not a lot of skin in that area, very often our body rejects the jewelry. This can happen even after some months. Pulling, twisting, and playing with the hoop will certainly increase the chances of rejection.
- Rinse your mouth regularly with saltwater and/or alcohol-free mouthwash (i.e. Listerine).
- Be extra careful when brushing your teeth.
- Avoid spicy and acidic food. Also, avoid food that’s not extremely easy to chew on.
- Read and follow Oral Aftercare instructions.
Nostril (nose)
- Healing period: 3-4 weeks.
- Avoid any harsh face wash.
- Avoid makeup, creams, and serums directly on the pierced area.
- If you have a cold or allergies, be gentle when blowing your nose.
Septum
- Healing period: 6-8 weeks.
- Avoid any nasal sprays that aren’t saline.
- Be careful when getting dressed.
- You must be gentle while blowing your nose, or doing anything that could result in catching or pulling the jewelry.
- Avoid smoking, and if you do, never blow the smoke out of your nose.
Navel (belly button)
- Healing period: 9-12 months.
- Avoid tight clothing/waistbands,
- No high-waisted pants/jeans or belts. Always wear clean clothes.
Nipple
- Healing period: 12-14 weeks.
- Wear loose, soft, and clean clothing. Avoid woven fabrics and lace bras for women.
- Be careful when you’re getting dressed. Fabric fibers can easily get caught on the jewelry. For instance, this may result in skin damage.
- During the first few weeks do not take aspirin, drink alcohol, or consume excessive caffeine (or do it responsively). These are blood thinners and your body will not be able to form clots that ultimately prevent bleeding.
Genital
- Healing period: 2-12 weeks.
- Do not use any creams in the genital area. Very importantly, no lubricants.
- No sexual contact for the first days. Also, no heavy play for the first weeks.
