Wash your hand carefully with water and soap before beginning. Clean the piercing and the surrounding skin with clean water 1-3times a day until the piecing is not secreting tissue fluid. Only use clean non-woven compresses or cotton pads that are closed from the sides. No lint! If you want, medical saline solution (NaCl 9mg/ml) can be used instead of water. Note that the solution bought from the pharmacy expires in a week after being opened and should be stored in a fridge. No double dipping! Never use antiseptic or disinfectants to clean the piercing.
For the first two weeks, avoid dairy products, citruses, spicy foods, and smoking. After having food or a cigarette, rinse your mouth with fresh water. Don’t use mouthwashes or whitening products during the healing process. In addition, with lip and cheek piercings clean the skin as instructed above.
During the first weeks you may suffer some bleeding, localized swelling, tenderness, or bruising. For the possible pain or excess swelling, you can take ibuprofen if necessary. During healing it's normal to have some discoloration, itching, secretion of a whitish-yellow interstitial fluid / tissue fluid (not pus) that will form some crust on the jewellery. Follow the cleaning routine patiently as long as the piercing secretes tissue fluid. When no crust forms on the piercing or the jewellery, cleaning the piercing while having a shower is enough. Use mild soap to clean your skin (LV, MiniRisk, Lactoline etc.) Remember to rinse shampoos and other products carefully. The healing process varies from person to person. It's affected by personal hygiene, lifestyle, and how your body works.
With piercings there’s always the risk of infection or other complications. The most common complication is inflammation or irritation that is caused by mechanical stress, damage, incorrect or insufficient aftercare routine, or changing the jewellery too early. If the piercing gets pulled or hit or shows signs of inflammation, change the aftercare routine to saline soaks. Soak a compress / a gauze with medical saline solution (NaCl 9mg/ml) and bathe the piercing with it 10-15mins. Then follow steps 2-4 apart from rinsing the piercing with saline instead of water. Other possible complications are migration and infection. Never remove the jewellery from an infected piercing. That may lead to an abscess or even cause an infection in the underlying tissues. If you suspect that your piercing is infected or suffers from other complication, do not hesitate to contact me.
All the jewellery I use is implant grade titanium. Do not change the jewellery until the piercing has fully healed (see the estimated healing periods below). The piercing may seem healed before, but the healing is still in process in the deeper tissues. The internally threaded jewellery open when turned anti-clockwise and close clockwise (lefty loosy, righty tighty). The push pin jewellery open when the body and the attachment are pulled apart. If or when you want to change the jewellery after the healing period, recommended materials are implant grade titanium, quality glass jewellery, niobium or 18k gold.
