Piercing Aftercare

Taking care of your piercing is an important part of the healing process. Here are the steps of taking care of your piercing:

Use one or both of the following products on your healing piercing:

Packaged sterile saline solution made for wound care (read the label), or a non-iodized sea salt mixture you make yourself: dissolve 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized (iodine-free) sea salt into one cup (8 oz.) of warm distilled or bottled water. A stronger solution can irritate your piercing, so don’t put in too much salt!
A mild, fragrance-free liquid soap-preferably antimicrobial or germicidal. (Ask your piercer, check the APP website, or call 888-888-1app for the best products.)

WASH your hands really well before you clean or touch your piercing for any reason.
SALINE soak for five minutes once or more per day. Seal a cup of warm saline solution over the area. For some piercings it will be easier to use clean gauze or paper towels soaked in saline solution. Rinse after you salt soak because dried salt crystals could hurt you and your piercing.
SOAP only one or twice a day. While showering, lather up a dime sized drop of the soap to clean the jewelry and the piercing. Leave the soap on the piercing no more than thirty seconds.
RINSE to remove all of the soap from the piercing. You do not have to rotate your jewelry through the piercing.
DRY gently with clean, disposable paper products. Cloth towels could snag on jewelry, and they might have bacteria on them.

Wash your hands before you touch the piercing; leave it alone except when cleaning. During healing, you do not have to rotate, turn, or move your jewelry.
Stay healthy; the healthier your lifestyle, the easier it will be for your piercing to heal. Get enough sleep and eat a nutritious diet. Exercise during healing is fine; listen to your body.
Make sure your sheets and towels are washed and changed weekly.
Showers are safer than baths because bathtubs can harbor germs. Before you get into a bath tub, clean it first, and rinse of your piercing when you get out.
Contact your physician at the first sign of infection, which may be discolored green or yellow discharge, fever, foul odor, or excessive swelling. If you should have any questions or concerns, please contact your artist immediately!