Piercing Aftercare 101: What to Do After Getting Pierced

Congratulations, you’ve just gotten a new piercing! But now what? Proper piercing aftercare is crucial to ensure a quick and smooth healing process and to prevent infections and other complications.

Whether you’ve just gotten an ear piercing, nipple piercing, nose piercing, septum piercing, belly button piercing, tongue piercing, ear lobe piercing, or lip piercing, knowing how to take care of your new piercing is essential.

In this blog post, we’ll provide you with all the essential information you need for proper piercing aftercare. From cleaning your piercing to avoiding certain activities, we’ll cover everything you need to know to keep your piercing healthy and beautiful.

Let’s dive into piercing aftercare 101!

How to Care for New Piercing

Below are common piercing options you can get in a piercing studio in Toronto and a breakdown of what to do after getting them

Ear Piercing Aftercare

Ear piercing is less risky compared to other types of piercing. Generally, they heal fast and rarely result in complications. Consider these earlobe aftercare tips.

• Avoid touching the piercing or jewelry. And if you must, wash your hands before you do it. You have a fresh wound on the pierced spot, and touching it with unclean hands can cause an infection.
• Gently clean the new piercing with mild, fragrance-free soap regularly. Ensure to thoroughly rinse the piercing after washing it with soap. Doing this also helps to prevent infection.
• If the piercing feels dry and flaky, apply a thin coating of petroleum jelly on it after washing. Using the product out of a squeeze tube is best to avoid transferring germs to the wounds.
• Don’t take the jewelry out too early. Doing this may cause the opening to close up. Ideally, you should leave the earrings in for 6-8 weeks.

Nipple Piercing Aftercare

Nipples are more difficult to pierce, and the first few days after the procedure can be excruciating. Like other sensual body parts, nipples have many nerve endings, making them more sensitive.

As such, you must delicately care for nipple piercings.

• Avoid washing the piercing for the first few days. Instead, soak it in sea salt water twice daily and rinse with a lot of water. After cleaning, wipe with a dry towel or paper towel.
• Wear loose cotton clothing while the wound is still healing. Tight clothes cut airflow to the piercing, which may lead to bacterial infection. In addition, tight clothes may brush against and irritate the fresh wound.
• Protect the piercing with thick cotton clothes or sports bras at night and during physical activities.
• Take extra care not to rub clothing against the piercing when dressing up. Fabric strands may catch on the piercing and pull it, thereby aggravating the wound.

Related Article: How to Choose the Right Piercing Studio in Toronto: A Comprehensive Guide?

Nose and Septum Piercing Aftercare

A nose piercing requires delicate care as it’s extra prone to infection due to its location. Consider the following aftercare tips for it.

• Clean the piercing by dipping it in a saline solution or applying it with cotton balls.
• Keep the surface dry by gently patting it with disposable paper products. You may also use a cotton pad to wipe your nose if you have oily skin.
• Keep piercing jewelry in for a minimum of six weeks.
• Belly button piercing aftercare
• The belly button area, just like the nipples, has several nerve endings making them super sensitive. You must exercise delicacy when taking care of the piercing.
• Avoid touching the piercing with unwashed hands to prevent infection.
• Regularly wash the piercing with warm water and antibacterial soap. When cleaning, use a Q-tip to remove the built-up crust around the piercing, then thoroughly rinse the soap residue.
• Rinse the piercing with saline solution at least twice a day.

Tongue Piercing Aftercare

You know how painful it can be if you’ve accidentally bitten your tongue. Putting a hole in it brings a different level of discomfort. Brushing, eating, and swallowing will be difficult, but a tongue piercing is manageable. You must be gentle with aftercare.

• Rinse your tongue with warm saline solution or antibacterial alcohol-free mouthwash after eating and before bed.
• Be extra gentle when brushing and flossing
• Avoid kissing or oral sex while healing to avoid contamination. Contact with someone else’s saliva or body fluids may cause infections.
• Eat baby bites of healthy food slowly and carefully. We recommend soft foods that don’t require heavy chewing.
• Stay off salty, spicy, acidic, or sugary foods or drinks to avoid irritating the piercing wound.
• Do not share cutlery, plates, or cups while you heal
• Take lukewarm beverages, avoid hot coffee, tea, or chocolate, and fizzy drinks.

Lip Piercing Aftercare

Tongue and lip piercings generally share similar aftercare measures. But below are some care tips for lips piercings

• Clean the external part of the piercing and jewelry at least once a day. Use a Q-tip to remove crusted matter around the jewelry, and gently wash the surface with mild soap and warm water.
• Always wash your hands before touching the spot.
• Soak piercing in saline solution twice a day
• Thoroughly rinse your mouth with saline solution or mouthwash after every meal
• Suck on ice cubes to prevent swelling
• Avoid licking or sucking your lips.
• Don’t apply cosmetics on the area around the piercing

Related Article: The Different Types of Body Piercings You Can Get and Their Meanings

Take Good Care of Your New Piercings

Piercing aftercare doesn’t require much effort. It’s all about keeping the wound clean and preventing infections. Whenever you’re not cleaning or applying a saline solution to the piercing spot, it’s best to leave it alone.

Don’t remove or fiddle with the jewelry until the wound is fully healed. It’s also best to stay out of the swimming pool and bathtubs while your piercing heals.

At Piranha Piercing Studio, we always go the extra step to help our customers make the best aftercare decisions for every new piercing. We’ll get your piercing healing right the first time!