Piercing Aftercare

About

Believe it or not, getting the piercing is the easy part, but taking care of it is just as important! Your piercing will vary in healing time, depending on a variety of factors including but not limited to: where you are pierced, how many piercings you're currently healing, your immune system, any medical conditions you might be experiencing, medications you're taking, your lifestyle and extracurricular activities, sleeping habits, and more!

We try to keep our aftercare instructions simple and comprehensive, so you can work it into your daily grooming habits. If you do experience any issues throughout your healing, or have questions about your piercing at any point, please book a Piercing Check up - we are always happy to assist!

Our aftercare and troubleshooting advice comes from the most up to date (puncture based) wound care knowledge in the industry, as well as over 10 years of working with body piercings and seeing how they heal.

Below you can find aftercare advice based on your piercing type, and general healing time for each piercing type.

Happy Healing!

General Healing Times

The following healing times are a general approximation based on the Association of Professional Piercers aftercare guide, and can vary from person to person.

Please visit our FAQ page if you are experiencing issues or prolonged healing, and then book a Piercing Check Up if your questions haven't been answered.

Navel Piercing: 6 - 12+ Months

Lip Piercings: 4 - 6+ Months

Eyebrow Piercings: 4 - 6+ Months

Septum Piercings: 3 - 6+ Months

Bridge Piercings: 6 - 8+ Months

Nostril Piercings: 6 - 12+ Months

Nipple Piercing: 6 - 12+ Months

Surface Anchor: 6-12+ Months

Surface Bar: 12+ Months

Aftercare Instructions

On the Outside:

Wash your hands prior to touching your piercing.
Rinse the front/outside of the piercing with clean, warm, running water. This will help gently remove any crusties on the piercing/jewelry.
If there is still debris or crusties on or around the jewelry or piercing, spray the piercing with sterile saline spray.
Grab a single-use, soft implement like non-woven gauze or clean paper towel & gently remove the debris on the outside of the piercing site.
Once the debris is completely gone, dry the outside piercing thoroughly. To lessen the likelihood of excess moisture & trauma to the area, we like to recommend drying the piercing site with a hairdryer on a cool setting (ensure to clean the back filter before doing so.)
If you do not have access to a hair dryer, you can also gently pat the piercing dry with non-woven gauze or clean paper towel.

On the Inside:

We recommend getting a new toothbrush to lessen the likelihood of introducing old bacteria to a new piercing.
If you typically use mouthwash, you can use a non-alcoholized mouthwash no more than twice daily during your normal oral hygiene routine. (any more than this, and you run the risk of developing oral thrush)
Any time you eat, drink, or smoke, rinse your mouth out with cold, filtered or bottled water.
Please avoid oral or sexual contact on the piercing until fully healed.
Try to avoid drinking alcohol, or eating spicy, sour or salty foods for the first two weeks, as this can increase bleeding and swelling.

Wash your hands prior to touching your piercing.
Rinse the front and back (or top/bottom) of the piercing with clean, warm, running water. This will help gently remove any crusties on the piercing/jewelry.
If there is remaining debris or crusties on or around the jewelry or piercing, spray the piercing with sterile saline spray.
Grab a single-use, soft implement like non-woven gauze or clean paper towel & gently remove the debris on the front & back/top & bottom of the piercing site.
Once the debris is completely gone, dry the piercing thoroughly. To lessen the likelihood of excess moisture, we like to recommend drying the piercing site with a hairdryer on a cool setting (ensure to clean the filter before doing so.)
If you do not have access to a hair dryer, you can also gently pat the piercing dry with non-woven gauze or clean paper towel.

We suggest performing this aftercare routine twice a day for the first 2 - 3 months for earlobe piercings & 3 - 4+ months for cartilage and body piercings, and then taper off as time goes on.

The less crusties there are, the less you have to do.

Wash your hands prior to touching your piercing.
Rinse the front and back (or top/bottom) of the piercing with clean, warm, running water. This will help soften and gently remove any crusties on the piercing/jewelry.
If there is remaining debris or crusties on or around the jewelry or piercing, spray the piercing with sterile saline spray.
Grab a single-use, soft implement like non-woven gauze or clean paper towel & gently remove the debris on the front & back/top & bottom of the piercing site.
Once the debris is completely gone, dry the piercing thoroughly. To lessen the likelihood of excess moisture, we like to recommend drying the piercing site with a hairdryer on a cool setting (ensure to clean the filter before doing so.)
If you do not have access to a hair dryer, you can also gently pat the piercing dry with non-woven gauze or clean paper towel.
Avoid oral or sexual contact on the piercing until fully healed, or use a barrier. If it hurts, don't do it!

We suggest performing this aftercare routine twice a day for the first 2 - 3 months for VCH and Inner Labia piercings & 3 - 4+ months for Christina, HCH and Outer Labia piercings. You may taper off as time goes on.
The less crusties there are, the less you have to do.

1. DO NOT touch, twist, turn, or fuss with your jewelry while it is healing. This can introduce bacteria & irritate the piercing. Our jewelry is polished to a mirror finish, so there is no need to worry about your body sticking to the jewelry. The less you touch, the better!

2. Use a travel pillow - This is going to be one of your best friends while healing any sort of cartilage piercing, or piercing where laying on it may put pressure.

Using a travel pillow (stick your piercing in the hole while you're sleeping) lessens the likelihood of migration (angle changes), and irritation bumps.

3. Do not put anything in your piercing that you couldn't put in your eye - But we also don't suggest using contact solution on your piercing... Anything containing more ingredients than just 0.9% sodium chloride & USP grade water (which make up sterile saline) tends to be too harsh & can damage the delicate skin cells trying to form. No rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil, or anything aside from sterile saline or warm water.

4. Have a Lump or Bump? Don't Freak Out! - It's not uncommon to develop a little lump or bump on your piercing throughout the healing process. These can be caused by a multitude of factors. It's important to check in with us, so we can determine the cause of the bump & give you advice in order to get rid of it. Don't try any DIY home remedies that google or ChatGPT suggests, these aren't a great substitute for professional advice. Please book a Piercing Check Up if you are experiencing issues & we can help!

Download Aftercare:

Ear & Body Piercing Aftercare

Oral Aftercare