Your piercing was performed professionally. Follow these simple suggestions, and your healing period should go smoothly. Although not physicians, Vanity Tattoo piercers are available whenever you have questions about aftercare or the changing of jewelry. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
A Normal Piercing
- May be tender, swollen, itchy, and/or slightly red for a few weeks.
- May secrete a whitish-yellow fluid which crusts on the jewelry. This is not pus!
- May tighten around jewelry as it heals.
How Should I Clean My Piercing?
- For piercings other than oral:
- NO alcohol, NO peroxide, and NO Neosporin!
- Wash piercing with antibacterial soap in bath or shower, preferably twice a day.
- For oral piercings:
- Put ice in mouth to reduce swelling
- Rinse with YELLOW Listerine every time you eat, drink, smoke, kiss, etc.
- Before bed, rinse with warm salt water.
When Can I Remove or Change the Jewelry?
Your piercing will not be completely healed for six months to a year. Even after proper healing time reinsertion can be difficult if not impossible.
- Jewelry should not be changed in the initial healing period, usually about two to three weeks. Be sure to always wear the appropriate jewelry in your piercing, even when fully healed. Jewelry designed specifically for ear lobes are not appropriate, can cause damage.
- If you must remove your jewelry temporarily, call your piercer, or use an insertion taper lubricated with a little antibiotic ointment to insert a pierce of uncolored monofilament nylon, weed eater or fishing line work well. 160 lb. Test is equal to 14-12 gauges. This will help to retain your piercing until the jewelry can be reinserted. It is no problem to remove the jewelry permanently. In most cases only a small indentation will remain. We encourage you to call your piercer, they will be happy to assist you.
Do I have an Infection?
Infection is caused by contact with bacteria, fungi, or other living pathogens. Piercing infections can usually be traced to one of the following activities:
- Touching the piercing with the unwashed hand or letting someone else touch your piercing!
- Oral contact with the piercing including you own saliva.
- Allowing body fluids to contact the piercing. ( Your urine is sterile to your own body)
- Contact with hair, cosmetics, oils, infrequently washed clothes or bedding or other agents.
- Going into a pool, hot tub, lake, ocean, or other body of water. (your bathtub is ok)
How Can I Tell If I Have an Infection?
While these symptoms may also indicate other problems, look for the following indications of infection:
- Redness and swelling after the first week.
- A sensation of heat at the piercing site.
- Pain, especially throbbing or spreading pain in the stomach area.
- Unusual discharge. It may be greenish or grayish.