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Body Piercing Care
A Normal Piercing May:
-be tender, itchy, slightly red or bruised for a weeks
-bleed a little for the first few days
-secrete a little whitish/yellowish fluid which crusts onto the jewlery(This is not puss
-tighten around the jewlery as it heals making it somwhat difficult to turn.
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Please Avoid:
-cleaning with rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or Betadine
-touching the piercing with dirty or unwashed hands
-oral contact with the piercing, including your own saliva unless it is an oral piercing
-contact between the body piercing and body fluids
-contact with hair, dirt, oils and cosmetics
-soaking in pools, hot tubs, oceans, rivers and lakes. Your well cleaned bath tub is ok
-heavy abuse and friction
-overcleaning and/or under cleaning
-triple antibiotic ointments such as Bacitracin and Neosporin
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Facial and Ear Piercing Care
You will need a liquid anti-bacterial soap to wash your hands with before touching the piercing. For cleaning the piercing you will need a product that contains benethonium chloride 0.013%. I suggest using Ear Piercing Care Solution, Bactine or No More Ouchies. Note that some people are sensitive to Bactine and No More Ouchies because they contain fragrence; therefore, you may dillute them up to 50% with water. Cotton swabs are helpfull with the cleaning ritual.
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Cleaning Procedure:
1. Wash hands thoroughly with a liquid anti-bacterial soap.
2. Saturate a clean cotton swab with the cleaning agent (listed above) and gently remove any dried crusted matter from the piercing and jewlery.
3. Apply a second saturated swab to the jewkery side of the piercing; Gently work the jewlery back and forth about six times. Repeat this 2 to 3 times.
4. Clean your piercing in this fashion 2 to 3 times daily.
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Oral Piercing Care:
For the first week, please reduse your regular intake of or avoid(preferred)alcoholic beverages, tobacco, hot or spicy foods and hot beverages. Anthing that might be irritating. Avoid any oral contact(wet kissing, oral sex, ect..) for the first six weeks. To minimize swelling, gently suck on ice or popcicles as much as possible for the first 24-28 hours.
Rinse with an anti-septic mouthwash, such as Listerine, for 30-60 seconds after you smoke, eat or drink anything besides bottled water. If you are sensitive to the anti-septic mouthwash you may dillute it to 50% with water or use a sea salt gargle. Use Gly-Oxide or Peroxyl twice daily. for tounge piercees, apply 5 drops to the top of the tounge and 5 drops to the bottom. Let it foam for one minute, spit and rinse with water or the appropriate mouthwash.
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Care For Piercings Below the Neck:
Clean these piercings twice daily. This may be easier to do in the shower. Use a liquid anti-bacterial soap. Try to find one with a low ph and little or no fragrance. Try one of the following liquid anti-bacterial soaps.
1. Kiss My Face Fragrance-Free
2. Dial
3. Lever 2000
For sensitive skin:
4. Clearly Natural
5. Nutribiotic
Nipple piercees may want to sleep in a clean tank top, tee-shirt or jog bra for the first few nights.
Genital piercees can use a pantyliner to absorb any excess moisture and cusion the piercing. It is helpful to urinate after cleaning the piercing especially if it passes through the urethra to expell any residue from the sensitive urethra. (Your urine is sterile to your own body.) Any sexual contact with the piercing should be gentile. Latex barriers should be used to protect the piercing from bodily fluids even if you are monogamous. These include latex condoms, gloves and dental dams.
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"What else can I do to heal my piercing?"
-A warm soak or compress is benificial in aiding the healing process. You may dissolve 1/4 tsp sea salt in 1 cup of warm water. To soak, invert a cup of warm water(with or without salt)over piercing,
creating a vacuum, or soak in a well cleaned tub. Make a compress with a clean paper towel to insure cleanliness. Use a compress or soak for 10-15 minutes once or twice daily. This will increase blod circulation to the area. Sea salt is a natural disinfectant and can be used to reduse irritation, redness and swelling.
-Eat a nutritious and well balanced diet. Get plenty of rest and reduce stress.
-Take vitamin C(1500 mg in a mineral ascorbate form) twice daily with meals. Take a multi vitamin. Try a zinc supliment(60 mg for women 120 for men) once daily with food for two weeks.
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