1. LITHA
- LITHA is a helpful made-up acronym which stands for Leave It The Heck Alone!
- This advice will go a long way to helping your piercing heal without trouble.
- DO NOT touch the piercing, especially with hands not immediately and thoroughly cleaned.
- DO NOT rotate or twist the jewelry. Many mis-informed people believe this is helps the piercing to heal; In reality, it can drag bacteria from the outside of the piercing site into the healing piercing. It can also tear the outer skin as dried crusties are not malleable.
- Try not to sleep on the side of your new piercing.
- LITHA is a helpful made-up acronym which stands for Leave It The Heck Alone!
- This advice will go a long way to helping your piercing heal without trouble.
- DO NOT touch the piercing, especially with hands not immediately and thoroughly cleaned.
- DO NOT rotate or twist the jewelry. Many mis-informed people believe this is helps the piercing to heal; In reality, it can drag bacteria from the outside of the piercing site into the healing piercing. It can also tear the outer skin as dried crusties are not malleable.
- Try not to sleep on the side of your new piercing.
1 ½. ‘Crusties’
- Crusties (dried discharge of fluids) around the piercing site are normal.
- DO NOT pick at or remove crusties in the dried form! This will prolong healing and can lead to scarring.
- Crusties may be removed with a clean paper towel (or thoroughly cleaned fingertip) only after they are loosened by warm water either directly after emerging from a shower or doing a sea salt soak.
- Do not use Q-Tips or wash cloth to remove crusties.
- Crusties (dried discharge of fluids) around the piercing site are normal.
- DO NOT pick at or remove crusties in the dried form! This will prolong healing and can lead to scarring.
- Crusties may be removed with a clean paper towel (or thoroughly cleaned fingertip) only after they are loosened by warm water either directly after emerging from a shower or doing a sea salt soak.
- Do not use Q-Tips or wash cloth to remove crusties.
2. Saline Solution
Let this be the only cleaning solution for your new piercing!
- Do not use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, bactine, etc.
- Do not use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, bactine, etc.
- Spray solution directly onto piercing 2x daily. Bottles of saline without a spray applicator may be dispensed onto clean gauze and applied that way.
- Oral piercings may be cleaned with an alcohol-free mouthwash (such as Biotene), 2x daily.
3. Downsize jewelry
- Come back into the shop in 6-8 weeks (after swelling has subsided) for a shorter post.
For more information, visit safepiercing.org/aftercare