ORAL PIERCING AFTERCARE

Congratulations on getting your new piercing, we hope you enjoy it for years!

Taking care of your new piercing is one of the most important things you can do to ensure a smooth healing process without irritation or infection. If you are currently having issues with your piercing, consistently keeping up with proper aftercare can help eliminate any irritation you have. For any questions or concerns regarding your piercing, please contact Piercology directly.

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We recommend the following aftercare once daily, on opposite ends of the schedule to care for your piercing.

Ensure to purchase a new toothbrush after getting an oral piercing, to avoid introducing old bacteria to a fresh piercing.

Depending on the location of your piercing, you may either use a gentle cleaners (PurSan) on the outside of your piercing as well as a sterile saline rinse and an alcohol-free mouth wash twice a day OR just a sterile saline rinse, and an alcohol-free mouth wash twice a day:

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Rinse Your Mouth

The most important thing is using clean water to rinse after you ear, drink and/or smoke (though smoking is not recommended during your healing process) . Staying hydrated and well rested can also be helpful during healing.

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Once Daily for Outside of Mouth (Lip/Philtrum/Monroe/Labret Piercings) (morning or night):
1. At the end of your shower regimen, work a small amount of PurSan Body Art Cleanser into a lather and gently wash around the outside of the piercing (don’t get the soap into the piercing itself).
2. Rinse your piercing thoroughly under warm running water for 1 full minute. 
This helps bring blood flow to the area, remove crusties, and soap residue.
3. Gently rinse away any crusty material with either non-woven gauze or a clean paper towel, and pat the area dry. – for hard to reach areas, such as the inside of your ear, use a hair dryer on a warm/cool setting.

*Do not use any soaps that contain anti-bacterial properties, (Dove, Dial) or use chlorhexidine (Hibiclens), or tri-closan as an active ingredient.* 

PurSan was designed specifically for piercings and body art, and is the best aftercare cleanser we can recommend. If you have run out, please purchase more here, and we will ship it directly to you!

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Once Daily (Opposite to PurSan) Morning or Night:
Sterile Saline Rinse
(appropriate for all oral piercings)

1. Mix 1 full container of H2Ocean Concentrate into 1 gallon of purified or distilled (not tap) water, and mix thoroughly. 2. Portion solution into a small, clean vessel (enough to be able to fully submerge your piercing).3. Swish around your mouth, as you would mouthwash, for 1 minute.
After 1 minute, spit out the used solution and rinse your mouth.
4. Seal the un-used solution in an air tight container, and refrigerate until next use.*Portion only the amount you need for each soak to a smaller, clean vessel each time, to avoid cross-contamination of the solution*
6. This container is good for 1 month. After 1 month, discard remaining solution & purchase a new container.5. Repeat daily until your piercing is fully healed. – See minimum heal time chart, if you are unsure if your piercing is not fully healed, ask us!

You can purchase more here and we will ship directly to you!

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Twice Daily (Opposite to PurSan) Morning/Night:
Alcohol Free Mouth Rinse
(Appropriate for all oral piercings)

An alcohol-free mouth rinse should be used in accordance with the package instructions up to two times a day.

Examples include alcohol-free Listerine and Biotine.

We advise using mouthwash no more than twice daily, in addition to following regular and proper dental hygiene practices at home. Don’t forget to brush the underside/back of your jewelry jewelry very gently, to remove any plaque or food buildup on your jewelry!

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If you have any questions or concerns regarding your piercings, please stop in to the studio to see one of our qualified professional body piercers on staff to have us inspect your piercing, and give suggestions on how to continue in your care of your piercings! Happy healing!

Under Construction

SURFACE PERCINGS & SURFACE ANCHOR (MICRODERMAL) AFTERCARE

Congratulations on getting your new piercing, we hope you enjoy it for years!

The time required for your piercing to heal completely varies from person to person, however, surface anchors may take between 4-6 months for the initial healing process.
Surface bars will take upwards of 6 months to a year to fully heal.
Your piercing might look healed before this time, but it is important to be patient and wait the entire healing period before changing your jewelry out, or ceasing your aftercare routine.
Please reference your aftercare sheet, or contact Piercology if you are unsure of your piercing’s healing time.

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It is important to keep in mind that surface anchors are considered “long-term temporary” piercings.
This means that your piercing will not last *forever* – Some may last for 3 months, others 3 years or longer, it depends on how well you care for them, and how well your body responds to them, but eventually they typically do need to be removed due to rejection.

Infection is rare for piercings; however, irritation is a very common occurrence.

Common Sources of Irritation Are:

· Sleeping on your new piercing – especially with surface anchors, the added pressure can cause them to reject.
Please ensure you do not sleep on your piercing.
· Dirty hands, or saliva touching your piercing before it is healed.
· Using a cleaning agent that can damage your piercing, such an an antibacterial soap, alcohol, peroxide, and the like.
· Improper aftercare routine, including stopping your aftercare routine before you are finished healing.
· “Playing” with jewelry before the piercing is healed.
· Wearing inferior quality jewelry or metals (i.e. materials which are not up to industry standard such as acrylic, or “surgical” steel.)

If you have any problem with healing we will be happy to help! We understand that since opening up in Columbus in 1994, people see us as the experts. We will help with piercings that we didn’t perform, however, understand we can only make suggestions, we are not physicians.
A physician must be contacted as soon as possible if a problem persists.

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Surface Anchor

 

For your Surface Anchor aftercare routine, we recommend sea salt soaks once daily. This will help bring down swelling, soothes irritation, and brings blood flow back to the area.

To Soak

1. Mix 1 full container of H2Ocean Concentrate into 1 gallon of purified or distilled (not tap) water, and mix thoroughly.2. Portion solution into a small, clean vessel (enough to be able to fully submerge your piercing). 3. Fully submerge your piercing for 10 minutes. After the total of 10 minutes, discard the used solution.4. Seal the un-used solution in an air tight container, and refrigerate until next use.
*Portion only the amount you need for each soak to a smaller, clean vessel each time, to avoid cross-contamination of the solution*
5. After the total of 10 minutes, pat the area dry. – for hard to reach areas, use a hair dryer on a warm/cool setting until fully dry.
6. Repeat steps 2 – 5, once daily.
7.This container is good for up to 1 month.
After 1 month, discard remaining solution and purchase a new container.

You can purchase more here and we will ship directly to you!

Surface Anchors are single point piercings. This means that any

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Surface Bar

 

 

 

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Removing Surface Bars & Surface Anchors:

Because surface bar piercings have an entrance and exit point, they can be removed the same way any other piercing is. surface anchor piercings are placed under the skin and have no exit point, their removal process is different. Care must be taken in removing these piercings and
the removal of a surface piercing should only be done by a professional piercer.
Scaring after a piercing is removed, depends on how well the piercing was taken care of before and after the removal process. It is different for every person.

Surface achors have a high rate of rejection. Your body can see the jewelry as a foreign object and slowly pushes it out of your skin as it would a splinter. These piercings can slowly migrate to the surface of the skin. Surface piercings will start to grow out, or reject, from the outer edges slowly in towards the center of the jewelry.

Key signs of rejection are:
Redness, swelling, tenderness, and persistent gooey discharge. As well, if you notice one side of your surface anchor’s “foot” is raised more than the other, or if your piercing has a significant “tilt” to one side or another, your piercing may be rejecting. If you suspect your surface anchor is rejecting, please visit us for removal as soon as possible. The sooner we are able to remove it, the less severe your scarring will be. We will be happy to do so for you.
Following the correct aftercare will give you the best chance of your piercing being a part of your body for years.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your piercings, please stop in to the studio to see one of our qualified professional body piercers on staff to have us inspect your piercing, and give suggestions on how to continue in your care of your piercings! Happy healing!

Under Construction

Additional Information

If you have any questions about your piercing or the healing process, you are always welcome to reach out. We are open seven days a week and active on all social media or check our contact page here.

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Downsizing

One of the most important steps you can do to help your body with healing is making sure to downsize the jewelry when the swelling has gone down.

You are pierced with jewelry slightly longer to allow for swelling. Once the swelling has gone down, there will be excess length for the jewelry to have unnecessary movement and friction within the fistula (tube of skin within the piercing), any excess movement of the jewelry can cause the piercing to be irritated, thus prolonging the healing time.

In addition, if piercings are accidentally slept on with the longer post or bar there is constant pressure that can cause the piercing angle to change and the jewelry to not sit straight. Plus longer jewelry can increase the chances for accidental snags.

Downsizing Approximates:

4-6 -/+ weeks: Ear lobes

6-8 -/+ weeks: Cartilage, Navel, Nipples, Genitals

1-2 times, 10-21 -/+ days: Oral piercings

 

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Sleep Tips 

Sleeping on a fresh piercing can be extremely painful to you and can cause the piercing to change the angles while it is healing. One way to help alleviate this is to sleep with a travel neck-pillow. You can use the arms as support  so no pressure is placed on the piercing.

Those with longer hair can use a bun on the same side as the fresh piercing to keep the weight off of the piercings.

 

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Sea Salt Water Soaks:

In an emergency you can make your own  saline solution to use for soaks.

Step 1: Wash your hands thoroughly.
Step 2: Dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized sea salt into one cup (8 oz.) of distilled or bottled water. – Ensure your measurements are precise!
Step 3: Microwave your solution for 30-60 seconds, or until it is warmer than body temperature.

Sea Salt Soak Tips:

· A stronger solution does not mean a better solution, or a quicker heal! Too much salt can actually cause more harm than good, such as dryness, itchiness, redness and irritation.
· Mix a new sea salt solution with every single cleaning. – Keeping your pre-made sea salt solution in a container for days can harbor bacteria, and is not advised.
· Do your sea salt soaks on opposite ends of the day to your cleaning, so you do not dry out your piercing. As well, ensure you aren’t doing them too few, or too many times a day! Moderation is key!
· Salt water, or sterile saline is the only additional product (other than the cleanser and water) we suggest you use to care for your piercing. – General rule of thumb: If you can’t put it in your eye, don’t put it in your piercing! (No tea tree oil, peroxide, alcohol, etc.)

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Is This Normal?

Bleeding, bruising, discoloration and/or swelling is not uncommon with new piercings. These are not indications of any complication. Unless they persist after __ days.
Reduce intake of aspirin, alcohol, and caffeine, as these can increase your swelling. For above-the-neck piercings, try sleeping with your head elevated above your heart (prop up on some pillows) to limit overnight swelling.
Studies show non-steroidal anti-inflammatory products such as Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.) can help minimize swelling.

Some tenderness, soreness or discomfort in the area of a new piercing is not unusual. You may feel stinging, burning, or aching on and off for several days or longer. During healing there may be some itching.

Secretion of a fluid which contains lymph and dead cells is perfectly normal.
This fluid is fairly liquid, and typically a whitish-yellow color, and forms a crust on the jewelry at the openings of the piercing. This is not pus, but indicates a healing piercing.

Once healed, your piercing may secrete a semi-solid white malodorous substance from the oil glands called sebum. This also is not pus, but indicates a healed piercing.

Piercings may have a tendency to have a series of “ups and downs” during healing by seeming healed, and then regressing. Try to be patient, and keep cleaning during the entire initial healing time, even if the piercing seems healed.
Tightness is normal. Do not expect jewelry to swing freely in most body piercings, even after they are thoroughly healed.