Body Piercing

Do…

• Stay relaxed.
• Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth slowly and regularly – don’t hold your breath.
• Wiggle your toes.
• Ask for numbing spray if you would like it.
• If you feel faint, dizzy or ill after piercing, let your piercer know straight away so she can help you.

What happens during piercing…

• Your therapist will help you choose your jewellery and discuss where you would like to have your piercing. She will explain any restrictions on what type of jewellery you can have to start with.
• Your therapist will put on gloves and clean the area with an alcohol wipe before marking the piercing location with a surgical marker pen.
• Once you and your therapist are happy with the positioning, she will hold your skin in place with sterilised autoclaved forceps.
• Your therapist will insert the catheter and place the jewellery into position.
• The piercing is over in seconds. Our clients tell us that it’s not as uncomfortable as they expect it to be.

Do…

• Clean your piercing 2 to 3 times a day using Sterilear Ear and Body Piercing Spray for the first 2 weeks.
• Continue using the spray 2 times a day in the third week.
• Keep your jewellery in and do not remove it until the piercing has fully healed – this takes around 6 to 12 weeks. It is preferable to leave it in for the first 6 months.
• Consider taking multi-vitamin supplements to help the healing process.
• If you have a tongue or lip piercing, at least 3 times a day also rinse with Listerine for 60 seconds, followed by Difflam Anti-inflammatory Solution. Always do this after eating too. Drink plenty of water so that your mouth doesn’t get dry. Eating crushed ice is also a good idea initially.
• If you have a dermal anchor or surface piercing, wear a band-aid over the piercing for at least 24 to 48 hours. Also wear a bandage over your piercing for the first 7 to 10 nights, but remove it during the daytime to allow for proper healing. Avoid tight clothing or touching your piercing which can spread infection. Take care not to get sunburned – no tanning while your piercing is healing.
• If you have a nose stud, you can secure it at night with a band-aid to prevent the stud from falling out. Also try not to sleep on your face, as this may embed the stud deep into your nose.

Don’t…

• Drive or operate heavy machinery immediately after your piercing.
• Touch your jewellery with your hands for the first 2 weeks. Only touch and rotate your jewellery in the shower.
• Use Dettol, peroxides, disinfectants, soaps or tea tree oil on or around your piercing until it has healed.
• Smoke or drink alcohol until your tongue or lip piercing has healed. Also avoid biting or clicking against the jewellery.
• Knock your piercing (through rough play, sports) until it has healed.

What happens next…

• Because you are having a foreign object inserted into your body, you may have redness in the area for up to 6 months due to trauma on your skin. Eventually though, your body will always try to heal itself.
• If you follow our aftercare instructions, the chances of you getting an infection are low. However, even in the strictest of conditions (and we do have regular health inspections), it is possible for your piercing to become infected and possibly leave a scar. If you are unsure about the state of your piercing, please contact our staff.
• After your piercing has properly healed, you may want to change your jewellery and have an entirely new look. We’re happy to insert the new jewellery for free when you purchase it from us!

>> Continue on with our detailed body piercing homecare and aftercare instructions.