Piercings: How to take care of your new piercing.

So, you want a new piercing? Something painful and pretty is calling you by your full government names? Or perhaps your friend has a new piercing and you are the designated nurse? Here is how to take care of a fresh piercing.

Skin piercings

 Skin piercings are piercings located on; the belly button, ears, nipple, genital, eyebrow, and nose.

Clean these piercings twice a day with a saline solution. Some piercing studios give the saline solution, but you can make a cleaning solution at home. Boil 2 cups of water. Allow the water to cool. Add a teaspoon of salt. For swollen piercings, I dip a ball of clean cotton wool in warm salty water and hold the cotton wool on the piercing for a minute or two.

Oral piercings

These piercings include; tongue, lip, or cheek piercings. To clean them, use an antiseptic mouthwash after every meal. Avoid mouthwash with alcohol. Use a small soft-bristled toothbrush to clean around the tongue piercing. For a smiley clean the gums gently with a soft brush to prevent plaque.

Things to avoid

For body piercings avoid wash clothes with small holes such as the African net. The piercing might tag and removing it is a painful process.

Avoid getting multiple piercings at the same time. Sometimes your body could reject the piercings. It is important to give your body enough time to heal one piercing before getting another. If you must get more than one, ensure they are in different parts of the body.

Harsh cleaning products: products such as hydrogen peroxide, iodine, alcohol, or other harsh products could injure the pierced skin.

Do not go swimming: had someone told me my belly piercing would fall off a week after swimming, I would have stayed away from the pool. Pools, hot tubs, rivers, lakes or anywhere your piercing is submerged before your piercing heals disrupts the healing process of the piercing.

Keep the jewellery in: you have probably seen people complain about how fast nose piercings close. Piercings take six weeks to months to heal. In this period, it is crucial that you keep your jewellery in. When your piercing is in the clear keep the jewelry in lest it closes.

If you do not leave that piercing alone…

Too much rubbing and holding new piercings irritates the skin thus delaying healing. I know it is a new piercing and your hands are itchy, but your unwashed hands and the twisting and turning of the jewellery are not helping.

New piercings might swell, appear red, and tender, and bleed slightly. These should go away after a few days. If the symptoms persist, visit a doctor.

Read this article on Sharon Wendo, Founder Epic Jewelry