SEA SALT SOAKS FOR HEALING FRESH/NEW PIERCINGS

Salt soaks are one of the best things you can do for an angry or new piercing. Many use saltwater as their only cleanser. Hot, it's a natural astringent and can be helpful in drawing out infection and pus.
Most piercers prefer non-iodized sea salt, which can be found in most health-food stores. Rock salt is of higher purity than sea-salt which can contain many minerals and other substances.
Some people have found that normal table salt can be an effective substitute. Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate, not sodium chloride, and should not be used.
The most common mix is ¼ teaspoon salt per 8oz (250ml or 1 cup) of distilled warm water. When mixed correctly the solution should taste as salty as your tears, and be about as hot as a drinkable cup of coffee.
To soak your piercing, invert a disposable cup (or shot glass) of water over the piercing and soak for 5-10 minutes. When finished soaking, it is extremely important to rinse piercing with a brand new Q-tip and cold water to remove discharge both on and around piercing and jewelry.
For ear piercings, put a glass of hot salt water on the table and submerge your ear into it for 5-10 minutes.
You can also make hot compresses with disposable paper towels for difficult soaking sites (i.e. inner ear or nostril piercings). Try not to put too much pressure on the piercing and do not use cotton balls, as they leave behind fibers. This method should be a "last resort" method; there is not really much reason why you can't either invert a cup of water over your piercing or submerge your piercing into the water. When you make hot compresses, it loses heat very quickly, making them useless. DO NOT use washcloths, as they harbor dangerous bacteria!
Bathtub soaks are great for all piercings when done in a freshly cleaned tub with 2-3 cups of sea salt in warm water.

Inverse Navel Piercing

An inverse navel piercing is a navel piercing pierced through the lower ridge of the belly button, rather than at the top. Inverse navel piercings work best when the individual has a prominent 'lip' on the bottom edge of the navel, which varies from person to person.

TONGUE VENOM PIERCING

A tongue venom piercing is a set of two tongue piercings, placed laterally near the front of the tongue. Venom piercings can be pierced at the same time or separately and placement will depend on the size, shape and anatomy of your tongue. We recommend choosing an experienced body piercer for a tongue venom piercing.

Tongue Venom Piercing Jewellery & Aftercare

Straight barbells are usually worn in venom piercings, often with flat balls to reduce rubbing against the roof of the mouth. Tongue venom piercings are very similar to a regular tongue piercing in terms of healing. Healing may take a little longer due to the extra stress placed on the immune system. Rinse with suitable mouthwash twice daily and after eating. Stick to soft, non-sticky foods for the first couple of days. Avoid alcohol and smoking until piercing is healed.

HOW TO TREAT AN INFECTED PIERCING?

Infection will usually occur during the healing phase of the piercing, not necessarily as a result of the piercing process itself.

Common symptoms of infection include:

• Pain and tenderness
• Excessive redness around the piercing
• Prolonged bleeding
• Discharge of yellow or green pus
• A change in your skin colour around the piercing area
• Area will feel hot to the touch

The basic steps in treating a wound infection include cleaning the wound, draining infected material and applying heat to promote circulation and stimulate the body's immune response. Antibiotics are sometimes used depending on the location and severity of the infection. Cleaning and drainage generally involve soaking the wound with a saline solution and removing debris; dead tissue, pus, dirt or other foreign material. In the case of an infected piercing, doctors will often request for the jewellery to be removed and the piercing to be left to heal. It is very important for the piercee to discuss with the physician that the jewellery should remain in place to act as a drain. If the jewellery is removed, the openings of the piercing will close up and the infection will not be able to drain, which can result in an abscess. An abscess is an infection that is trapped under the skin and is indicated by a darkening and hardening of the surrounding tissue, swelling and pain. In very rare cases of severe infection, where there is a lot of destruction of tissue in the area, the jewellery may need to be permanently removed and dead tissue and debris cut away for healing to occur. This should be clearly explained to the piercee if it appears to be necessary.

Moist heat is best for promoting healing of an infected piercing, so a warm, wet salt-water hot-compress applied to the area would be appropriate. Even more care must be taken with hand-washing and avoiding manipulation of the jewellery. Sheets and clothing in contact with the area should be changed at least daily. Promote circulation and a healthy immune system with good nutrition, avoiding alcohol, and quitting smoking. This is extremely important, if not essential to the healing process.

 

WHICH METAL TO CHOOSE ON A NEW PIERCING?

Good Metal Choices for New or Old Body Piercings

• Surgical implant stainless steel, 316 LVMF 138
• Surgical implant titanium, Ti6A14V ELI
• Niobium
• 14k or 18k gold, yellow or white
• A special plastic called Tygon; especially good for people who are sensitive to metals

Poor Metal Choices for New Body Piercings

• Sterling silver, because it oxidizes when it comes in contact with body tissues and fluids. You've seen silver tarnish--that's not something you want in an open wound.
• Plated gold, because the plating can rub off and expose a metal that reacts body tissues, causing irritation or infection.
• Any type of fake gold or other jewelry made from base metals, since they will be likely to corrode when exposed to body fluids.

Anchors, Dermals, and Micro-Dermals

Microdermals are the newest and most popular form of dermal piercing. Dermal implants used to be reserved for only the most extreme body modifier--spikes, horns, and other protruding metal objects could be worn almost anywhere on the body, including the head. While those larger implants are still available, the newer microdermals or dermal anchors have quickly become a favorite across the board in the body art community. They're small, decorative, easy to implant, and still have the advantage of almost limitless placement options.

There are two basic ways that dermal anchors can be inserted - with a regular piercing needle or with a dermal punch. The dermal punch seems to be the best and least traumatic way to create the hole for the anchor, but some states don't allow the use of dermal punches. They can still be done safely and effectively with the needle as long as it's done by a careful and experienced piercer. 

Snake Bite Piercings

Snake Bites are really just lip piercings, but specifically it is two lower lip piercings evenly separated on each side of the lip's center. Typically, they're fitted with two CBRs which encircle the lower lip, but they can also be fitted with labret studs if you prefer. You have to decide how you want to wear your Snake Bites from the initial piercing, thouggh - it doesn't work to change back and forth from a ring to a labret stud, because the holes aren't pierced the same and the jewelry won't set right if you try to switch. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it could cause a lot of irritation and healing problems.

One thing to consider about getting Snake Bites is that you're getting two piercings at once. That tends to be a little more painful and more stressful on your body than just getting a single piercing. You also want to find a piercer who's really careful about lining them up properly, too, because if one is a little bit off center or higher/lower than the other one, it's going to look bad. Your piercer will probably make dots on your skin and ask you to look in the mirror and approve the placement - don't just look and say, "Cool!" You need to really look at them and make sure you are good with the placement before it's too late to turn back.

All About Sea Salt Soaks For Body Piercing Care

Sea Salt Soaks
1. Wash your hands thoroughly with liquid antibacterial or antimicrobial soap (Satin and Provon are best).
2. Place a pinch of sea salt in the bottom of a small disposable cup. About 1/8 teaspoon.
3. Add hot tap water - as hot as you can stand - to the salt. Use about 3 ounces of water - which is just over half-full in a 5 ounce cup.
4. If possible, invert the cup right over the piercing and allow it to stay there for 5 minutes. This usually works well for nipple and navel piercings. If you can't create a sufficient seal against the skin with the cup, then soak a cotton ball in the salt water solution and apply the cotton ball to the piercing. When it cools down, throw it away and place a newly saturated cotton ball on the piercing. Do this for 5 minutes. 5. Rinse the piercing with warm water and dry with a clean paper towel.

Soaking Tips

• Only pure sea salt is to be used. Table salt, kosher salt, epsom salts, and iodized sea salts are not acceptable. Sea salt can be found in many grocery stores and almost all health food stores.
• If you are not sure about the solution strength, put a dab on your finger and taste it with the tip of your tongue. It should be no saltier than a potato chip.
• To aid in healing a new piercing, sea salt soaks once a day should be sufficient. If your piercing is irritated, increase sea salt soaks to 2-3 times per day until the irritation subsides.
• If your piercing becomes irritated as a result of sea salt soaks, you are probably using either the wrong kind of salt or have made your solution too strong.

WHAT YOU SHOUL NOT USE ON A HEALING PIERCING

• Hydrogen Peroxide - Hydrogen peroxide kills bacteria, but it also kills the white blood cells attempting to heal your piercing. It can cause irritation and lengthen overall healing time.
• Rubbing Alcohol - Alcohol will dry the skin and irritate the raw piercing, which could actually lead to infection.
• Glyoxide - This is a product that contains hydrogen peroxide and hinders healing rather than aiding it.
• Ear Care Solution - Solutions that are provided by jewelry boutiques and department store piercers usually contain alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and other harmful chemicals that only aggravate a new piercing.
• Ointments - Antibacterial ointments or similar products only clog pores and/or kill good cells trying to heal the piercing.

PIERCING AFTERCARE TIPS

1. Do not touch the body piercing. Also, don’t let anyone else touch, kiss or lick the body piercing.

 2. Do not take it off. Body piercing may take many months to years to completely heal, changing or removing jewelry should be avoided during that time.

3. Do not let the body piercing come in contact with another person’s bodily fluids.

4. Never use Alcohol, Hydrogen Peroxide or hand soap because they may damage healthy cells and cause scar tissue. Petroleum jelly is also not recommended for aftercare, as it can collect and promote the growth of bacteria.

5. Avoid hot tubs and public pools during the healing process. If you must swim, cover with a waterproof bandage.

6. Reduce intake of alcohol, drugs, caffeine, and aspirin during the initial healing period.

7. Avoid smoking, chewing tobacco and eating spicy foods for oral piercing’s.

8. Avoid direct sunlight or tanning beds for a few weeks. Definitely avoid tanning oils, lotions and sand.

9. Avoid tight fitting clothes which might irritate a new body piercing.

10. Change your bed sheets at least once a week.

HOW LONG WILL MY PIERCING TAKE TO HEAL?

Each area of the body has its own unique healing period and process. Oral and oral/facial piercings tend to heal fastest, while others tend to heal a bit slower. Also, every individual body heals and reacts to piercings in an individualized manner.  A general guideline for approximate healing times is as follows:
Cheek: 2-3 months
Cartilage: 2 months-1 year
Earlobe: 6-8 weeks
Eyebrow: 6-8 weeks
Genitals: 4 weeks-6 months
Labret: 6-8 weeks
Lip: 6-8 weeks
Navel: 6 months-over 1 year
Nipple: 2-6 months
Nostril: 2 months-1 year
Septum: 6-8 weeks
Tongue: 4-6 weeks

PIERCING DO`S AND DON`TS

Do check threaded jewelry daily to make sure it is on tight.
Don’t play with it, or ever, touch it with unwashed hands.
Don’t rotate your jewelry while cleaning it or otherwise!
Do be conscious of your clothes they should be clean and they should not be putting any pressure on your new piercing.Do be wary of your health. Avoid drug usage, get plenty of sleep and take vitamin supplements (Vitamin C, Zinc and Iron are all good).
Don’t swim. Pools, lakes oceans etc. are all breeding grounds for bad things.
Do use a waterproof bandage, such as Tegaderm, if you must subject your piercing to getting wet.
Do feel free to use ice or Ibuprofen to help alleviate swelling and pain.
Don’t have unprotected sex with a fresh genital piercing, not even in a monogamous relationship.
Do avoid contact with others bodily fluids near your piercing until it is fully healed.
Don’t remove your jewelry if you suspect infection. It needs to remain in to allow drainage. Removing it can lead to abscess, swelling, bruising and bleeding. If you suspect an infection please call your piercer immediately.

CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS FOR BODY PIERCINGS

• WASH your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason.
• SALINE soak for five to ten minutes once or more per day. Invert a cup of warm saline solution over the area to form a vacuum. For certain piercings it may be easier to apply using clean gauze or paper towels saturated with saline solution. A brief rinse afterward will remove any residue.
• SOAP no more than once or twice a day. While showering, lather up a pearl size drop of the soap to clean the jewelry and the piercing. Leave the cleanser on the piercing no more than thirty seconds.
• RINSE thoroughly to remove all traces of the soap from the piercing. It is not necessary to rotate the jewelry through the piercing.
• DRY by gently patting with clean, disposable paper products. Cloth towels can harbor bacteria and snag on jewelry, causing injury.

Hand web piercing

A hand web piercing is a piercing through the loose skin between two digits, such as between the fore-finger and middle-finger or fore-finger and thumb. This piercing is considered a surface piercing and, as such, has a high rate of rejection. Typical body jewelry used is a barbell or a captive bead ring.

Hip piercing

A hip piercing is a piercing in the pelvic area through the skin near the hip bone. Hip piercing are done in couplets with one on each hip. Hips piercing are a type of surface piercing.

This piercing is generally fitted with a surface barbell. This type of jewelry is usually stainless steel, with two 90 degree angles that can be shaped in various ways to better fit the anatomy of the piercing. Some artists also use Tygon jewelry. This is a type of plastic that is said to reduce stress on the piercing because the long surface bars are better. This is because more skin is pierced and the piercing is less superficial which reduces the risk of rejection.

Nipple piercing

A nipple piercing is a piercing, centered usually at the base of the nipple. It can be pierced at any angle but is usually done horizontally or, less often, vertically. It is also possible to place multiple piercings on top of one another. Death due to complications resulting from nipple piercings have occurred, as have serious infections resulting in the removal of a breast after getting a nipple ring,but typically, a nipple piercing will takes 2–4 month to fully heal. Some people have noted that they can take up to a year and a half to fully heal. It's recommended that if stretching a nipple piercing, the piercee waits at least the healing time of their piercings between stretches.

NAVEL PIERCING/BELLY BUTTON PIERCING

A navel piercing (also referred to as a belly button piercing) is a type of body piercing. It may heal very quickly and with no problems, like an ear piercing, or may heal more like a surface piercing with the associated extended healing time. Healing usually takes less than four months, and as long as it is cleaned, it will heal nicely.
The actual navel is not pierced when a navel piercing is performed. The most common form of navel piercing is through the upper rim of the navel. A true navel piercing requires the person being pierced to have an "outie" navel to some degree, and is getting more popular these days. This kind of piercing is popular with, but not exclusive to females.

Most kinds of ring or bar jewelry can be worn in a navel piercing. Navels are most often pierced with a curved barbell, which is recommended to be worn until the piercing has fully healed. A wide variety of decorative jewelry is available for navels - simple curved barbells, barbells with dangling pendants, and captive bead rings are common examples.
There has been a special standard established for navel barbells (also called "bananabells" or "bananabars", reference to their curved shape). The standard bananabell is 1.6 mm (1/16") thick and 9.5 mm (3/8") or 11.1 mm (7/16") long and is most commonly referred to as a 14-gauge post. The silver caps on either side of the simple barbell post usually measure 5mm in diameter for the upper and 8mm in diameter for the lower.
Although navel bananabells are different from full rings - like captive bead rings (or CBR), which can also be worn in navel piercings - internet body jewelry retailers and wholesalers tend to refer to these barbells as belly button "rings".

Nape Piercing

A nape piercing is a piercing on the nape (back) of the neck. It is most commonly pierced using a Surface Bar, but even nylon piercings have been known to heal here. It is perfectly safe and does not put nerves at risk. This piercing, as with many surface piercings, is prone to rejection.

Corset Piercing

Corset piercings are actually just a specific configuration of surface piercings or even just temporary play piercings. They are usually placed in two columns vertically along the back, mimicking the position of the eyelets on a corset. To heighten this illusion, string or decorative lacing can then be threaded through the jewelry.
While these are typically placed on the back, the term has more recently come to be used to broadly refer to any paired ladders of piercings which can be laced together. Corset piercings have become a common element of fetish performance groups.

It should be noted that these piercings are almost always temporary, and tend to be removed shortly after the event they were pierced for. These piercings are usually performed with captive bead rings or even just hypodermic needles; it is not reasonable to heal this modification utilizing this type of jewelry. It should be noted that if left in, much of the jewelery used in corset piercings has a very high risk of rejection (highly visible in the second photo below), which will most likely leave scarring. Therefore, fairly prompt removal is necessary with most jewelery used. Some corset piercings have been sucessfully healed using carefully-placed surface bars with bondage/slave rings, but the location still leaves them prone to rejection. These pierceings can also be done with microdermals switching from a flat head to a captive head and laced for short periods. Keeping the captives and lacing in place for prolonged periods can cause rejection whereas the piercings can be maintained with the flat heads in place.

Vertical Labret Piercing

The vertical labret piercing's lower bead sits roughly where a normal labret would (just below the lip), but instead of passing straight through to the inside of the mouth, it travels at an upward angle, with the upper exit being on the top or even slightly forward on the lower lip. The end result is that both beads are visible. Normal jewelry is a curved barbell.

Upper Lip Frenulum Piercing

The upper lip frenulum piercing passes through the webbing underneath the centre of the upper lip. The piercing heals very quickly and is relatively painless. It looks best on someone whose lips retract when they smile — showing off the piercing as well as teeth and drawing attention to the smile.
This piercing is prone to rejection and many people find that they just "fall out" after about a year. This process is relatively harmless.
This piercing is usually performed using an 18ga to 14ga captive bead ring (or sometimes a circular barbell), sized so that the bead rests just below the gumline, between the front teeth. It can of course be performed using other jewelry or sizes that don't show.

This piercing can cause gum erosion and lead to tooth decay due to abrading the enamel.

TONGUE WEB PIERCING

The tongue web piercing spent some time being relatively rare, but given the fact that it's not normally visible, it's become surprisingly common.

The tongue web piercing is done through the webbing under the tongue. The healing process is relatively fast and is largely trouble-free. Care must be taken to clean it regularly as plaque builds up on it very quickly.

TONGUE PIERCING

A tongue piercing is one of the most common, popular, and easy-to-heal piercings done.
There are two common reasons that might stop you from getting your tongue pierced. First, are overly prominent veins on the bottom of the tongue. Sometimes they can be avoided (so you may want to get a second opinion from an experienced piercer if you are told no), but there are rare cases where it would not be safe. The second thing that can make a tongue piercing difficult (or impossible) is an overly prominent tongue web. If it is too long and tight, you won't be able to stick out your tongue, making it difficult to pierce. In addition, a piercing might painfully rub on the webbing.
When a tongue piercing is first done, a great deal of swelling occurs, which usually lasts as much as a week (some people find this first week very painful to the point where sleeping is difficult, but most people experience very little pain from tongue piercing). Total healing time is about a month, during which aftercare is limited to occasionally rinses with either salt water or a mild mouthwash. 

Tongue piercings carry with them almost no infection or risks directly related to the piercing (like cancer), but they do carry a large risk of tooth chipping; after all, if you bite down hard on a steel bead, what do you think will happen to your tooth? However, the risk of chipped teeth can be almost totally eliminated by wearing properly sized jewelry. For healing and initial piercing, the tongue jewelry should be 50% longer than the thickness of the tongue (normally this is 3/4"), but once healed it is very important that a shorter bar be installed.

SEPTUM PIERCING

The septum piercing passes through the nasal septum (the middle of the nose) and is often referred to as a "bull-ring piercing." The nasal septum is the cartilaginous tissue dividing wall between the nostrils. Generally, the cartilage itself is not pierced, but rather the small gap between the cartilage (also known as the "sweet spot") and the bottom of the nose, typically at a gauge no smaller than 14ga (1.6mm).
It should be noted that extreme stretching of the septum will definitely deform the nose, pushing it down and out. This deformity is often referred to as "septum droop." The degree of deformity will differ from person to person depending on their nasal anatomy.