JEWELLERY AFTERCARE

The most important thing you should do when you receive jewellery from anywhere is to clean it.
The best way is to use Antibacterial Soap and Water to thoroughly clean the jewellery.
If you want to boil your jewellery DO NOT BOIL ANY JEWELLERY WITH ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS, INCLUDING THE Tiggler (tm) Vibrating Barbell, or Jewel settings or acrylic. BASICALLY ONLY BOIL JEWELLERY THAT IS ENTIRELY STEEL.
The safest and easiest way to clean your jewellery is with antibacterial soap. Do not use alcohol or any chemicals to clean or sterilize the jewellery or components due to the possibility of discoloration or adverse reaction to the materials. For example: if you use alcohol to sanitize acrylic balls, the balls will split in two or deform. For oral jewellery it is not uncommon for the jewellery to be affected. Like teeth or fabrics, body jewellery can be discoloured or affected by ingested chemicals such as alcohol, mouthwash, cigarette smoke, chlorine, soaps, food and/or drinks.
Most body jewellery is designed to allow the removal of components (tongue bars, for example, have three parts to them, 2 balls and a shaft). Be sure to check regularly to assure that all components of all products are securely tightened and in place so they cannot fall off (especially to avoid accidental ingestion of barbell components).

To protect your teeth from getting chipped or cracked, do not bite down on oral jewellery. Do not wear jewellery that has become loose or stripped. For all threaded products, whether metal, Lucite or acrylic, do not over-tighten due to the risk of thread stripping.

YOUR PIERCING AFTERCARE
Your body piercer should advise you on aftercare.
Saline Solution is recommended to clean your piercing, or boiled salt water. (But ask for your piercer's advice on making a good saltwater cleaner.) The simplest kind of cleaning solution is Saline solution, which is 99% sterile water and 1% pure salt (Sodium Chloride). Saline can be purchased at a Chemist, a Pharmacy or made at home. If you make saline at home then you will need to boil some water in a clean pot or pan, pour the freshly boiled water into a container with a lid and then add less than tea-spoon of pure Sea or Mineral Salt.
Use cotton buds to apply the solution to the area of your piercing and to wipe away any excess fluid or crust that has formed there. Try to make sure that your piercing stays dry.
Always clean and dry your piercing with cotton. Disinfectants are often too strong or harsh to clean a healthy piercing with and sometimes cause aggravation.
If you suspect you have an infection you should feel free to consult your piercer and G.P. A zinc supplement will often help boost your immune system, helping your body heal itself.
Thoroughly clean your new piercing once or twice daily. Use an antibacterial soap. Do not use any products other than what is suggested. Be attentive to the changes in your piercing. Catching signs of problems early on is the best time to deal with them quickly. It's also a good way of making sure that you're not over cleaning your piercing. Excessive cleaning can cause you problems.

· WASH YOUR HANDS! Remember never to touch your new piercing without washing your hands. · Using warm water and a cotton swab, remove any matter that may have dried on the jewellery and around the openings of the piercing.
· Next, pour the cleaning agent on the jewellery and piercing, lather it up, then work the jewellery back and forth at least 6 times. Leave the cleaning agent in contact with the piercing approximately 3 minutes. Finally, rinse the agent off very thoroughly under running water, again working the jewellery back and forth at least 6 times. Any cleaning agent left on the skin or in the piercing can cause you problems.
· Every night take 2 Q-Tips and remove any crusty matter (that matter can trap bacteria). Use a sea salt solution and soak it for 10 minutes.
· Taking baths is not recommended, bath-water gets dirty very quickly, and could clog a fresh piercing with germs. A shower is preferable because it is a constant stream of fresh water, washing dirt, grime and germs away from your body. Swimming in chlorinated pools is likely to irritate your piercing so it's best avoided until the piercing has healed; though seawater is, technically, great for your skin, it would be wise to avoid bathing.

Special note on nostril piercing:
It is important to keep makeup out of the piercing as it increases the chances of infections. If signs of infection are present, contact your physician immediately! An infection in this particular piercing can lead to more serious problems. Do not remove jewellery during the healing period as you may not be able to get it back in.

Special note on eyebrow piercing:
Be careful when pulling clothing over your head. Use caution when combing/brushing your hair, so as not to snag the jewellery. Shield the piercing from hair spray and other hair care products, and keep makeup out of the piercing.

Special note on septum piercing:
If signs of infection are present, you need to contact your physician immediately! An infection in this particular piercing can lead to more serious problems.

Special note on tongue piercing:
Gently brush your tongue in the morning and at night after brushing your teeth.  WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THE USE OF LISTERINE DUE TO THE HIGH ALCOHOL CONTENT.

Cleaning the inside tissue
At least 4-6 times a day, you will want to rinse with solution, recommended by your piercer, or a sea salt solution for 30-60 seconds. A sea salt rinse is 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt dissolved in 8 ounces of warm water. Continue the rinses for 6-8 weeks.
The piercing will probably be swollen for the first few days. To minimize the amount of swelling you can use ice. Simply place it in your mouth and let it melt. Crushed ice is better to use - large pieces can increase swelling. Reducing the amount of talking you do will help to reduce the swelling. Cut down on your intake of warm beverages, spicy and acidic foods, tobacco and alcohol for the first week. Eat only soft foods for the first week or as long as your lip is swollen. Avoid drinking carbonated beverages for 3-4 days. They can break the seal that is forming at the piercing site. Avoid drinking through straws while your piercing is healing.

No oral contact of any kind for the first 6 weeks (including French/wet kissing and oral sex without barriers). You could end up with a severe infection.

If a barbell stud has been used: Always remember to check the balls to make sure they are not coming loose. Once the swelling has decreased (approximately 2-3 weeks), you can down-size the length of the stud.

Your clothing can interfere with your piercing. If an item of clothing fits too tightly over the area that is pierced, rubbing it, the piercing becomes aggravated, inflamed and sore to the touch. It will produce a clear puss-like liquid and the skin around the piercing might be encouraged to reject the jewellery.

If the clothing you wear is not loose enough to allow fresh air to enter and exit the area around the piercing then the area can overheat enough to allow germs and bacteria to develop and cause you problems. Bear in mind that the location of the piercing might suffer the stresses of everyday activities. People who have their navel pierced, for example, but do sit-ups regularly would be advised that this strenuous activity will aggravate the piercing. Another example might be a parcel courier with a nipple piercing might have to switch the side of the body they hang their bag from.
To give a piercing the best chance to heal you should consider the fact that your body requires certain nutrients and minerals to help it heal effectively. If you can honestly say that you eat a healthy diet then you are already providing your body with what it needs. If you don't eat healthily then it might be advisable to supplement you diet with Multivitamins and minerals which can be purchased at a chemist, a pharmacy or health shop. The bottom line is; that a healthier person stands a better chance of healing more quickly than an unhealthy one!

DISCLAIMER These guidelines are based on a combination of vast professional experience, common sense and research. This is not to be considered a substitute for medical advice from a doctor. Be aware, however, that many doctors have no specific training or experience regarding piercing and may not be educated on how to best assist you.

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