How you treat your piercing as it heals is as important as your experience
at Instinct. Give your piercing the time and attention it needs to heal
properly.
Many of the chemical aftercare products available do prevent infection by destroying harmful bacteria. Unfortunately, they also destroy cells in your healing piercing. Please don't use any products other than those we suggest. If you are unsure about any products ask your piercer.
Products for Cleaning Body Piercings
You need a soap with no additives that might irritate your piercing. The ideal soap, plain glycerin, is available at most health-food stores. You also need saline solution. Saline is essentially the same as the fluid inside your body and is sold for contact lenses at most drug stores. Be sure you purchase plain saline and not multi-purpose solution. Saline is all you need for noses and the outside of lip/cheeks.
Daily cleaning for Body Piercings
-Clean once a day with soap (maximum) and 3 times with saline (minimum).
-Wash your hands before touching a piercing. Do not touch unless cleaning. Tighten bar bell beads.
-Remove any crusting before moving jewellery by moistening it with saline, which softens it, and then wiping it away with a clean finger or Q-tip.
-Move the jewellery back and forth though the piercing 6 times, working the saline through.
By doing one of these daily, you can cut down your healing time. Take a piece of tissue, soak it with saline solution, then warm it by placing it on a clean plate in the microwave for approx. 10 seconds (or put the soaked tissue in a ziplock bag and run it under hot water for a few minutes). Once the soaked tissue is nice and warm, hold it to your piercing and let it soak for a few minutes until it cools. The heat will draw out anything that may have gotten in your piercing (dust, soap etc.) and will increase the circulation to the area, giving your healing cells more nutrients. Also, by letting your piercing soak for a few minutes any crusting will be easily wiped away, and you won't need to move your jewellery if you don't want to. Be sure to dry the area after. This process can replace a cleaning.
You need a solution of 1/2 tea-spoon sea salt to 500ml bottled water or a diluted anti-bacterial mouthwash. If you prefer sea salt, you should still use mouthwash at least twice a day in addition to regular sea salt rinses. You must dilute the mouthwash in order to avoid irritation and canker sores. You will need a solution of 1/2 bottled water to 1/2 anti-bacterial mouthwash. If you smoke, you should rinse with the diluted mouthwash after having a cigarette. Use the mouthwash no more than 8 times a day. If you smoke more than 8 times a day, alternately use the sea salt rinse after smoking.
Daily Cleaning for Tongues and Inside of Lips/Cheeks
Rinse with mouthwash or sea salt solution for 30 seconds every time you eat drink, smoke or put anything other than bottled water in your mouth. If eating or drinking for a while (having dinner), rinse every half hour while eating/drinking.
Helpful Hints for Oral Piercings
-Use Ibuprofen
(Advil), an anti-inflammatory, to reduce swelling
-Suck on ice, sleep with your head propped up above your heart for the
first 3 nights
-Eat slowly - think about chewing
-Avoid piping hot, creamy and spicy foods
-Ora-gel can help if the jewellery irritates the inside of your mouth
-Tighten bar bell beads before eating, sleeping or showering
You may get a small piece of dead skin attached to your piercing. Do not tear it off. It will dry up and fall off on its own. The tongue's initial swelling can restrict bleeding. When this swelling goes down, you may bleed a little. This is rare but normal - try not to worry. If you bleed a lot call us and see a doctor immediately.
If you are having a problem, or think you have an infection, call your us immediately! We want to see your piercing healed, so come in as soon as possible and let us help you, completely free of charge. If you can't connect with us or are in any doubt whatsoever, see a doctor as soon as possible. Jewellery keeps a piercing open and lets infections drain. Do not remove any jewellery unless you have an extremely swollen tongue, flatback labret or nostril screw piercing (please see below).
Extreme swelling is rare, but must be dealt with immediately. If a piercing swells so much that the ends of the jewellery are being sucked inside the piercing and no shaft can be pushed out, call us immediately - longer jewellery is needed right away. Take ibuprofen and ice the piercing. Get in to Instinct Adornments immediately - do not wait for more than 1-2 hours. If you are unable to contact us, take the jewellery out and continue cleaning. Do not endanger your health over the cost of a piercing. If you have to take it out, get down to Instinct within 1-2 days and we can probably get your jewellery back in. If we can't we will re-pierce for free (within 30 days of the first piercing, with proof of purchase and your jewellery).
The most important thing to remember is that your immune system deals with stress, helping you stay healthy and healing your piercing, so everything you can do to keep your immune system from having to work overtime will help your piercing heal faster. The following suggestions can make your healing process easier and more comfortable.
Try not to get to stress-out over your piercing. Follow our instructions and suggestions and if you have any questions or concerns call us. That's what we're here for!
-Don't compromise your immune
system with drugs and alcohol.
-Get plenty of sleep and eat a healthy diet.
-Sea salt rinses can be a wonderful way to sooth a sore piercing. Take
a small cup and mix a 1/8 tsp of sea salt in a 1/2cup of warm water (as
warm as you can stand it), mix until the salt is dissolved. Bend over
and place the cup to your piercing creating a suction effect, so that
when you sit up the cup won't drip and you can soak your piercing until
the water gets cold. Be sure to rinse with saline after these soaks.
-Epsom salt baths are very soothing and relaxing, but make sure that you
rinse with saline when you get out.
-Tighten your barbell balls by turning the top ball to the right (if you
forget, it's the same as any screw-on lid). The bottom turns in the opposite
direction.
Many piercings must be performed with oversized jewellery in order to accommodate swelling. Wearing oversized jewellery in the tongue for more than a few weeks can cause serious tooth/gum damage. Instinct Adornment will exchange your long shaft for a short shaft at a discounted price, within 30 days of the piercing, with proof of purchase. You can downsize for the regular price anytime, no proof of purchase required. Captive bead rings can be downsized, for a small fee, anytime. Fishtail labrets and nostril screws can be downsized anytime.
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