When you make a piercing, the skin is pierced from two sides and for this this operation requires special care and attention. Read the instructions below to learn how to get a new piercing to heal properly, how to treat any infection, or how to get an unwanted piercing closed in the best possible way.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Helping a New Piercing Heal
Step 1. Go to a professional
In the body modification community, it is a generally accepted fact that there is a right and a wrong way to get a piercing done. Instead of getting punctured in a small kiosk or in a shop that is part of a chain in a shopping center, invest a few euros more to have it done by a professional. Your piercing will be done in a more hygienic, clean way and will heal much sooner. In addition, you will have the opportunity to receive all the useful information you need from the piercer.
- Request to be pierced with a piercing cannula needle. The correct way to pierce most of the body is by hand and with a special needle. Professional piercers use this type of needle because it is hygienic and easy to control for precise, straight and fast healing piercings.
- Avoid the piercing gun. A commonly used tool for piercing the earlobes (and sometimes other parts of the body as well) is the piercing gun, a mechanical tool that quickly shoots a needle into the skin. However, guns often have hygiene problems (often the gun itself is not properly disinfected, even when a new needle is used), and are known to create off-center or crooked piercings. So ask to be drilled by hand and not with this mechanical tool.
Step 2. Leave the bar or jewel in the hole
Until the piercing has healed, removing the jewelry or bar from the hole will expose the still healing tissue at greater risk of infection. For ear piercings, the healing time is usually 6-8 weeks. During this period, the jewel must never be removed from the hole in order not to risk an infection which can also be very painful.
As for piercings in other parts of the body, such as the navel, healing times are usually longer. Always ask your piercer about specific healing times
Step 3. Clean the piercing regularly
Strict adherence to a daily cleansing regimen is essential to avoid infections and allow for fast healing. Your piercer will surely provide you with specific instructions that should always be followed. More generally, these instructions will be very similar to the following method:
- Purchase supplements. You won't need much; some cotton wool pads and an antibacterial liquid soap, (such as Saugella pH 3.5 or Neutro Med pH 3.5) should suffice. You should also take a small cup of warm running water and some sea salt.
- Wash and clean the piercing. Start by washing your hands with warm water and mild soap. Once these are clean and dry, moisten a cotton swab (or a cotton ball if necessary) with water and gently clean around the piercing to remove any crusts. Then throw away the dirty swab.
- Clean thoroughly. Spread a good amount of mild soap on one or two fingers and gently, but thoroughly, start washing the piercing from both sides. Also make sure you get underneath the jewel, (front). Once satisfied with the cleanliness, pour some warm water to remove the soap.
- Soak the piercing in saline solution. Mix a few teaspoons of sea salt in a few ml of warm water and immerse the piercing for a few seconds. This can favor the release of a piercing that is not healing in the right way, but it also has other functions, such as relieving pain and irritation. Use the saline solution every time you clean the piercing until it is no longer painful and irritated.
- Rinse and repeat. Rinse the piercing with cold or lukewarm water and pat the area dry to dry it. Repeat these steps twice a day to promote proper healing.
- If your piercing is infected, you can clean it like this up to 4 times a day.
Method 2 of 3: Healing an infection of a piercing that has already been done
Step 1. Know what to look for
Some injuries and infections of a piercing are evident; others may not be, especially for the untrained eye. Some of the most common symptoms for knowing that a piercing is infected are:
- Persistent itching and / or redness
- Irritation and soreness
- A feeling of heat and burning
- Fluid leaking from the hole, such as pus or blood
- Bad smell
Step 2. Talk to a professional
As with any medical problem, the best you can do for your piercing that is sore, infected, or otherwise not in good shape is to report the details of the problem to a professional. Dermatologists or general practitioners are usually the best choice, but if you can't make it to a doctor's office or office, a good alternative is to talk to your piercer.
Step 3. Check for any metal allergy
Sometimes the problems with a piercing derive from an allergy to the metal of a recently inserted jewel. If your piercing looks sore and sore after inserting a new piece of jewelry, find out what metal it is made of. You may be allergic to it. So change the jewel and switch to a hypoallergenic metal, such as surgical steel or niobium and see if you can solve the problem.
Step 4. Be gentle
Unless otherwise indicated by a doctor, avoid using cleaning agents or disinfectants on the piercing. In fact, these may not reach the source of the infection and in many cases irritate the skin even more. It is therefore preferable to soak the piercing in saline several times a day to help the piercing heal gently.
Most piercing infections are minor and usually heal quickly if treated right. However, if you do not see any improvement within a few days, it is advisable to see a doctor
Step 5. Check your activities
In the healing phase it is best to take precautionary measures to avoid further irritating the piercing. Do not swim, do not apply lotions or creams, (unless directed by the dermatologist) and do not dye or chemically treat the hair, use only a mild shampoo.
Method 3 of 3: Close an old piercing
Step 1. Know your limits
A piercing heals with the formation of scar tissue around the hole. For this reason, only small holes will be able to completely close without the need for expensive professional assistance. Thus, even a small hole in the ear may never close completely so as not to leave any visible mark; the holes left by thicker piercings, such as those commonly used for the tongue and navel, will certainly be more visible even when closed.
- Holes that have been deliberately enlarged, as in the case of an expansion, cannot be closed except with specific medical procedures, with cutting tools and anesthesia.
- Do not check if your piercing is closed by inserting an earring or a jewel, you could inadvertently reopen it.
Step 2. Make sure the piercing has healed
As mentioned above, you should never remove the jewelry or the bar from the hole just made until it has completely healed, usually up to a maximum of 2 months. Exposing the scarring tissue to the open air can lead to infection and in some cases even to the formation of unsightly scars.
Step 3. Remove the piercing
Again, don't do this until the hole has completely healed. Extract the jewel from the hole and do not insert any new objects.
Step 4. Clean the hole every day
Follow a routine similar to that used to help a piercing heal, as explained initially. Gently wash it with warm water and mild liquid soap twice a day. Gently press around the piercing when you're done to allow any residue of soap, water, and other debris to drain out. Then rinse with a clean damp cloth or cotton swab.
Step 5. Check your progress
After a few weeks, the smaller piercings should already be closed. You can make sure of this by checking if any liquid still comes out when you press on the hole. Once it is determined that there is no waste substance, it is very likely that the hole is almost completely closed.
You should be able to notice the results in less than 3 months, but sometimes the shutdown process can take even longer than the healing process. Also expect a slight redness and a small dip in the part where the jewelry was placed
Step 6. Reduce the scars
Once the hole is completely closed, it's time to counteract any scars that may be forming with the skin healing over the hole. Ask your dermatologist to recommend a scar-reducing gel or similar products that may make the hole left by your old piercing less visible. Apply the product according to the instructions received, or in any case once a day for 4-6 weeks.
