Body Piercing, Healing, Aftercare and the basics.
For the first installment, I decided to cover the most basic of terms, piercing. Piercing is one of those English words that lives a double life as a noun and a verb. The verb defines the act of being pierced, and the noun describes the actual body modification that is a piercing. What I would like to cover in this article is to define both uses and provide a brief overview of what happens during the healing process.
The act of body piercing can be defined as the puncturing of the skin with an entrance and exit hole that is kept open by the insertion of a foreign object. Notice I said entrance and exit holes because a piercing passes through the skin at two different points. The most common and what I like to call traditional piercings are pierced through areas of the body that protrude and have two well-defined sides. A clear example is the lobe of the ear.
To accomplish this, the piercer will insert a needle through the area, followed by a piece of jewelry that has been carefully selected based on size, type, and material to achieve the best outcome. In doing this, the piercer creates a situation where it is easier for the body to grow a tunnel of scar tissue around the jewelry than to push or migrate the jewelry out of the body. Now, understand there is nothing natural or normal about doing this. Your DNA is not programmed for additional holes or cavities beyond those that you were born with. So by doing a piercing, we are tricking the body into creating a new one, which, regardless of your beliefs, is permanently altering your body. Even if removing the jewelry allows the body to reconnect the tissue and close the piercing, the tissue is no longer normal. This is why even after the piercing has healed closed, you will still feel a tube-like structure in the area between the two holes.
Now, here's where defining piercing as a noun gets a little messy, because the term is often used to describe both a healing piercing and a healed piercing, which are two completely different structures. A healing piercing is nothing more than two open wounds with a foreign object passing through them. A healed piercing is two punctures with a tunnel of skin encasing the foreign object, and is a closed wound.
To clearly understand what happens during the transformation from healing to being healed, we need to examine the primary function of the body's largest organ, the skin. That function is to defend the body from foreign objects and pathogens. With the act of body piercing, not only do we create a pathway or breach in the wall of protection that the skin provides to the body, but we also force the path to stay open with the foreign object, also known as jewelry, that we have inserted through the puncture.
The body's first choice in method of closing the breach is to reject or migrate the foreign object to the surface and out of the body. This is the primary reason why the placement of the piercing, as well as the size, shape, and material of the jewelry, are so important. The key is to place the jewelry into the body in a way that makes it difficult for the body to reject the jewelry and close the wound. Additionally, having the correct jewelry will not only enhance the body's ability to accept the jewelry but also facilitate the formation of a tunnel of tissue more quickly and easily.
I think it's essential to discuss jewelry briefly here and explain why it's so important, even in a healed piercing. When it comes to materials, it's vital to select a material that the body is more likely to accept. The most common materials are Implant-Grade Steel and titanium, due to their durability, ability to receive a high polish, and reduced likelihood of allergic reactions. Other materials can be used, but in my experience, these two are the best choices for a fresh piercing. If you would like to learn more about Jewelry materials, please go to the site's Jewelry Metal and Material Page.
The style and size of jewelry are often left up to the piercee, and I must make a point of saying that it is the source of a majority of problems with piercings performed by other piercers I see come into the studio. I always ask if the piercer suggested a different style or size, and I must say that either a majority of them stretch the truth or were never informed that a better choice was available. I must admit that this is one of the more challenging aspects of my work, but if it means losing a sale or creating a negative situation, I've always felt that ethically, I can afford to lose the sale.
The facts are this: during the healing period, the jewelry should be as simple as possible to avoid abuse and stress on the piercings. Jewelry shouldn't have added weight, sharp edges, or things hanging off it that will increase the likelihood of the jewelry getting caught on clothing, bedding, etc Stress on the piercing not only will prolong the healing and cause other problems, but could also aid in the body's rejection of the jewelry.
When sizing, the jewelry should be larger than the piercing area to allow for swelling and the easy removal of discharge. Additionally, when sizing, the jewelry should be as flat as possible to allow for a shorter tunnel between the two puncture wounds, thereby facilitating a faster healing time. If the jewelry is round, then the jewelry inside the piercing should occupy about a quarter of the overall circle. Jewelry that is too small or tight can also cause prolonged healing, scarring, and aid in migration and rejection.
The piercing is done, and the jewelry used is correct; however, there is still the issue of the open wound. This is where your body goes to work, and it does it in three stages.
- The first stage is accepting defeat when it decides that it can't reject the jewelry or that it would be easier to grow new skin around the jewelry. During this period, your body will send you several signs and hints that it wishes for you to remove the foreign object. Including a few of the same signs as it would if the area were infected. These include redness or discoloration on, near, or around the piercing area, Swelling, heat where the area is well felt, inflamed or feverous, itching, throbbing pain, and, of course, tenderness to the touch. In most cases, this will last anywhere from 10 to 14 days, depending on the type of piercing and your health.
- Once the body decides that it cannot expel the jewelry and you are not going to remove it, it will start growing tissue around the jewelry to form a tunnel, starting at each hole, until the two tunnels connect in the center. During this time, the piercing remains an open wound and is susceptible to infection. Therefore, precautions must be taken to prevent the disease and other related problems. This involves daily cleanings, reducing contact with the piercing area, and avoiding the introduction of foreign matter and pathogens to the piercing site. Preventing cross-contamination is mainly about doing what your mother should have taught you already. Wash your hands before handling it, avoid oral contact and the exchange of bodily fluids, keep items that come into contact with the piercing, such as clothing and bedding, clean, don't submerge the piercing in bodies of water you cannot control, and avoid contact with unclean objects. Additionally, you should avoid introducing health and beauty products, as well as other harsh substances, into the piercing.
- The main aftercare will involve cleaning off the discharge twice daily with a sterile saline spray. I stock and suggest Neilmed's Piercing Aftercare. Since it sprays in a fine mist, it can be sprayed directly on the piercing.
- I don't know how to stress the importance of health in your body's healing process after the piercing. Reducing stress, avoiding strains on your immune system such as a poor diet, alcohol, or recreational drug use, and staying well-rested will help your body heal the piercing. You need to consider that aftercare is both preventive and a way to help your body heal from the piercing.
- At the end of the second stage of healing, the body has produced a tunnel of tissue around the jewelry and closed the open wound, but the tissue is very fragile and thin. During the third stage, often referred to as the toughening phase, your body adds to the thickness of the tunnel of tissue. At the end of the second stage, the piercing holes will begin to close inward as the tissue in the center connects. You will also see a reduction or complete disappearance of the discharge. However, when in doubt, it's best to have a professional take a look.
Even during this Third phase, the piercing is at a high risk of closing if the jewelry is removed, and changing the jewelry can dislodge the tissue and reopen the wound. You may change the jewelry if you wish, but it is generally best to have your piercer adjust it for the first year or so. Also, there is no reason to replace the jewelry unless, as with tongue piercings and other oral piercings, a larger piece was put in during the piercing, and now the longer jewelry increases the risk of damage to teeth, gums, and bones in your mouth. Otherwise, you could leave that jewelry in for the rest of your life if you wish. I'm a massive fan of the Captive bead ring, not only because of its duality but also because it requires almost zero maintenance or upkeep. The jewelry is secure and there are no threaded balls to worry about coming unscrewed. However in some areas of the body the high profile of the ring will only increase the risks of damage to the piercing even after healing and a curved or straight post style jewelry maybe a better option to unwanted stress on the piercing.
If there is a golden rule for piercing, it is "If you like the piercing, leave jewelry in it." Remember when I mentioned earlier that a piercing is not natural to your body and is not permanent? Whenever you remove the jewelry, regardless of the age of the piercing, the thickness of the jewelry, or how well it has healed, your body will always begin reconnecting the tissue and then filling in the piercing tunnel. This is something you should always consider when deciding to get a visible piercing: how it will affect your employment. Removing the jewelry, especially during any of the three stages of healing, for any length of time, will prolong the healing process and, more likely than not, cause the piercing to close. Also, consider that retainers are often just as visible as jewelry would be, and most employers will ask that there be no jewelry of any kind in the piercing area. I have also seen this becoming increasingly the case with high school and college sports programs over the unfounded fear of injuries being caused by the piercing to the athletes or others. The food industry has increasingly cracked down on the fear that jewelry may contaminate food. Although I believe that a majority of this is unfounded and has more to do with creating uniformity, you should consider this before getting a facial or other visible piercing.
Well, there's the long story of it all. In the future, I plan on covering more subjects. If there is something in this article that you have a question about, don't feel that I covered it, or have a suggestion on topics I should cover in the future, please feel free to leave a comment, contact me at davo@axiompiercing.com, or through the site's contact page.
