Aftercare F.A.Q.
Healing a piercing has three different stages.
1. The acceptance phase, which usually lasts 10 to 14 days, depending on the piercing and how healthy you are. Your body will try to reject this foreign object, aka Jewelry, that we have placed in it. At some point, the body realizes that it can't reject the jewelry and may exhibit signs of infection, such as discoloration, swelling, tenderness to touch, and increased heat.
2. Once the body decides that it can't reject the jewelry, it will begin to produce new skin growth around the jewelry. This starts at the piercing holes and moves toward the center of the piercing. During this period, the body will produce lymph discharge, which is made up of Plasma and the waste from the production of new skin cells. This will harden on the jewelry at the piercing holes in a hard crust. In oral piercings, where it is warm and moist, the discharge will not harden and often forms in long, "snot" strings. Since the new skin growth is frequently thin and tight, there may be periods where the jewelry seems tight or cannot be moved easily. Additionally, the piercing may experience periods of redness and discomfort, particularly if it is mishandled. During this period, your piercing is an open wound, and precautions must be taken to ensure that the piercing doesn't become infected, including cross-contamination prevention, daily cleaning, and compresses or soaks. This phase ends when the skin is joined at the center of the piercing. The body will stop producing the discharge, and the piercing holes will pull inward.
3. The toughing phase is the last period of healing, and aside from that, the time doesn't require any additional care. During this phase, which can take up to 3 years, your body produces additional skin to make more space for the jewelry and to thicken the scar tissue to protect against tears. Even at the end of this phase, the piercing is not permanent, and removing the jewelry for extended periods will cause the body to reconnect the tissue and close the piercing.
The only thing that you need to do is remove the hardened discharge with a sterile saline spray. The Axiom stocks Neilmed Piercing Aftercare.
We do not suggest using harsh soaps and other antibacterial products.
Biotene fills two essential needs when healing an oral piercing. First, it is an anti-bacterial mouthwash. The second is that it is not as harsh as other mouthwashes, which can increase the risk of Thrush.
No, spinning, rotating, and playing with the jewelry will prolong healing and increase the risk of infection and other problems like bumps.
The answer is more than likely, "No". Keloid scarring is a genetic disorder, and you would have experienced extreme scarring with other cuts or puncture wounds. Also, keloids will require invasive medical treatment to be removed; they do not fade or go away.
What you likely have is an agitation bump or scarring. These are caused by over-handling and abuse of the piercing, improper jewelry, or improper placement or angle of the piercing. Often, these can fade if the piercing is isolated or the jewelry is changed. However, sometimes your body doesn't like the piercing, and the only thing that can fix it is removing the jewelry.
For all piercings that do not enter the mouth, all you need is a sterile saline spray like Neilmed Piercing Aftercare.
With oral piercings, in addition to the saline, which is not needed for a tongue piercing, you will need an alcohol free mouth rinse like Biotene.
We stock Neilmed Piercing Aftercare and offer it at a reduced rate. However, you can find saline at Drugstores and department stores.
We do not stock Biotene, but you can find it at any store that stocks mouthwash.
Well, for starters, read the package the stuff came in, right off a box of Fougera Bacitracin Zinc Ointment USP,
"Warnings: for external use only. Do not use in the eyes or apply over large areas of the body. In case of deep or puncture wounds, animal bites, or serious burns, consult a doctor. Stop use and consult a doctor if the condition persists or gets worse. Do not use for longer than 1 week unless directed to do so by a doctor. Keep this and other drugs out of the reach of children. In case of accidental ingestion, seek professional assistance or contact a Poison Control Center immediately."
A piercing is a Deep Puncture Wound, and the reason they want you to consult a doctor is that Bacitracin and other antibacterial over-the-counter ointments are petrolatum-based. This causes the following problems:
- The petrolatum blocks the flow of oxygen to the wound, slowing down the body's ability to produce new tissue.
- It blocks the wound's ability to discharge waste and debris.
- Since the petrolatum creates a film around the wound area that doesn't wash away for a few days, dirt, debris, and pathogens can collect in the wound area.
So, OTC ointments slow healing, impede your body's ability to remove harmful elements from the wound, and increase the likelihood of contamination.
There is a common misconception regarding antibacterial ointment. It doesn't kill the bacteria like Triclosan and other products. What they do is reduce the ability of the bacteria to reproduce, giving your body's natural immune system time to fight off the infection before it spreads.
They are not needed. If you are practising cross-contamination prevention, the exposure to foreign pathogens will be limited, and your immune system should be able to handle whatever you encounter. So they are unnecessary.
Since these products are often harsh, they can cause prolonged healing and other issues. This is especially true with rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, witch hazel, and other common disinfectants.