How to Care for your Pierced or Stretched Skin
What to Expect From a Normal Piercing
- The site may be tender, swollen, slightly bruised and/or pink/reddish.
- There may be some residual light bleeding.
- Slight swelling may cause the jewelry to NOT move freely.
- The site may secrete a whitish-yellow fluid which will form a light crust on the jewelry, do not be alarmed this is normal.
- Pus should NOT be oozing from the site. If so read “How Do I Know if I Have an Infection?” section below.
- Slight itching is normal with healing skin.
General Healing Time
- Healing time varies from person to person, listen to your body.
- Any new piercing should be left alone with the piercing jewelry in place for a MINUMUM of 6 months. Do not change or remove jewelry during this initial time period unless issues or problem with healing occur.
- Don’t forget that most of the healing is taking place inside. The piercing may look healed from the outside but the inside tissue is still repairing itself.
- Larger gauge piercings, dermal punches or scalpelling will take longer to heal.
How to Care for Your Piercing.
- First rule, keep it clean.
- Make sure to thoroughly wash your hands before touching your skin or jewelry.
- DO NOT over clean your piercing; it will do more harm than good.
- Wash piercing area with a mild soap and rinse thoroughly. Gauge Gear’s all natural soaps are perfect for this.
- Dip piercing into a saline dip or rinse piercing with a saline wash (like Gauge Gear’s The Wash). This washes away excess debris, dead skin cells and bacteria.
- After washing, completely dry the area and apply a skin conditioner or healing balm. Gauge Gear’s stretching balm or The Blend oil works well.
What to Avoid
- Do not touch your piercing with dirty hands or dirty jewelry.
- Do not wear low quality jewelry. If you have sensitive skin gold or 316L stainless or organic jewelry are good options.
- Do not move your jewelry excessively.
- Wear jewelry appropriate for your piercing.
- Avoid contact with bodily fluids.
How Do I Know if I Have an Infection?
- The skin around the site will be reddish.
- Pain will increase at the site.
- The site may feel warm or hot.
- The site may swell excessively or feel hard to the touch.
- Excessive blood or yellow to greenish pus discharging from the site.
- There may be a foul odor coming from the site.
- An excessive infection will be accompanied by a fever.
- Contact a medical professional or your piercing professional if any of the above occurs.