Fecal matter, staph and psuedomonas germs are on faucet handles, toilet handles and doorknobs. After you wash your hands, turn off faucets and turn doorknobs in the bathroom with a paper towel so you don't recontaminate your hands. Infections of piercings are almost always caused by touching.

You have purchased either Anatometal or Industrial Strength jewelry. These are the two best brands of body piercing jewelry.

Be good to your piercing. Please don't put externally threaded jewelry in. We wouldn't dare use it, and we hope you won't either.

CLEANING SOLUTIONS

Mild non-iodized sea salt soaks as described below.

It's not necessary to use soap to clean a healing piercing as long as you're using sea salt twice daily and rinsing it afterwards in the shower.

SALT WATER SOAKS

Mild sea salt water soaks are strongly suggested twice a day to accelerate healing and increase your comfort. Dissolve one teaspoon of sea salt in a quart of water and you'll have a ready made solution that will last for many treatments. A stronger solution is not better as you can burn your piercing with too much salt. Pour some of the sea salt solution in the small cup and microwave for a few seconds to make it warm. Apply solution liberally and directly to the piercing with a q-tip.

Do your sea salt soak twice daily for the first month. Then switch to once daily for another month.

1. Before cleanings, wash hands thoroughly with liquid antibacterial soap and warm water. Use paper towels to turn off the taps after washing hands. This will keep you from contaminating your hands. If you wish, you may wear disposable latex or vinyl gloves and /or also use a hand sanitizing gel. NEVER, EVER touch healing piercings with hands. THIS IS VITAL FOR AVOIDING INFECTIONS.
2. Cleanse the area and jewelry with sea salt solution. (YOU DO NOT NEED TO ROTATE YOUR JEWELRY).
3. Allow the solution to soak there for a 3-5 minutes. You may shower normally afterwards.
4. Rinse the area thoroughly under warm running water.
5. Gently pat dry with disposable paper products such as paper towels, as cloth towels can harbor bacteria.

Each body is unique, and healing times can vary considerably. If your piercing is tender or secreting you should continue the care, even if it is past the stated average healing time.

WHAT IS NORMAL

Bleeding, bruising, discoloration and/or swelling is not uncommon. Any break in the skin, including a new piercing, can bleed or bruise. These are NOT indications of any complication.

Some tenderness or discomfort in the area of a new piercing is not unusual. You may feel stinging, burning, aching or other unpleasant sensations off and on for several days or longer. During healing there may be some itching.

Secretion of a fluid which contains blood plasma, lymph and dead cells is perfectly normal. It is a fairly liquid, whitish-yellow in color and forms a crust on the jewelry at the openings of the piercing. This is not pus, but indicates a healing piercing.

Once healed your piercing may secrete a semi-solid white malodorous substance from the oil glands called sebum. This is not pus, but indicates a healed piercing.

Piercings may have a tendency to have a series of "ups and downs" during healing by seeming healed and then regressing.

Tightness is normal. Do not expect jewelry to swing freely in most body piercings, even after they are thoroughly healed.

WHAT TO DO

LEAVE THE PIERCING ALONE except for when you are cleaning it. It is NOT NECESSARY OR ADVISABLE TO ROTATE THE JEWELRY while healing. Leave the initial jewelry in during the entire minimum initial healing time!

If you like your piercing , leave jewelry in at all times. Even old, well-healed piercings can shrink or close in minutes after having been there for years if jewelery is removed. This varies from person to person, and even if your ear lobe piercings stay open without jewelry, your body piercing may not! Contact your piercer if your jewelry must be temporarily removed (such as for a medical procedure).

Monofilament nylon or another inert non-metallic substance may be able to be inserted to maintain the piercing until jewelry can be reinserted.

Reduce intake of aspirin, alcohol, and caffeine. For above-the-neck piercings, try sleeping with you head elevated above your heart (prop up on some pillows) to limit overnight swelling. Products such as advil, ibuprofen, aleeve or tylenol are helpful for any discomfort.

Make sure your bedding is clean and changed frequently while you are healing, ESPECIALLY if pets get into your bed.

Showering is safer than taking a bath, as bath tubs tend to harbor bacteria. Don't soak in a bath during the healing time; you'll be soaking in germs.

In the event that the piercing drains a thick pus discharge instead of the normal liquid secretion, you should see a physician for evaluation and possible antibiotic treatment. If you do have an infection, the jewelry SHOULD BE LEFT IN THE PIERCING to allow for drainage of pus, the exception being that the jewelry is sunken into the piercing and is tight.

WHAT TO AVOID

DON'T use alcohol, peroxide, Betadine or Hibiclens to heal a piercing as they are overly strong and drying, which can hinder healing. The exception being that if an infection develops, you may use hydrogen peroxide three times six hours apart.

Don't over-clean. Cleaning more often than three times a day is NOT better. This can delay your healing and irritate your piercing.

Avoid oral contact, rough play, and contact with others body fluids on or near your piercing during healing.

Don't use bandaids on a healing piercing. The adhesive can irritate the piercing if it gets in it.

Don't hang charms or any object from your jewelry until the piercing is fully healed.

AVOID submerging your piercings in water such as oceans, baths and hot tubs unless you feel confident that the water is clean enough for you and an open wound (which is what your piercing is while it is healing.) MOST bodies of water harbor large amounts of bacteria. If there is sea life, motor oil or children in the water IT IS NOT clean enough. CHLORINATED POOLS ARE OK for an unhealed piercing. Exercise during healing is fine, just "listen" to your body. Try to avoid activities that put undue stress on the area. Your own sweat and bodily fluids are not harmful to your piercing, provided you clean daily as directed.

HINTS FOR PARTICULAR AREAS

NAVEL

Avoid tight, cinching belts and waistbands and inflexible clothing on the area during healing. Situps do stress a navel piercing and can cause migration.

EAR/EAR CARTILAGE AND FACIAL

Shield piercings from hair spray and avoid getting lotion, make up and other foreign substances in piercings. Make sure pillow cases are clean and changed frequently. Clean your telephone receiver with a disinfectant and avoid contact with public telephones.