Piercing aftercare

We recommend cleaning your new piercing twice a day, morning and evening, as follows:

• Wash your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason.
• Spray with sterile saline wound wash while healing. Moving or rotating jewelry is not necessary during cleaning or rinsing and may actually irritate the piercing.
• Dry with clean, disposable products like gauze or cotton swabs, gently removing any crusty debris or build-up. Cloth towels should be avoided as they can harbor bacteria and snag on jewelry.

Avoid over-cleaning. This can delay your healing and irritate your piercing.

Sterile saline labeled for use as a wound wash. Your saline ingredients should list 0.9% sodium chloride as the only ingredient (sometimes purified water will be listed).

Additives like moisturizers and antibacterials should be avoided, as well as similar sounding products like contact lens saline, nasal spray, or eye drops.

Avoid cleaning with:

• Alcohol
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Antibacterial soaps
• Iodine
• Any harsh products, as these can damage cells
• Ointments, as they prevent necessary air circulation
• Bactine®, pierced ear care solutions, and other products containing benzalkonium chloride (BZK). These can be irritating and are not intended for long-term wound care.

No. Mixing your own sea salt solution is no longer a suggested practice from the Association of Professional Piercers. Mixing your own sea salt solution will commonly result in the product being far too salty and strong; this can over-dry the piercing and interfere with healing.

Initially: in the first few days some bleeding, localized swelling, tenderness, and/or bruising is normal for a new piercing.

During healing: some discoloration, itching, and secretion of a whitish-yellow fluid that will form some crust on the jewelry. The tissue may tighten around the jewelry as it heals.

A piercing might seem healed before the healing process is complete. This is because this type of wound heals from the outside to the inside. Although it may feel fine on the outside, the interior could still be fragile. Be patient, and keep cleaning throughout the entire initial healing period.

No! During healing, do not twist, spin, or rotate your jewelry. You are growing new tissue on the inside of the piercing channel that can be damaged or disrupted by excessive movement of the jewelry. This can prolong and complicate healing.

Yes! Exercise and sweating during healing is fine. Avoid activities that could jostle or aggravate the piercing. Keep the piercing protected from bacteria present on gym equipment or exercise mats.

Yes! Showers tend to be safer than taking baths, as bathtubs can harbor bacteria. If you bathe in a tub, clean it well before each use and rinse off your piercing when you get out.

Wash your hands prior to touching the piercing and leave your piercing alone except when gently cleaning it.

No, it is not recommended. Avoid submerging the piercing in bodies of water such as lakes, pools, oceans, hot tubs, etc. during initial healing. Bodies of water harbor dangerous bacteria that put clients at risk for infection.

You can use a waterproof transparent film dressing to protect your piercing from bodies of water (these are available at most pharmacies). Waterproof bandages are suitable for nipple, navel, and surface piercing placements. We do not recommend their use on ears or on the face.

It is important to note that exposure to bodies of water puts new piercings at an increased risk for infection, even when covered.

Yes, but be cautious. Foreign matter, including cosmetics and personal care products, entering the piercing channel can cause irritation and upset the healing process. Avoid all beauty and personal care products on or around the piercing area including cosmetics, lotions, sprays, active ingredients, etc.

Best practice is to keep a clean circle of skin surrounding your piercing, free from any products.

• Avoid all oral contact, rough play, and contact with others’ bodily fluids on or near your piercing during healing.
• Avoiding things like excessive stress, drug use, excessive caffeine, nicotine and alcohol is suggested, as they can prolong your new piercing’s healing process.
• Avoid excess weight or pulling on new piercings until the piercing is fully healed. Don’t hang charms or any object from your new piercing’s jewelry.
• Avoid undue trauma such as friction and pressure from clothing, excessive motion of the area, playing with the jewelry, and vigorous cleaning. These activities can cause the formation of unsightly and uncomfortable scar tissue, migration, prolonged healing, and other complications.

No. We do not pierce with jewelry purchased outside of our studio.

We only use jewelry which has been ordered, handled, inspected, and sterilized by our own staff. We do not pierce with outside jewelry to avoid complications which commonly stem from poor quality jewelry.

If you have a piece of jewelry previously purchased from Timeless Body Arts or Timeless Piercing & Jewelers that you’d like to use for a new piercing, please bring it to us for inspection at minimum 2 hours prior to your scheduled appointment. Our staff will check it for damage or scratches as well as check if it is suitable for the placement of the new piercing. If it is determined to be safe and suitable, our staff will take the jewelry for cleaning and reprocessing so it will be ready for your appointment.

With clean hands, gloves, or paper products, be sure to regularly check threaded and threadless ends on your jewelry for tightness.

Threadless jewelry is held together by tension. The end presses into the labret (backing) and pulls apart; no twisting or turning needed! To check that your threadless jewelry is secure, pinch it together from front to back with clean hands.

Threaded jewelry is held together by threads that twist together. The end twists into the labret or barbell: righty tighty, lefty loosey.

Once it is fully healed. A piercing that is fully healed should not hurt, bleed, pus or have crust on it. The timeline for healing a piercing is not linear. The better we treat our new piercing and our bodies, the quicker they tend to heal. If there is trauma to the area or complications, healing can take longer.

Unless there is a problem with the size, style, or material of the initial jewelry, leave it in place for the entire healing process.

Many piercings require a downsize, a shortening of the initial jewelry, before the piercing is fully healed. Downsizes and jewelry changes during the initial healing phase should be done in studio with a qualified piercer to protect your new piercing from exposure to bacteria. Visit us for a downsize or jewelry change.

Not near us? Find a reputable piercer near you using the APP member locator.

Choosing a safe initial jewelry style is crucial to healing a piercing. Check out our chart below to see what styles of jewelry we can safely start each piercing with.

Cleaning your piercings as part of your normal hygiene routine can help them stay clean and avoid having normal, possibly smelly, secretions accumulate. Rinse them with warm running water in the shower or sterile saline to prevent irritation and bad smells.

Once healed, the jewelry may not move freely in the piercing; do not force it.

1. Wash your hands first.
2. Wipe down the area with sterile saline.
3. Gently remove the jewelry.
4. Use a water-based jelly lubricant to ease jewelry in and out of the piercing channel gently.
5. Make sure the new jewelry is properly secured.

There are many different styles of body jewelry, and the way they open and close varies. If you are unsure how to properly open or remove your jewelry, we recommend scheduling a jewelry removal or visiting another APP member for assistance.

New or healing piercings: yes. Piercings are open wounds and our bodies want wounds to heal. If you remove your jewelry during your initial healing time the piercing will close. If removed, reinsertion can be difficult or impossible. The amount of time it takes a piercing to close varies depending on the area and from person to person, anywhere from a few minutes to a few days.

Healed piercings: maybe. Piercings, even healed ones, can shrink or close quickly, even after having been there for years! This varies depending on the location of the piercing and from person to person.

If you like your piercing, keep jewelry in; do not leave the hole empty. Clear glass retainers are a great option if jewelry must be removed for a medical procedure or personal reason.

Simply remove the jewelry. If you’re unsure how to remove the jewelry or need help doing so, visit us for a jewelry removal. If you are not close to us, visit an APP member near you for assistance.

Once the jewelry is removed, continue cleaning the piercing until the hole closes. Body piercings create a permanent change to the body; while most scarring is minimal, piercings will leave scars in their absence.

Yes. Piercing causes a permanent change to the body. The size and severity of scarring left by piercing varies person to person. Generally, with time most piercing scars become faint; however, scarring can be more severe if trauma occurs in the area.

1. Read through this section to learn about solutions for common issues and complications for healing piercings.
2. Visit us for a check-up!
3. Contact us! Call us at 443-674-8544 to chat with a piercer about your concerns.

Infection vs. irritation. An infection occurs when harmful microorganisms, known as pathogens, invade and multiply in the body. These microorganisms can include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. The most common causes of infection for healing piercings are exposure to other people’s bodily fluids, bodies of water, touching the piercing with dirty hands, and exposure to unclean environments.

Irritation is caused by external stimulation of the piercing that may cause swelling, discomfort, or even irritation bumps.

Signs of infection:

• Persistent heat, redness, and throbbing in the area
• Pus that is dark yellow or green in color
• Fever
• An unpleasant smell coming from the wound

If these signs are present we recommend seeing a medical professional. Do not remove the jewelry unless advised to do so by a medical professional. If an infection is present, removing the jewelry can seal the wound and trap the infection, causing further complications.

Signs of irritation:

• Soreness, swelling, or a tight, pinchy feeling
• Fluid draining from the wound that is clear, white or light yellow
• Bumps
• Redness

Common causes of irritation:

• Touching, twisting, turning, or picking at the piercing
• Sleeping on the piercing
• Bumps, hits, snags, or any type of physical trauma
• Overswelling the initial jewelry
• Harsh products on or around the piercing
• Pregnancy
• New medications
• Illness or injury, when your immune system is working overtime to heal from illness or other non-piercing-related injuries

There are many things in our daily life that could irritate a piercing, and often clients struggle to isolate the cause of their irritation. But that’s why we are here! If you’re struggling to heal your piercing, make a check-up appointment so we can help you troubleshoot it.

Piercing bumps, while annoying, are a common occurrence for healing and healed piercings. There are a lot of reasons piercing bumps present, and they fall into two categories.

External factors

• Touching, picking and twisting
• Trauma, including pulls, snags, or hits
• Pressure: sleeping on the piercing, clothes pressing against the piercing, or overswelling causing the jewelry to feel tight or pinchy
• Excessive moisture
• Poor jewelry quality
• Poor or damaged surface finish. Body jewelry should have a mirror polish finish; microscopic scratches and texture on jewelry can cause irritation to the piercing even if it is healed.
• Inappropriately sized jewelry
• Improper placement for your anatomy

Internal factors

• Illness or injury. Even when illness or injury occurs in an unrelated area of the body, the immune system can become strained, causing a healing piercing to experience issues or complications.
• Sensitivities to materials. It is common to have metal sensitivities. Make sure your body jewelry is made from implant-grade, biocompatible materials sourced from reputable sources such as jewelry brands verified by the Association of Professional Piercers.
• Medications such as Accutane, chemotherapy, corticosteroids, and immunosuppressants.

1. Figure out what external and/or internal factors are contributing to your bump and work to remove them if possible (see the section above).
2. If the quality, style or fit of your jewelry is the suspected cause of your bump, we recommend visiting us for a jewelry change.
3. Leave it the heck alone. This is the hard one. Especially when we have an area that is irritated or sore, our instinct is to want to mess with it. The less you touch it the better it will heal.
4. Stick to our recommended aftercare instructions. Do not put harsh chemicals, essential oils, ointments or other concoctions on your piercing bump. This will only damage it further.