Oral Piercings

• Any oral piercing can be cleaned with a mild oral antiseptic mouthwash that does not contain a chief constituent of alcohol. We recommend Andolex C or Corsodyl mouthwash.
• Keep your mouth clean and keep the piercing well irrigated to carry away any discharge (drinking clear liquids regularly throughout the day).
• Ensuring you are very GENTLE, you can and should still bring your toothbrush to the area when brushing your teeth.
• It is an especially good idea to rinse or wash your mouth after eating, drinking or smoking. (Especially when you have been eating or drinking dairy products, as these substances attract and are a breeding ground for bacteria).
• Abstain from any activities that involve the transmission of bodily fluids.
• In the case of piercings that are a combination of oral and general piercings – the piercing is exposed to both the outside and the inside of the mouth – this requires BOTH aftercare methods (for example, the Labret or Cheek piercing).
  (See Pseudo-Oral Aftercare)
• Wash the piercing with a mild soap (We recommend Dove Soap), then wash the inside of the mouth with a mild oral antiseptic mouthwash (We recommend Andolex C or Corsodyl).
• This procedure is to be performed after every meal.

Voltaren Application:

It is also beneficial and recommended that you apply a topical anti-inflammatory to the surface of the skin surrounding the piercing, when or if needed. It is important to note that this anti-inflammatory application must never be introduced into the piercing itself. We recommend Voltaren Emulgel if you have an allergy to Voltaren, Arnica gel works as well. This can be applied up to 3 times a day.

• If there is a lot of swelling and inflammation, you may also take any of the over the counter anti-inflammatories, anything with ibuprofen should help.
• A piercing should also be washed after any swimming, as well as after any activity that would cause the body to sweat excessively, this includes sexual intercourse.
• If there is a lot of swelling and inflammation, you may take any of the over the counter anti-inflammatories, anything with ibuprofen should help.
• If a competent Piercer pierced you, there is no reason why this cleaning method and procedure should not be sufficient for a high percentage of the population. And it will help the piercing heal in the shortest period possible and in the least expensive way.
• There are many other cleaning products and methods that are prescribed.

However sometimes these products can do more harm than good, that is if you overuse them or do not know how to use them effectively. Please strictly only use the products we have recommended – please consult your piercer before using any other products outside of what is recommended.

A PIERCEE SHOULD ALWAYS FOLLOW THESE SIMPLE RULES

• Make sure you are being pierced in a sterile environment.
• DO NOT TOUCH YOUR PIERCINGS except after you have washed your hands first and are about to begin the Cleaning Procedure.
• DO NOT LET ANYBODY TOUCH YOUR PIERCINGS. The leading causes of infections and initial transmission of bacteria are from hand contact, so be careful. HANDS OFF!
• BE PATIENT AND STICK TO THE BASIC CLEANING AND AFTERCARE PROCEDURE.
• ALWAYS ask your piercer first, before you deviate from their advice or the cleaning procedure.
• A Piercer’s advice in no way supersedes the treatment prescribed by a registered medical professional… however it is a good idea to have your doctor communicate the treatment with the Piercer, to make sure that it is the best course of action for you.

Scarification:

Caring for a Scarification piece, whether a cutting or branding, is slightly different from other forms of body art, because one wants to encourage the scarring process. This aftercare regime is designed to optimize the overall scarring effect of your scarification piece. And because this is a slow process, it may be a good idea to see your doctor for a course of antibiotics to help your body fight off infection.

FIRSTLY…

Always make sure that you wash your hands with a mild soap before you handle your scarification piece. A bar of “Dove Soap” is ideal or any of the leading brands will do… A bar of soap however lathers better than a liquid soap. Also make sure all your wound dressings are kept in a scrupulously and hygienically clean and dry container, this will help to avoid contamination of your scarification piece.

DAY 1 – 3

• 10 to 12 hours after your scarification piece has been completed, carefully remove the dressing.
• It is ideal to wash your scarification piece in the shower, which helps to rinse away impurities rather than soak your wound in water with the impurities.
• Wash the wound gently by lathering up some soap with your CLEAN hands, and GENTLY rubbing the soapy lather into the wound, taking care to rub in direction of the cutting or branded lines to prevent uneven scarring later.
• Rinse the wound well and pat dry gently with disposable paper towels.
• After drying the wound, apply a thin layer of anti-microbial ointment – we recommend Fucidin Ointment.
• Cover the scarification piece in an airtight cellophane (Glad Wrap) dressing and seal the edges with medical tape to avoid leakage. (This is the cheapest option since you’ll be changing the dressings regularly).
• There are medical products available that are more suited to this function. They come in sterile packs but tend to be relatively expensive to the average consumer. Common kitchen cellophane is more than suitable, provided you keep it with your dressings in a clean place.
• The function of this is to deprive the wound of oxygen, thus keeping the wound moist and unable to form a scab just yet.
• Try not to wrap the piece too tightly as it may hinder the scar tissue from healing outwards of the skin layer.
• This washing regime is to be followed twice daily, once in the morning when you wake up and again at night before you go to bed.

DAY 4 – 12

• Continue to wash your scarification piece twice daily, as the new tissue is forming, but it is still absolutely vital to prevent infection.
• Instead of using anti-microbial ointments, you may now want to start applying irritants to encourage the building of scar tissue.
• Some irritants that work well are plain unscented Petroleum Jelly with a little sugar or salt mixed into it. Or you may choose to use Toasted Sesame Oil. Both of these are inexpensive and easy to get hold of. They will also help to keep the wound and region moist as well as breakdown the healing tissue.
• Again, take care to rub the irritant in the direction of the scarification lines as this will prevent uneven scarring.
• After coating the scarification, wrap it in cellophane and seal with tape as usual, to prevent the oxygen from reaching the wound, so that it can further encourage the development of scar tissue.

After 12 days

Discontinue the use of the irritant and leave wound open to dry out and form the scab.
• When the scab is formed, try not to move or bend the area, as cracks and breaks in the scab will ultimately affect the end result negatively.
• Over the next 6 weeks wash the scarification piece gently, but do not soak or pick at the scab (the scab needs to ideally fall off on its own). Pat dry after washing.

6 WEEKS LATER…

• Your scarification piece should have lost its scab and the scar tissue should have filled the wound by now.
• Now you can irritate the scar tissue further by slapping, scratching, or pulling. Be sure to do this uniformly on the entire scarification piece to keep the scar evenly raised.
• Your genetics and skin tone are important factors in how much your scar tissue will build up. People with a naturally darker skin tone usually scar more than those with a lighter skin tone
• A good indication of how well you will scar is if you look at scars from skin injuries that you have sustained in the past.

Do’s and Don’ts

DO’S

• Do live a clean lifestyle (meaning change your clothes every day and change your bedding as often as possible).
• Do wear loose clothing especially that which covers your scarification piece.
• Do get your 8 hours of sleep daily, rest is a great healer.
• Do take a Multivitamin supplement.
• Do take Vitamin C supplements (1000mg per day is sufficient).
• Do take a Zinc supplement (120mg for males and 60mg for females).
• Do drink plenty of fluids (1 – 2 liters of water per day).
This will keep your immune system functioning efficiently, making sure your body doesn’t get rundown while it heals your scarification piece.

DON’TS

• Do not expose your scarification piece to contact with unclean hands.
• Do not expose your scarification piece to contact with bodily fluids.
• Do not expose your scarification piece to any cosmetic styling products, makeup, body lotion or gels.
• Do not bathe in pools, hot tubs, lakes, dams or any public or communal water sources. These are breeding grounds for bacteria and will most probably result in you getting your wound infected.

You are going to need the following products for your aftercare routine: plain mild Dove bar soap, Fucidin Ointment, Voltaren emugel, and Micropore.

Day 1 – 2:

Keep initial dressing on for 48 hrs for Surface Anchors, and apply Fucidin ointment on top of the dressing twice a day.
Although for Surface Bars, dressings are not installed initially, Fucidin Ointment is still to be applied twice a day around the discs, following your washing routine.

Day 3 – 5:

Wash gently ONCE a day with plain mild Dove soap. For Surface Anchors, cover with recommended dressing at NIGHT only. We recommend Micropore tape. Surface Bars are not necessary to dress/cover. Continue applying the Fucidin Ointment twice a day – for both Surface Anchors and Surface Bars.

Day 5 onwards (up until approximately 6 weeks):

Wash gently ONCE a day with plain mild Dove soap, and apply Fucidin Ointment around the discs of the jewellery TWICE a day, for the remainder of the healing period.

Voltaren Application:

This topical anti-inflammatory gel can be applied up to 3 times a day for the entire healing period – this would be on the surface of the surrounding skin to reduce inflammation.
Please Do NOT apply Voltaren inside of the piercing pocket or channel.

Genital Piercings:

Before touching or washing your piercings, always make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with a mild soap (We recommend Dove Soap), then rinse. The only time you should be touching your piercing is if you are washing it.

• The best place to do this is in the shower, so as to easily work it into your daily routine. Running water is also best to thoroughly flush out the piercing once washed.
• While in the shower, wash everything else first, leaving your piercing until last. This ensures that any other product used during the shower will be washed away from the piercing.
• When it is time to wash your piercing, take the bar of soap and lather it up in your hands until it is foamy. Pick up this foam and apply it all over the piercing and the jewellery.
• Use the soap to first GENTLY remove any “crusties” or dried blood from the jewellery, ensuring there is no hard residue left on the jewellery.
• Following this, move the soap into the piercing by GENTLY moving the jewellery back and forth (please do not twist your jewellery). In this way, you are using the jewellery to drag the soap into the actual piercing channel.
• You will now notice that the soap starts looking thick and sticky, it has now trapped the waste products.
•  Rinse the piercing thoroughly under warm running water by repeating the back and forth motion of your jewellery, dragging the soap back out of the piercing channel.
•  Then take a clean absorbent tissue (Kleenex), or a paper towel, and hold it to the piercing to absorb all the moisture. Please do not use towels, as they are breeding grounds for bacteria and often pull on jewellery, resulting in injury to the piercing.
• It is also highly recommended and encouraged for you to urinate following the wash of your piercing, as this will flush out any residual soap.
• Frequent hydration and urination throughout the day is also recommended.

Every time one urinates, this cleanses the piercing, as our urine is sterile to our own body (provided there is no infection present in the bladder/kidney).

In this case, the piercing is exposed to both the inside and the outside of the mouth – (for example: Cheek piercing or Labret piercing). This requires you to combine both the general, and oral, aftercare procedure.

GENERAL:

You are going to need 3 products for your aftercare routine; plain mild Dove bar soap, Fucidin Ointment, and Voltaren emugel.

Before touching or washing your piercings, always make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with a mild soap (We recommend Dove Soap), then rinse. The only time you should be touching your piercing is if you are washing it.

• The best place to do this is in the shower, so as to easily work it into your daily routine. Running water is also best to thoroughly flush out the piercing once washed.

• While in the shower, wash everything else first, leaving your piercing until last.

This ensures that any other product used during the shower will be washed away from the piercing.

• When it is time to wash your piercing, take the bar of soap and lather it up in your hands until it is foamy. Pick up this foam and apply it all over the piercing and the jewellery.

• Use the soap to first GENTLY remove any “crusties” or dried blood from the jewellery, ensuring there is no hard residue left on the jewellery.

• Following this, move the soap into the piercing by GENTLY moving the jewellery back and forth (please do not twist your jewellery). In this way, you are using the jewellery to drag the soap into the actual piercing channel.

• You will now notice that the soap starts looking thick and sticky, it has now trapped the waste products.

• Rinse the piercing thoroughly under warm running water by repeating the back and forth motion of your jewellery, dragging the soap back out of the piercing channel.

• Then take a clean absorbent tissue (Kleenex), or a paper towel, and hold it to the piercing to absorb all the moisture. Please do not use towels, as they are breeding grounds for bacteria and often pull on jewellery, resulting in injury to the piercing.

• Once all the moisture is gone, introduce a tiny bit of Fucidin Ointment into the piercing.

• You do this by GENTLY pushing your jewellery forward from behind, until the excess length of the jewellery is visible. Apply some ointment onto the jewellery stem, and repeat the same back and forth motion with your jewellery, dragging the ointment inside of the piercing channel.

• Once you are certain that the Fucidin has been worked into the piercing channel, it is VERY important to wipe away the excess ointment. If not wiped away, the excess stickiness left behind from the ointment will attract dust, hair and bacteria.

• Be sure to only use the Fucidin 2 times a day for the entirety of the healing period depending on which piercing you have received.

• It is also important to note that the Fucidin Cream does not work well in this application, so be certain that you get Fucidin Ointment.

Following this…

ORAL:

Any oral piercing can be cleaned with a mild oral antiseptic mouthwash that does not contain a chief constituent of alcohol. We recommend Andolex C or Corsodyl mouthwash.

• Keep your mouth clean and keep the piercing well irrigated to carry away any discharge (drinking clear liquids regularly throughout the day).

• Ensuring you are very GENTLE, you can and should still bring your toothbrush to the area when brushing your teeth.

• It is an especially good idea to rinse or wash your mouth after eating, drinking or smoking. (Especially when you have been eating or drinking dairy products, as these substances attract and are a breeding ground for bacteria).

• Abstain from any activities that involve the transmission of bodily fluids.

• A piercing should ideally be cleaned twice daily for 2 weeks, preferably in the morning after waking and at night before bedtime. Following the first 2 weeks of aftercare, the piercing should then be cleaned only once a day for the rest of the healing period, so as to give the tissue a rest from all the movement.