Healing a piercing correctly avoids unpleasant consequences.
The practice of piercing has become very popular in recent decades , especially among the young population.
Far from being a modern practice, body piercing for decoration is practiced in cultures around the world and has been done since ancient times, which we can confirm with archaeological evidence.
Although its popularity has improved the information and sanitary conditions available to those who decide to use piercings, it is still a practice that carries certain risks that can be avoided with good care of the piercing after its placement.
How to heal a piercing
The healing of a piercing refers mainly to the correct habits to maintain after its placement, especially in the period of time close to the installation of the piercing. A correct healing of the piercing mainly avoids those problems that derive from infections of the perforation , of varying severity depending on the infection and the affected part.
In this article we will talk about the hygienic habits that we should maintain to avoid infection of the pierced area , so that our experience with the piercing is as unpleasant as possible.
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What is the normal healing process like?
After the installation of the piercing, it is normal to experience some unpleasant symptoms that will change as the wound heals . Especially at the beginning, we can expect slight bleeding and swelling of the area.
After the initial period, during the healing of the wound, it is normal to feel itching or the secretion of a yellowish-white substance in the wound that can generate a little crust on the decoration of the piercing (It is not pus, if there is pus this means we are suffering from a major infection).
Even once the wound has healed, if we do not maintain good hygienic habits, the piercing jewel can get stuck and we can see the accumulation of normal substances, but which cause a bad smell.
Although the piercing seems healed, we must bear in mind that the healing process of the wound goes from the outside in , so the inner tissues may be sensitive or more susceptible to infection. Patience and good hygiene habits are, as we have mentioned, the key to a good healing process of the piercing.
clean the area
Cleanliness is essential in the healing process. If we clean the wound and our jewelry properly, we will be greatly reducing the risk of infection and the problems that derive from it.
For a correct cleaning of the piercing, we must practice the following habits :
1. Clean your hands before touching the piercing
Our hands are in constant contact with not very hygienic surfaces. This is natural, but it means that on our hands we can carry pathogens that are wanting to reach our open wound to infect it.
We can make things difficult for them if we wash our hands before handling the piercing, especially before cleaning it .
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2. Clean the hole
After all, it is an open wound in healing. Professionals in the sector recommend using sterile saline solution to obtain the best results , which we can buy in pharmacies and specialized stores.
It will work much better if we place the piercing in the saline solution for about 5 or 10 minutes a day, although if this is not possible due to the location of the piercing, we can apply the solution to the wound with clean gauze soaked in saline.
In case of not having access to sterile saline solution, we could try to make our own saline solution by mixing between 0.75 and 1.40 grams of non-iodized salt with about 250ml of distilled water. Too much salt does not make the solution have better results, but it can cause more irritation of the piercing.
If we decide that saline is not for us, we can clean the piercing with mild soap and water, although soap tends to be irritating and can cause discomfort in the long run . To avoid them, it is important not to leave any soap residue on the wound.
Regardless of the method we use, the optimal thing is to clean the piercings between 1 and 2 times a day.
3. Keep it dry
Correct drying of the piercing is important to avoid problems. Drying must be done delicately, touching the area with clean paper (for example, a Kleenex-type sanitary tissue). We should not rub hard, to avoid damaging the area .
The use of towels is also not recommended to dry the piercing, as they are full of bacteria that feed on our dead skin and the fibers can get caught in the jewelry. We don’t want bacteria in our piercing, so avoid bathroom towels.
General tips for piercing maintenance
In addition to maintaining correct and constant hygiene habits (it is useless to clean it badly or very occasionally, especially in the early stages of healing) there are some general tips that can help make the process as smooth as possible .
For example, the following.
1. Maintain healthy habits
Leading as healthy a life as possible makes the healing of the piercing faster and easier. Getting enough sleep, eating properly and exercising will improve our ability to heal the wound .
2. Sleep in a clean bed
Changing your bedding on a regular basis is a great habit to maintain, whether or not you have piercings. Changing sheets and pillowcases often prevents acne and itching, while reducing the risk of infection from the piercing.
3. Better take a shower
Showers are generally more sterile than baths, since the water does not touch the surface of the tub. This is important especially in the early stages of healing of the piercing. Be that as it may, after cleaning it is important that there are no soap residues in the perforation if we do not want it to become irritated.
4. Avoid moving the jewelry
After the initial healing process is over, rotating your jewelry from time to time prevents it from getting stuck in the piercing and is a necessary habit for good piercing maintenance. Even so, during the healing process we should touch the jewelry as little as possible to avoid damaging the delicate tissue.
5. Avoid certain cleaning chemicals
The best way to keep your piercing clean is to use saline solution. If we cannot use it, we should avoid at all costs the use of substances such as Betadine, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or soaps that include triclosan . This is because they can cause cell damage in the tissue, making it difficult to heal.
Bibliographic references
- Bodypiercing, NHS. Retrieved from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/body-piercing/ on 06/25/2019
- Piercing aftercare, Association of professional piercers. Retrieved from https://www.safepiercing.org/aftercare.php on 06/25/2019
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