Aftercare and Healing
Whether a piercing heals well is mostly decided by what you do in the first six weeks. And what you refrain from in the months after. What follows is exactly what we tell our clients in the studio.
By placement
Each placement needs its own care; times vary from person to person.
How healing goes
- First 3 days
Swelling and tenderness
The area is swollen, warm and tender; a little bleeding and clear discharge are normal. Leave the jewelry alone and clean only with saline. For tongue and lip, cold water and ice chips bring the swelling down.
- Weeks 1–2
Crusting
The swelling goes down and pale crusts form around the channel. They are the healing tissue itself: do not pick them, soften them with saline and wipe them away. The longer bar is still needed.
- Weeks 2–6
The bar change
Once the swelling has fully gone, the first long bar is swapped for a shorter one. At the studio. Left long it snags, tilts the piercing and, in the tongue, damages teeth. This does not mean the healing is over.
- Months 2–6
The quiet stretch
It looks healed from the outside, but the channel inside is still forming. This is when people most often stop the aftercare and change the jewelry too early. For cartilage, navel and nipple this stretch runs to twelve months.
- Once healed
Jewelry freedom
No pain, no discharge, no redness, and the jewelry moves freely in the channel: it has healed. Rings, other lengths and gold are now open to you. Have the first change done at the studio; after that you can do it yourself.
Piercing aftercare
- Keep the area away from water for the first 2 days. For the 10 days after that, put a thick layer of vaseline on the entry and exit points before every contact with water.
- After the water, wipe the vaseline away gently with a clean cotton bud, then spray salt water, sea-water spray, sterile saline or a piercing aftercare solution on the entry and exit points.
- From the day it is done, for 10 days, at least 5 times a day, spray saline or piercing solution on the entry and exit points (3 or 4 sprays).
- Home-made saline: add a level teaspoon of salt to a cup of boiled water, boil it, let it cool and pour it into a clean spray bottle.
- Never touch the piercing without disinfecting your hands first. Keep it from knocks, rubbing and being slept on.
- A new piercing should not be moved or taken out for the first 2 months. Do not leave the channel empty for at least 1.5 years; cartilage and mucous tissue close very fast.
- For oral piercings, rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash 3 times a day for a week; with a tongue piercing, eat cold and liquid food for the first week.
- For a fresh piercing, wear titanium or 316L surgical steel of the right standard.
When to see a doctor
If you see spreading redness, increasing heat, throbbing pain, a yellow-green or foul discharge, or you develop a fever, do not remove the jewelry. See a doctor. Taking it out closes the channel and traps the infection inside. If this happens, first send us a photo and tell us what is going on. For more serious cases, please see a doctor as we direct you.
If something does not look right, send us a photo and we will take a look. WhatsApp
Bumps and keloids
This is what we are asked most after the first fortnight.
What is a bump, and why does it form?
A piercing bump is swelling and redness, most often caused by infection, inflammation, unsuitable jewellery material, moving the piercing too much, or sleeping on it. Left unattended it can turn into a permanent keloid.
What is a keloid?
A keloid is an abnormal, excessive growth of tissue in response to trauma such as an injury, surgery, a tattoo or a piercing. It looks shiny, firm and raised, and can appear 3 months or more after the trauma itself.
Bumps and keloids that are not dealt with early can grow and become harder to treat; severe cases may need a cortisone injection or surgery at a hospital. Do not neglect your aftercare, and speak to your piercer at the first sign of a problem.
Bump and keloid care
Always speak to your piercer before following this protocol. If there are signs of infection — spreading redness, heat, discharge or fever — see a doctor rather than treating it at home. Fucicort is a prescription medicine.
- Crush an aspirin tablet in a mortar until it is a fine powder.
- Put the powder in a clean container and mix it with pine oil or plain water to a consistency you can apply with a cotton bud. Instead of the aspirin, you can also use a Rif ampoule from the pharmacy.
- Apply the mixture or the Rif to the entry point, the exit point and the skin around them 4 times a day; with aspirin, make a fresh mixture each day.
- Once the aspirin or Rif has dried, put Fucicort ointment over it.
- Repeat this routine 4 times a day for 7 days.
If there is no improvement, the problem may be a reaction to the jewellery material. We then recommend moving to bioplast, keeping the care up for another week, and staying with bioplast for a further month.
Frequently asked
When can I change the jewelry?
The first bar change happens at the studio once the swelling is down (2–6 weeks); that does not mean the piercing has healed. For rings, other lengths and gold, wait the placement’s full healing time. 2–3 months for a lobe, 6–12 months for cartilage.
A small bump has appeared next to the piercing. Is it infected?
Usually not: an irritation bump comes from pressure, snagging or a wrong angle, and settles once the cause is gone. Infection looks different. Spreading redness, increasing heat, throbbing pain, a yellow-green foul discharge, fever. If you see those, see a doctor without removing the jewelry.
Should I turn the jewelry?
No. Turning tears the new tissue and drags crusts into the channel. Touch the jewelry only when cleaning, with clean hands.
Can I make the saline at home?
Yes. Add a level teaspoon of salt to a cup of boiled water, boil it, let it cool and pour it into a clean spray bottle. A pharmacy solution works too; what matters is doing it at least 5 times a day for 10 days.
Can I swim in the sea or a pool?
Not for the first 4–6 weeks. After that, rinse the area with saline when you get out. Hot tubs and saunas are the riskiest.
Why not plated jewelry?
Plating flakes off in a fresh channel; the metal underneath (usually nickel-bearing) then meets the tissue and reacts. For a fresh piercing we use implant-grade titanium or 316L surgical steel of the right standard; a healed one can also take 585 gold.
If I take the jewelry out for a night, will the hole close?
An unhealed channel can narrow within hours; even a healed one shrinks over days. If you have to remove it (surgery, an MRI), wear a bioplast retainer if you can.
This page is general aftercare information, not medical advice. For anything you are unsure about, message us: +90 555 770 21 68.