|
ABOVE THE NECK AND MADISON AFTERCARE
Your piercing was performed professionally and appropriately. Follow these simple suggestions, and your healing period should go smoothly. Although not physicians, the Need A New Hole? piercers are available whenever you have questions about aftercare. Please call us anytime!
A NORMAL PIERCING
May be tender, itchy or bruised for a few weeks.
May bleed a little for the first few days.
May secrete a whitish-yellow fluid which may crust on the
jewelry. THIS IS NOT PUS!
May tighten around the
jewelry as it heals, making turning while dry somewhat difficult.
HOW SHOULD I CLEAN MY PIERCING?
Choose ONE gentle, liquid unscented anti-bacterial soap containing triclosan, such as Dial , Lever 2000 LIQUID ONLY. If allergic to triclosan please obtain Dr.Bronner’s Castile Soap (found in most health food stores), Clearly Natural Anti-bacterial (iodine), NutriBiotic Anti-bacterial (grapefruit seed).
You may find it easiest to do this in the shower. Wash hands well before cleaning. First, let the water help you remove any crusted matter, then rotate the liquid anti-bacterial soap gently into the piercing. Leave the soap in the piercing for no more than 2-3 minutes, then rinse thoroughly while rotating the
jewelry. Don’t allow any residue to remain in the piercing. Use a gentle antiseptic containing Benzalkonium Chloride such as a simple ear care solution. Wash hands well before touching the piercing. Using a fresh cotton swab, remove any crusted matter, then rotate a little antiseptic gently into the piercing. Rotate the
jewelry 6-8 times, 3 times a day. Antiseptic does not need to be rinsed off. Cleaning more frequently may damage the delicate skin cells and cleaning less frequently may invite an infection. When you are not cleaning the piercing leave it alone.
WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?
Many piercers have found that Vitamin C (3000mg mineral ascorbate form ), Multivitamins, and Zinc supplements (60mg/120mg for about 2 weeks) speed healing time and regenerates skin tissues.
For chest area Madisons we suggest wearing appropriate necklaces which do not interfere with the healing of your piercing.
Avoid excessive use of heavily perfumed hair products if you receive any ear piercing, also try to keep hair away as much as possible for the initial healing time.
WHEN CAN I REMOVE OR CHANGE THE
JEWELRY?
Your piercing will not be completely healed for several years. Even after the piercing is healed, reinsertion can be difficult and sometimes impossible.
Jewelry should be changed during the initial healing period, usually 6-10 months. Be sure to wear appropriate
jewelry in your piercings, even when fully healed.
Jewelry designed for the ear lobes is never appropriate and will damage your piercing.
If you must remove your
jewelry temporarily, call your Need A New Hole? piercer, he or she will be happy to assist. We also
encourage you to contact your Need A New Hole? piercer for any removal or changing of the
jewelry.
Cartilage piercings may require a longer wait time to change the
jewelry due to the sensitive nature of cartilage piercings and their location on our bodies.
DO I HAVE AN INFECTION?
Infections are caused by contact with bacteria, fungi, or other living pathogens. Piercing infections can usually be traced to one of the following activities:
Touching the piercing with unwashed hands or letting others touch it.
Oral contact, allowing bodily fluids to come in contact with the piercing (your urine is sterile to your body).
Contact with hair, cosmetics, oils, infrequently washed clothing or bedding.
Going into a public pool ,
hot tub, lake are not recommended. However your own pool, tub or
hot tub is better suited. Salt water bodies (ocean) are also okay. Although a cleaning is still recommended upon exiting the water.
HOW CAN I TELL IF I HAVE AN INFECTION?
Look for these signs: redness, swelling, pain, especially throbbing and spreading pain, unusual discharge (greenish-grayish or reddish).
Cartilage piercings will display their infection with a large, round, red and white in color keloid that will make it difficult to move your
jewelry freely while cleaning.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IN THE EVENT OF AN INFECTION?
Come in to your nearest Need A New Hole? location and speak to one of our professionally trained piercers. We encourage you to come in because we can not see your piercing over the telephone. We need to know the circumstances that led to your infection so that we can take a proper course of action. Please, do not remove the
jewelry! This may aggravate the problem by closing off drainage. The effectiveness of an oral antibiotic depends on selecting the right one for the job. This should only be done by a physician.
The use of a triple antibiotic ointment (polysporin) can speed up the healing process. In the event of an infection a triple antibiotic ointment (polysporin) may be used .Please be sure to remove all excess ointment from the
jewelry and the outside of the piercing using a cotton swab and the
ear care solution provided by your Need A New Hole? piercer.
I THINK MY PIERCING IS GROWING OUT!
In most cases with a Madison the piercee just needs to downsize the shaft due to the swelling subsiding.
If the piercing is too shallow, the
jewelry is inappropriate or inappropriate aftercare is occurring, he piercing may reject (migrate out of the body). This may also happen if your body is prone to rejecting foreign matter. If you suspect that your piercing is rejecting, please call your nearest Need A New Hole? location. The solution may be as simple as changing your cleanser,
jewelry or piercing studio
COMMON PROBLEMS YOU CAN AVOID.
Over cleaning, vigorous cleaning or using a cleaner that is too strong can produce symptoms similar to an infection. The skin can be very tender and shiny, and there may be a clear discharge.
Stress, poor diet, or illness can cause longer healing times or migration of the piercing.
Reactions to the metals used in Need A New Hole? piercing
jewelry are extremely rare. Often a cleaner reaction or other problem is mistaken for a metal allergy. The area may feel hot and sore, like a low grade infection, or the body may attempt to pull away from the metal, resulting in a large growing cavity.
Occasionally the selected
jewelry may not be appropriate. If the
jewelry is too thin or too heavy, too large or too small in diameter, or not the appropriate style, you may experience healing problems. Contact your Need A New Hole? piercer if you suspect that you may need different
jewelry.
ESTIMATED INITIAL HEALING TIME: 6 weeks to 2 full years.
Everybody heals at a different rate. These are the average times for which you should clean your piercing 3 times a day and treat it like new, healing tissue. Remember that even after the initial healing period, your piercing will still need one full year or longer to completely heal (toughen up) always treat the piercing with care and gentleness
Ear Lobe, Eye Brow, Septum: 6-8 weeks.
Ear Cartilage, Nostril: 2 months - 1 year.
Chest and Neck Madison: 2 - 6 months | 
