ORAL 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 and slightly red for a few weeks, or may itch a bit.
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 swell the tongue or lip. This will be the most uncomfortable the first 3-5 days.
HOW SHOULD I CLEAN MY PIERCING?
Always wash your hands thoroughly before touching the area. After eating, smoking or putting anything in your mouth, you need to rinse with antibacterial mouthwash. We recommend and provide BETADINE MOUTHWASH ( which is alcohol free).
If you have a lip piercing you must clean the outside with
Ear care Solution ( benzalkonium chloride). Use a cotton swab to remove any crusted matter and work solution into the piercing. Repeat 6-8 times, 3 times a day.
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.
Cut down or stop smoking for the healing period. Smokers may experience a considerably longer healing time.
Suck on ice cubes or
Popsicles for the first 24 - 48 hours to reduce swelling. You may also wish to take an
anti-inflammatory such as Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen). 800 mg. 2 times a day.
Don’t be in a hurry to downsize your
jewelry (get smaller balls or shorter shaft). Your ready to size down when there is about an extra ¼ “ room on the shaft or ring first thing in the morning. Your Need A New Hole? piercer will know when it’s time to downsize.
Latex barriers should be used to protect the piercing from bodily fluids, even if you are in a monogamous relationship.
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.
Except for downsizing,
jewelry should not be changed during the initial period, usually about 6-10 months. Be sure to wear appropriate
jewelry in your piercing, 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.
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).
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.
COMMON PROBLEMS YOU CAN AVOID.
Avoid all red meat and dairy products, beer and dark liquors (whiskey, malt) for 2 weeks.
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. Inside the mouth, use of undiluted mouthwash may discolor the tongue, and produce a discharge and tenderness.
Tongue
piercing that are played with too much too soon may develop scar tissue around the entrance and or exit.
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 (labret pierced with a hoop), 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 months 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.
Lip, Labret: 6-8 weeks.
Tongue: 2 weeks.
Cheek: 2-3 months. | 
