What is a piercing?
A piercing is a hole made in the human body with a piece of jewellery in it. The jewellery prevents your body from properly healing the damaged tissue. Therefore, an infection can occur more quickly with a piercing than with a wound. The purpose of aftercare is to support the body in healing the damaged tissue. Proper aftercare can significantly reduce the risk of infection.
What are the usual symptoms of a healing piercing?
After piercing, your body begins the process of repairing the damaged tissue. There are several symptoms that a healing piercing can exhibit. To reassure you, I have listed all the usual symptoms below:
Redness – After piercing, the spot may appear red. The redness is due to an increased blood flow from the body’s temperature to the pierced area. It can persist for several days to weeks.
Warmth – Following piercing, the spot may feel warm to the touch. This warmth results from increased blood flow responding to the body’s temperature, and it can persist for several days to weeks.
Pain – After piercing, the spot can be painful. Pain is caused by the production of certain substances that stimulate our nerves. These stimulated nerves send signals to the part of our brain that registers pain. The pain can persist for a few days, weeks, or even months. It’s important to note that the pain should only be noticeable when you touch your piercing, and in this case, the pain should be a maximum of 7 on a scale of 1 to 10.
Swelling – Following a piercing, the spot may swell. Swelling is caused by the accumulation of fluid. Therefore, longer jewellery pieces are used for piercing to allow adequate room for swelling. Swelling typically peaks after 1 to 4 weeks and can persist for several weeks to months. The jewellery must maintain sufficient space during the healing process.
Fluid – After piercing, a transparent or white fluid may discharge from your piercing, often when you touch it. This liquid is referred to as exudate and is composed of water, dissolved substances, cells, and debris. The exudate can persist for several days, weeks, and even months.
Blood – Following piercing, a small amount of blood may emerge from your piercing. Bleeding usually occurs when you touch or bump into your piercing. A crust will form after bleeding, and bleeding can occur for several days to weeks.
What are the unwanted symptoms of a healing piercing?
After piercing, your body starts to repair the damaged tissue. There are several unwanted symptoms that a healing piercing can go through. Make an appointment by selecting “Check-up” if any of the following symptoms occur.
Swelling – Following a piercing, the spot may swell up due to the accumulation of fluid. To accommodate this swelling, we use a longer piece of jewellery for the piercing. Swelling typically reaches its peak after 1 – 4 weeks and can persist for several weeks to months. In some cases, the swelling may be more severe than expected, causing your piercing to feel very tight. In such cases, you will need a longer piece of jewellery to allow room for the swelling.
Bump – Following a piercing, a small bump may form at the pierced area. This is more commonly known as a hypertrophic scar. Despite proper aftercare, hypertrophic scarring can still develop, as it is a natural response from the body when the immune system initiates the healing process. This may occur several weeks or months after piercing, and it is more common in tissues containing cartilage, such as in your ears or nose. The skin becomes noticeably red or pink, and it starts to rise slightly. You might experience itching, scabbing, or slight pain as a result of this. In most cases, this disappears on its own in several days or weeks. Placing a silicone disc can help if the hypertrophic scar persists.
Bruising – After piercing, a bruise may develop around the pierced area. When a blood vessel is damaged, blood leaves the vascular bed and accumulates around the pierced area, causing the skin to appear red, blue, or purple. After a few days, the bruise may change to a green or yellow colour. It usually takes 2 – 3 weeks for the bruising to subside.
Pain – After piercing, the spot can be painful. Pain is caused by the production of certain substances that stimulate our nerves. These stimulated nerves send signals to the part of our brain that registers pain. The pain can persist for a few days, weeks, or even months. However, if the piercing constantly hurts without any contact, and the pain rates at 7 or higher on a scale from 1 to 10, there may be an issue that needs attention. Make a free appointment by selecting “Emergency” if that is the case.
Which aftercare products should I use?
I recommend the use of saline solution for piercings in the epidermis or nasal cavity. The purpose of saline solution is to stimulate blood circulation, making it easier for your body to dispose of waste products. It is free of antiseptics, meaning the bacteria on your skin do not become unbalanced. The product is isotonic, meaning the salt concentration of the sterile saline matches that of your body. This results in a non-harmful product that is conducive to the healing of your piercing
I recommend the use of chlorhexidine mouthwash for oral piercings. Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic substance, meaning it kills bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Therefore, no alcohol is added to the chlorhexidine mouthwash. The use of the mouthwash reduces the chance of an infection in your oral piercing.
Where can I buy saline solutions or chlorhexidine mouthwashes?
Regardless of the brand, you can obtain sterile saline or chlorhexidine mouthwash in several ways. The easiest way is to buy it at the studio. We always have sterile saline and chlorhexidine mouthwash in stock at BlackBear Ink in Eindhoven. You can purchase it during your appointment, or you can visit us during opening hours and buy it separately. Another way to obtain sterile saline is to purchase it from pharmacies, drugstores, or web shops.
How should I use chlorhexidine mouthwash?
Chlorhexidine mouthwash obtained from BlackBear Ink in Eindhoven always comes in a bottle with a measuring cup. This makes it possible to measure the amount of mouthwash you use.
Grab the measuring cup that comes with the mouthwash. Fill the measuring cup up to 5ml with the mouthwash. Rinse your mouth for 1 minute with the mouthwash. After rinsing for 1 minute, it is important to spit out the mouthwash.
I advise using the chlorhexidine mouthwash twice a day for a maximum of 4 weeks, once in the morning and once in the evening.
