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Pierced by Máša
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The first 24 hours

Your piercing will be swollen, tender and may bleed a little. That is normal. Leave it alone, do not touch it and do not twist the jewellery. No alcohol, cigarets, sauna, swimming or intense exercise today.

Daily care

  1. Wash your hands. Every time before you touch the piercing.
  2. Rinse with sterile saline solution twice a day. A pharmacy saline spray or piercing aftercare are enough.No home-made salt mixes, no alcohol-based disinfectant.
  3. Pat dry gently with a clean paper tissue. Terry towels catch on jewellery and carry bacteria.
  4. Nothing else. No ointments, creams, tea tree oil or other "miracle cures". A piercing needs rest, not chemistry.

Crusting around the jewellery is normal. Do not pick at it; it dissolves during rinsing.

What to avoid

  • Twisting, sliding or playing with the jewellery. Every movement reopens the healing channel.
  • Pools, hot tubs, saunas and open water for at least 8 weeks.
  • Make-up, perfume, hair products and sunscreen near the piercing.
  • Sleeping on a fresh ear piercing. A travel pillow with a hole helps.
  • Tight cloth and mechanical pressure. Be careful with earphones if you have an ear piercing.
  • Changing the jewellery before I recommend it. Healing takes longer than it looks.

Healing times

Typical times to full healing. A piercing looks healed on the outside long before it is healed inside.

  • Earlobe: 2–3 months
  • Helix, flat, forward helix: 9–12 months
  • Tragus, conch, daith, rook: 9–12 months
  • Industrial: 9–12 months
  • Nostril: 4–6 months
  • Septum: 2–3 months
  • Navel: 9–12 months

Downsizing

A fresh piercing gets a longer bar to allow for swelling. Once the swelling goes down, usually after 4–6 weeks, it needs to be swapped for a shorter one. Otherwise the jewellery moves, irritates (bumps) the channel and the piercing can heal at an angle. Just book a check-up!

When you need help?

Mild redness, swelling and clear or whitish discharge are part of healing. Contact me or see a doctor if you notice:

  • a large, hot, painful lump that keeps growing,
  • thick yellow-green pus or a bad smell,
  • fever or chills,
  • jewellery sinking into the skin.

Never remove the jewellery yourself, as an infection could close up inside.

Message me on Instagram, Whatsapp or call and I will tell you what to do next.