Frequently Asked Questions
The Answers to Your Questions
WHAT PRODUCTS DO WE SELL FOR AFTERCARE
We sell a a fine mist piercing aftercare by The Pierced Moose called Spray it. It’s Isotonic, drug free, preservative free, no burning or stinging.
WHAT TO CLEAN WITH
Please use one of the following products on your healing piercing:
Packaged sterile saline solution for wound care (read the label before buying) or Our Pierced Moose brand here at Master Piercings, or a non-iodized sea salt mixture you make yourself; dissolve 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized (iodine-free) sea salt into one cup (8 oz.) of warm distilled or bottle water. A stronger solution can irritate your piercing, so don't put in to much salt!
A mild, fragrance-free liquid soap-preferably antimicrobial or germicidal.
HOW TO CLEAN YOUR PIERCING
WASH your hands really well before you clean or touch your piercing for any reason.
SALINE soak for five minutes once or more per day. Seal a cup of warm saline solution over the area. for some piercings it will be easier to use a clean gauze or paper towel soaked in saline solution. Rinse after you have soaked your piercing because salt crystals could hurt you and your piercing.
SOAK only once or twice a day. While showering, lather up a dime sized drop of the soap to clean the jewelry and the piercing. Leave the soap on the piercing for no more the 30 seconds.
RINSE to remove all the soap from the piercing. You do not have to rotate your jewelry through the piercing best to leave it in place.
Dry gently with clean, disposable paper products. Cloth towels could snag on jewelry, and they might have bacteria on them.
WHAT IS NORMAL
At first: some bleeding, bruising, swelling, redness, and soreness or mild pain.
During healing: some discoloration, itching, oozing of a whiteish-yellow fluid (not pus) that will form some crust on the jewelry, Your skin may tighten around the jewelry as you heal.
After healing: the jewelry may not move easily in the piercing; do not force it. If you don't clean your piercing as a part of your daily bathing, normal but smelly secretions may build up.
A piercing may seem fine before the whole healing process is done. This is because they heal from the outside in. Even if it feels fine, the new skin is weak on the inside. Be patient, and keep cleaning all the way to the end of entire healing period.
If you have had a piercing for years, it can still shrink or close in minutes if you take out your jewelry! This is different from person to person; if you like your piercing, keep jewelry in do not leave the hole empty
WHAT TO DO
Wash your hands before you touch the piercing; leave it alone except when cleaning. During healing, you do not have to rotate, turn, or move your jewelry.
Stay healthy; the healthier your lifestyle, the easier it will be for your piercing to heal. Get enough sleep and eat a nutritious diet. Exercise during healing is fine; listen to your body.
Make sure your sheets and towels are washed and changed weekly.
Showers are safer then baths because bathtubs can harbor germs. Before you get into a bath tub, clean it first, and rinse off your piercing when you get out.
WHAT TO AVOID
Avoid cleaning with Betadine, Hibiclens, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and Dial or other strong soaps, because these can damage your healing piercing. Also don't use ointments because they don't let your piercing get the air circulation it needs and may contain ingredients that are not safe for long-term use.
Avoid Bactine, piercing ear care solutions, and other products containing Benzalkonium Chloride (BZK). This can be irritating and should not be used for long term care.
Avoid cleaning too much. This can irritate your piercing and make it take longer to heal.
Avoid irritation like friction from clothing, too much motion of the area, playing with the jewelry, and rough cleaning. These could make ugly and uncomfortable scar tissue form, and may cause other problems like migration and longer healing times.
Avoid rough play, unwashed hands on (or even anywhere near) your piercing, and contact with others bodily fluids like saliva while you are healing.
Avoid stress and recreational drug use, including to much caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.
Avoid putting a healing piercing in a lake, pool, hot tub, etc. First, protect your piercing by using a waterproof bandage (such as Clean Seals). You can buy them in any drugstore.
Avoid all beauty and personal care products on or around the piercing, including cosmetics, lotions, and sprays, etc.
Don't hang charm or any object from your jewelry until the piercing is fully healed.
HINTS AND TIPS
Unless there is a problem with the size, style, or material of your initial jewelry, leaves it in for the whole healing period. If you have an emergency and need to change your jewelry during healing, visit a qualified piercer for help.
Contact your piercer for a non-metallic retainer if your metal jewelry must be removed (for example, if your doctor or dentist makes you take it out for a procedure).
Leave jewelry in at all times. Your piercing can shrink or close super fast-even if you’ve had it in for years. If you take it out, getting it back in later can be difficult or impossible.
With clean hands be sure to check threaded ends on your jewelry for tightness daily. (Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey).
Carry a clean spare ball in case you lose or break one.
If you decide you don’t want your piercing anymore, simply remove the jewelry (or have a professional piercer remove it). Keep cleaning the piercing daily until the hole closes. Most of the time, only a small mark will be visible.
If you think you have a infection, leave in quality jewelry so the infection can drain. If you take the jewelry out, the surface can close up. That can trap the infection inside the piercing and cause an abscess. Do not remove jewelry unless instructed to so by a medical professional.
Aftercare for Oral Piercing
CLEANING SOLUTIONS:
Use any or all the following solutions for inside the mouth:
Antimicrobial or antibacterial alcohol-free mouth rinse for inside the mouth piercings.
Plain clean water for rinsing of saline or to dilute mouth for in between meals etc. (watered down mouthwash)
Packaged sterile saline (with no additives, read the label) is a gentle choice for piercing aftercare. Saline for contact lenses should not be used as piercing aftercare. Wound wash saline is available as a spray at pharmacies throughout North America.
Sea salt mixture: Dissolve 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon (.75 to 1.42 grams) of non-iodized (iodine-free) sea salt into one cup (8 oz / 250 ml) of warm distilled or bottled water. A stronger mixture is not better; a saline solution that is too strong can irritate the piercing.
CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSIDE THE MOUTH:
Rinse mouth as needed (4-5 times) daily with a cleaning solution for 30-60 seconds, after meals and at bedtime during the entire healing period. When you over clean, it may cause discoloration or irritation of your mouth and piercing.
CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE EXTERIOR OF LABRET (CHEEK & LIP) PIERCINGS:
WASH your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason.
SALINE rinse as needed during healing. For certain placements it may be easier to apply using clean gauze saturated with saline solution. A brief rinse afterward will remove any residue.
RINSE thoroughly to remove all traces of the soap from the piercing. It is not necessary to rotate the jewelry through the piercing.
DRY by gently patting with clean, disposable paper products because cloth towels can harbor bacteria and snag on jewelry, causing injury.
WHAT TO DO TO HELP REDUCE SWELLING:
Take an over the counter, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen or naproxen sodium according to package instructions. Don’t move your jewelry more than necessary. Sleep with your head elevated above your heart during the first few nights.
WHAT IS NORMAL?
For the first three to five days: significant swelling, light bleeding, bruising, and/or tenderness.
After that: Some swelling, light secretion of a whitish yellow fluid (not pus).
A piercing may seem healed before the healing process is complete. This is because they heal from the outside in, and although it feels fine, the tissue remains fragile on the inside. Be patient and keep cleaning throughout the entire healing period.
Even healed piercings can shrink or close in minutes after having been there for years! This varies from person to person; if you like your piercing, keep jewelry in-do not leave the hole empty.
TO MAINTAIN GOOD ORAL HYGIENE:
Use a new soft-bristled toothbrush and store it in a clean area away from other toothbrushes. Brush your teeth and use your chosen rinse (saline or mouthwash) after every meal. During healing floss daily, and gently brush your teeth, tongue and jewelry. Once healed, brush the jewelry more thoroughly to avoid plaque build-up.
TO STAY HEALTHY:
The healthier your lifestyle, the easier it will be for your piercing to heal. Get enough sleep and eat a nutritious diet.
ORAL PIERCING HINTS AND TIPS JEWELRY:
Once the swelling has subsided, it is vital to replace the original, longer jewelry with a shorter post to avoid intra-oral damage. Consult your piercer for their downsize policy.
Because this necessary jewelry change often occurs during healing, it should be done by a qualified piercer.
Contact your piercer for a non-metallic jewelry alternative if your metal jewelry must be temporarily removes (such as for a medical procedure).
Should you decide you no longer want the piercing, simply remove the jewelry (or have a professional piercer remove it) and continue cleaning the piercing until the hole closes. In most cases only a small mark will remain.
In the even an infection is suspected, quality jewelry or an inert alternative should be left in place to allow for drainage or the infection. Should the jewelry be removed, the surface cells can close-up sealing the infection inside the piercing channel, resulting in an abscess. Until an infection is cleared up, the jewelry in!
EATING:
Slowly eat small bites of food.
Avoid eating spicy, salty, acidic, or hot temperature foods or beverages for a few days.
Cold foods and beverages are soothing and help reduce swelling.
Foods like mashed potatoes and oatmeal are hard to eat because they stick to your mouth and jewelry.
For tongue piercing, try to keep your tongue level in your mouth as you eat because the jewelry can get between your teeth when your tongue turns.
For labret (cheek and lip) piercings be cautious about opening your mouth too wide as this can result in the jewelry catching on your teeth.
Each body is unique and healing times vary considerably. If you have any questions, please contact your piercer.
The Pierced Moose
Aftercare called Drop it
For those nasty bumps!
This powerhouse of natural and essential oils was specifically designed for shrinking the dreaded piercing bump, as well as clearing crusty cranky piercings and conditioning skin for stretching. This amazing oil is a must have for your piercings!
Avaiable here at Master Piercings for $19.95 plus tax
We now sell The Pierced Moose Saline Spray for $14.95 plus tax
Also The Pierced Moose Soak it package for $12.95 plus tax
