Vivid Tattoo Care Sheet for Body Piercings

Ø      Always wash your hands with liquid antibacterial soap and water before touching on or near your piercing.
Ø      Tighten balls on jewelry once a day to prevent loss (lefty-loosey, righty-tightey).
Ø      Clean outside of piercing with H2Ocean spray 5 to 6 times a day.  Use a clean Q-tip with H2Ocean to remove crusties.  If you do not choose to use the H2Ocean, you can make your own salt water solution by mixing ¼ teaspoon of sea salt into 1 cup of warm water.  NEVER use table salt.
Ø      Do not use antibacterial soap more than once or twice a day.  If you do use it, always make sure that you rinse all of the soap residue from your piercing.
Ø      Dry piercing area with a clean paper towel or tissue.  Blot or dab to dry, do not rub.  Do not use cloth towels.
Ø      Do not turn or rotate your jewelry!  This will force bacteria into the piercing.
Ø      You can take Tylenol, Benadryl, or Advil to help keep swelling down.
What to Avoid…
Ø      DO NOT use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, Betadine, or any ointments on body piercings.
Ø      Do not play with your jewelry.  Initially, it will prevent your piercing from healing.  Long term effects can result in scar tissue and migration.
Ø      It can take a body piercing anywhere from 6 months to a year to completely heal.  During this time, do not change jewelry often.
Ø      Avoid undue trauma such as friction from clothing, excessive motion of the area, or vigorous cleaning.  This can cause prolonged healing time, scar tissue, migration, and other complications.
Ø      Avoid oral contact or contact with others’ bodily fluids on or near your piercing.
Ø      Do not use cosmetics, sprays or lotions on or around piercing site.
Ø      Showering is safer than taking a bath.
Ø      Avoid submerging in water such as lakes, pools, Jacuzzis, etc. for 6 weeks.
Ø      Do not sunbathe with a new piercing!!  Jewelry can retain heat from the sun and burn your skin.
Ø      Do not hang charms or add excess weight to piercing while healing.
Ø      Do not remove your jewelry for any reason!!  Your piercing can close up in a matter of seconds.  If you need to remove the jewelry for a MRI, CAT scan, or X-Ray, make sure it is scheduled for at least 2 weeks after you received your piercing and always wear a plastic retainer.
What to Expect…
Ø      Initially: slight swelling, light bleeding, bruising, and/or tenderness.
Ø      After that: Some swelling, light secretion of whitish-yellow fluid (not pus).
Ø      A piercing may seem healed before healing is complete.  This is because piercings heal from the outside in.  Although it may feel healed, the tissue on the inside remains fragile.  Be patient and keep cleaning it through out the entire healing period.
Ø      You can change your jewelry in 6 weeks (this does not mean that your piercing is healed).  
Ø      Exercise during the healing period is fine.  Just remember that if what you are doing is pulling on your piercing, stop.
After Piercing is Healed…
Ø      Continue daily cleaning.  If you do not, normal but smelly bodily secretions may accumulate.
Ø      Remember that you should never play with your jewelry.  Even after it is healed, you can cause scar tissue.
Ø      Even healed piercings can shrink or close in a matter of minutes after having been there for years!  This varies from person to person; if you like your piercing, leave the jewelry in place.