PIERCING AFTERCARE
Proper aftercare is an important part of a smooth healing process.
Your piercing is a healing wound, so the goal is simple: keep it clean, minimize irritation, and give your body time to heal.
Every piercing and every person heals differently. Follow the instructions provided by your piercer, and contact The Hidden Mark if you have questions or something doesn’t seem right.
THE BASICS
CLEAN HANDS FIRST. Always wash your hands thoroughly before touching or cleaning your piercing.
KEEP IT CLEAN. Clean your piercing regularly throughout the healing process using the method recommended by your piercer.
LEAVE YOUR JEWELRY ALONE. Avoid twisting, spinning, pulling, or unnecessarily moving the jewelry.
AVOID IRRITATION. Keep makeup, lotions, hair products, dirty hands, and other potential irritants away from the piercing.
PROTECT IT FROM PRESSURE. Be mindful of clothing, towels, headphones, pillows, pets, hair, and anything else that may snag or press against your jewelry.
CLEANING YOUR PIERCING
Antimicrobial Soap
Warm Water
Clean Cotton Swabs
For our standard cleaning method, you will need:
Use only a small amount of soap. More product does not mean better healing.
Wash your hands thoroughly.
Wet a clean cotton swab with warm water.
Apply a small, pea-sized amount of antimicrobial soap.
Gently clean around the front and back of the piercing. Do not aggressively scrub, twist, or force the jewelry to move.
Use fresh warm water and a clean cotton swab to thoroughly remove any soap residue.
Allow the area to dry gently and leave the piercing alone.
HOW TO CLEAN YOUR PIERCING
Repeat your cleaning routine as recommended by your piercer throughout the healing period.
If cleaning seems to be causing excessive dryness, irritation, or discomfort, contact us so we can help you adjust your routine.
WHAT’S NORMAL DURING HEALING
A new piercing can look and feel different from day to day.
During the initial healing period, it is common to experience mild swelling, tenderness, redness, bruising, slight bleeding, itching, or a small amount of clear to pale-colored discharge that dries around the jewelry.
This does not automatically mean something is wrong.
Healing is also rarely perfectly linear. A piercing may seem completely calm and then become irritated after being bumped, snagged, slept on, or exposed to unnecessary pressure.
The important thing is that symptoms should generally improve over time rather than continually becoming worse.
LEAVE THE CRUSTIES ALONE
Small amounts of dried discharge around a healing piercing are normal.
Do not aggressively pick or scrape at the area.
Allow buildup to soften while cleaning and gently remove only what comes away easily.
Trying to force dried material away can irritate the piercing and restart inflammation.
AVOID WHILE HEALING
While your piercing heals, avoid unnecessary touching, twisting or spinning the jewelry, changing jewelry, changing jewelry too early, sleeping directly on the piercing, and exposing it to repeated pressure or friction.
Keep harsh products away from the area, including alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, ointments, and products your piercer has not recommended.
Use caution with pools, hot tubs, lakes, and other bodies of water while your piercing is fresh.
The less unnecessary interference your piercing receives, the easier it is for your body to do its job.
DOWNSIZING YOUR JEWELRY
Many fresh piercings are fitted with slightly longer jewelry to leave room for normal initial swelling.
Once that swelling decreases, the jewelry may need to be shortened.
This is called downsizing.
Leaving excessively long jewelry in place can allow unnecessary movement, snagging, pressure, and irritation.
Downsizing times may vary depending on the type of piercing and how your body is healing. If your jewelry begins feeling unusually long or catches frequently, contact The Hidden Mark so we can evaluate it.
Do not change a fresh piercing on your own unless your piercer has told you it is ready.
ORAL + LIP PIERCINGS
Lip and oral piercings require a little extra attention because they are located around the mouth.
Maintain good oral hygiene throughout healing and avoid playing with the jewelry using your tongue or teeth.
Initial swelling is normal, which is why longer jewelry may be used at first.
Once swelling has gone down, downsizing is especially important to reduce unnecessary movement and contact.
Foods that are very spicy, acidic, or hot may cause temporary irritation during the early healing period. Listen to your body and avoid anything that makes the piercing uncomfortable.
EAR + CARTILAGE PIERCINGS
Pressure is one of the biggest sources of irritation for healing ear piercings.
Avoid sleeping directly on your new piercing whenever possible.
Keep phones, headphones, hats, hair, and pillowcases clean and be careful when brushing or styling your hair.
Cartilage piercings can take significantly longer to fully settle than they appear to from the outside, so continue treating them gently even when they begin looking healed.
NOSE PIERCINGS
Be careful when washing your face, drying with towels, applying skincare products, putting on makeup, or changing clothing.
Avoid pulling, twisting, or rotating the jewelry.
Keep makeup and skincare products away from the actual piercing while it is healing.
NAVEL + SURFACE PIERCINGS
These piercings can be especially sensitive to repeated pressure and friction
Avoid tight clothing, waistbands, or anything that continuously rubs against the jewelry.
Be mindful during exercise, sleeping, dressing, and activities where the jewelry could become caught or pulled.
IRRITATION DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN INFECTION
Piercings can become irritated for many reasons.
Sleeping on them, snagging the jewelry, excessive movement, unsuitable jewelry length, over-cleaning, or repeated pressure can all cause redness, swelling, tenderness, or irritation bumps.
If your piercing suddenly becomes irritated, don’t immediately remove the jewelry or start experimenting with multiple products.
Contact us first. Often, identifying and removing the source of irritation is the most important step.
WHEN TO CONTACT YOUR PIERCER
Please reach out to The Hidden Mark if your jewelry feels too tight, begins sinking into the skin, feels excessively long, repeatedly catches or moves, or if irritation is not improving.
You should also contact us if you develop an irritation bump, have concerns about placement, aren’t sure whether your ready for a jewelry change, or simply aren’t sure whether what you’re experiencing is normal.
We would much rather have you ask then guess.
WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL CARE
Your piercer can help with jewelry, irritation, downsizing, and healing concerns, but some symptoms need to be evaluated by a medical professional.
Seek appropriate medical care if you experience severe or rapidly worsening pain, spreading redness, significant heat, fever, red streaking, or thick/foul-smelling discharge.
If you believe your piercing may be infected, do not automatically remove the jewelry yourself. Removing jewelry can sometimes allow the outside of a piercing to close while infection remains beneath the skin.
Contact a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
REMEMBER: HEALING TAKES TIME
A piercing can look healed on the outside before the tissue inside has finished healing.
Avoid changing jewelry simply because the piercing no longer hurts.
Healing times may vary depending on the piercing, placement, lifestyle, anatomy, and individual body.
Follow the healing timeline given to you by your piercer and give your body the time it needs.
HAVE A HEALING QUESTION?
Something feel off?
Don’t spend hours trying to diagnose your piercing online.
If you were pierced at The Hidden Mark and have concerns about your jewelry or healing, reach out to us. We’re happy to take a look and help determine your next step.
READY FOR A JEWELRY CHANGE?
If your piercing is ready to be downsized or you’d like to upgrade your jewelry, schedule a visit with us.
THINKING ABOUT YOUR NEXT PIERCING?
Explore piercing options, healing times, pain levels, jewelry information, and pricing before booking.