The healing process and body piercing aftercare
A new piercing will be sore, tender or red for several days up to three weeks. Complete healing normally takes several weeks or more. Below are more specific healing time estimates. During this period, care must be taken to avoid infection. Touching—or, for genital and oral piercings, sexual activity—is usually discouraged.
Primary healing usually takes about as long as is listed below; the jewelry should not be removed during this period. The healing time should not be rushed. Very often a piercing that seemed to be healed will start to have problems when it is handled roughly, exposed to mouth contact or unwashed hands before it has truly healed.
Full healing starts after primary healing is complete and usually takes about as long as primary healing, during this period the skin thickens and starts to gain elasticity. An additional "toughening up" period takes place after full healing is complete, this "toughening up" period also takes about as long as the primary healing time. During "toughening up" the skin remodels itself developing an internal texture in the fistula tube that replaces the shiny scar-like internal surface.
:: Approximate primary healing times ::
:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::
Head
Torso
Torso:: Ear lobes: 6-8 weeks :: Surface: 6–8 months
:: Surface: 6–8 months :: Eyebrow: 6-8 weeks
:: Tragus: 6–12 months
:: Daith: 6-8 months
:: Lip / Labret: 3–4 weeks
:: Nostril: 2-3 months
:: Septum: 2-3 months
:: Tongue: 4-6 weeks
:: Frenulum: 6-8 weeks
Over time, after the piercing, the resulting wound is allowed to heal, forming a tunnel of scar tissue called a fistula. When the piercing has fully healed, the initial jewelry may be changed or removed for short periods.
Behavior that promotes healing
Revisiting the piercer for an evaluation at any time, if needed;
Practicing good hygiene.
Following the recommended aftercare guidelines;
Taking sufficient supplement tablets of iron and zinc.
Behavior that hinders healing
Contact between the new piercing and another person's skin or bodily fluids;
Excessive and unnecessary touching of the piercing, especially with unwashed hands;
Failure to take proper aftercare measures;
Smoking and drinking alcohol (in the case of oral piercings, if not cleaned properly and rather close to the time of drinking or smoking);
Exposure to irritating substances such as cosmetics, perfume, lotion, some topical ointments, etc.;
Immersion in chemically-treated pool water, or natural water (i.e. lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans) which contains bacteria, protozoa, salt, and parasites;
Cleaning with tea tree oil, as it keeps the wound open;
Lack of sleep or low health.
Changing of initial jewelry to allow for swelling
For some piercings (in particular tongue piercings) changing the initial jewelry is an essential step. In the case of tongue piercing this is because the initial jewelry is significantly longer than the jewelry for a healed piercing, to allow for swelling.This should be changed down about 7 to 10 days after the initial piercing. Most piercers will include this piece of jewellery in their price and ask you to return.
Discharge on the jewelry
During the primary healing process, it is normal for a white or slightly yellow discharge to be noticeable on the jewelry. Provided there is no pain or swelling, it does not usually signify an infection. The discharge is composed of dead skin cells and blood plasma and may be a little difficult to remove as it can become solid very quickly. Another name for such discharge is "lymph" which is a fluid which leaks out of blood vessels into the tissues, bathes the cells as "extra-cellular fluid" and is then recirculated via lymphatic vessels following immunological and physical filtering in the body's lymph nodes. This tends to be a regular occurrence in the healing of a piercing as well as long as there are no signs of pain or swelling.
Dried sebum deposit on body jewelry.Risks associated with body piercing
Body piercing is an invasive procedure and is not without risks. When properly performed, these risks can be minimized, and most individuals who receive their piercing from a professional piercers, and who take care of their new piercing as recommended by their piercer, will enjoy a safe and healthy piercing experience.
Risks of note include:
Allergic reaction to ingredients of products used to clean the new piercing, or of ancillary products used in proximity to the piercing (e.g., soap, hydrogen peroxide, isopropyl alcohol, antibacterial products, antiseptic medicines, makeup, hair spray, swimming pool chlorine, etc.). This risk can be minimized by cleaning the piercing as recommended by a professional body piercer (different piercers will have differing recommendations), by not contaminating the fresh piercing with irritating products, and by not swimming in chlorinated water.
::Chlorine from swimming pools may cause the pierced area to dry out, which may cause the piercing to be torn out very easily.
Allergic reaction to the metal in the piercing jewelry, particularly nickel. This risk can be minimized by using high quality jewelry manufactured from Titanium or Niobium or similar inert metals.
Bacterial infection, particularly from Staphylococcus aureus, group A streptococcus and Pseudomonas spp. Reports at the 16th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in 2006 indicated that such infections are seldom serious, but that between 10-20% of piercings result in local benign bacterial infection. Infection due to piercing of the tongue can be fatal.
Parasitic and protozoan infections may occur by swimming in lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans during the healing period. The best way to reduce this risk is to avoid swimming in these locations.
Excess scar tissue, which can be caused by improper piercing, cleansing, and stretching. This may result in loss of sensation and difficulty piercing and stretching that area of skin in the future.
Keloid formation can sometimes occur, particularly among people who are pre-disposed to this condition through heredity.
Trauma, usually associated with unintended entanglement of the piercing jewelry with another object. This risk is greatest for fresh piercings, but is always present. It can be reduced by using jewelry appropriate for the piercing, and covering or taping over jewelry during sports activities. Also, larger gauge piercings will tend to resist tearing better than smaller gauge piercings. Soft tissues such as earlobes, nipples, labrets or eyebrows should be at least 14 gauge, intricate ear cartilage work can be 16 gauge, whilst nostril piercings can be 18 gauge. But as a general rule, it is better to use 14 gauge jewelry, if not larger.
Viral infection, particularly from hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. Piercing guns are capable of spreading HIV and hepatitis (A, B and C). However, it is important to note that although hepatitis has been transmitted through the practices of ear piercing, body piercing, and tattooing, there have not been any documented cases of HIV transmission associated with these procedures (see CDC Fact Sheet: HIV and Its Transmission). As with bacterial infections, the risk of viral infection is minimized when proper piercing techniques are used, particularly by the use of brand-new disposable piercing needles, the autoclaving of jewelry and the autoclaving of equipment prior to installation.
Recession of gingival tissue affecting 19% to 68% of subjects with lip and/or intra-oral ornaments. In some cases, the alveolar tooth-bearing bone is also involved, jeopardizing the stability and durability of the teeth in place and required a periodontal regeneration surgery.
Dental fracture and wear, affecting 14% to 41% of subjects with lip and/or intra-oral ornaments.
Removal
Proper removal of piercings is rather simple. Carefully remove the jewelry making sure not to pull or irritate the piercing. Once removed the piercing should heal on its own, although it may leave a hole, a mark or a scar. It is not advised to remove jewelry when there is an infection present, and doing so may result in trapping infectious waste in your body if the hole closes, causing an abscess. Once the infection has passed, then it is safe to remove the jewelry if it is no longer desired. In some cases the jewelry may need to be removed by a professional.
Body Jewelry Sizing
Gauge Millimeters Inches
18g 1.0 mm 5/128"
16g 1.2 mm 3/64"
14g 1.6 mm 1/16"
12g 2 mm 5/64"
10g 2.4 mm 3/32"
8g 3.2 mm 1/8"
6g 4 mm 5/32"
4g 5 mm 3/16"
2g 6 mm 1/4"
0g 8 mm 5/16"
00g 10 mm 3/8"
000g 11 mm 7/16"
12.7 mm 1/2"
14 mm 9/16"
16 mm 5/8"
19 mm 3/4"
22 mm 7/8"
25 mm 1"
