Day of Your Appointment

Please reschedule your appointment if you or anyone in your household is sick, or has tested positive for COVID-19, or has come into contact with someone who was exhibiting symptoms.
  • Hydrate and have a light snack within an hour of your appointment.
  • Don't forget your photo ID.
  • If you'll need accessibility accommodation during your appointment, please let us know in advance. For accessibility information, click here to head to our blog post on the subject.
  • You'll have a chance to complete your consent form during your visit, but feel free to be proactive if you'd like to complete it in advance.

During Healing

To Do

  • Rinse with clean, running water once a day. We recommend doing this at the end of your shower; let a full stream of gentle water flow over the piercing for about 30 seconds. This irrigates the piercing channel and gets rid of any crusties that might be on the surface of the jewelry.
  • Thoroughly pat dry. Moisture left in the area can cause irritation. A tightly-woven, single use cloth wipe or washcloth is recommended. Be careful of snags.
  • Spray with sterile saline solution, like Neilmed Piercing Wound Wash, to help your piercing heal more quickly and easily.
  • Downsize when appropriate. Brand new piercings (especially oral piercings) can swell for the first week or three, so a slightly longer piece of jewelry is used to allow comfortable space for puffiness. Once the piercing is a few weeks old, come back in for a downsize to keep the piercing happy.

What's Normal

    For the first few days:
  • Localized swelling/puffiness
  • Minor bleeding or bruising
  • Soreness/mild pain
  • Redness

    While the piercing is healing:
  • Slight discoloration
  • Itching
  • Whitish or clear discharge or crusties

Pro Tips

  • Keep jewelry in at all times. Piercings shrink quickly if left empty. Luckily, if that happens, we can help; schedule a jewelry change appointment ASAP and we may be able use a taper to reinsert jewelry if the channel is still open.
  • Travel pillows are a blessing for ear piercings. A donut shaped pillow laid flat will allow you to rest peacefully while keeping pressure off new piercings.

Avoid

  • Avoid moving the jewelry. Turning, twisting, bumping, snagging, and other types of movement cause trauma to the piercing and delay healing. Irritation bumps are a common result of accidental snags and consistent movement (ie, idle fiddling or sleeping). As soon as the irritation goes away, the bump should too.
  • Avoid submerging your piercing in water. Bodies of water like oceans, lakes, pools, and bathtubs can harbor bacteria, increasing the risk of an infection.
  • Avoid bacteria or harsh products in the area. Keep the piercing and surrounding area clean. ​Avoid introducing dirty hands, other people's bodily fluids or hands, makeup, cleansers, tea tree oil, aspirin, witch hazel, Bactine, Neosporin, hydrogen peroxide, or any other harsh or clogging products to the piercing and surrounding areas.

Aftercare, Troubleshooting & Jewelry Information

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