Either you've landed on this page because you've recently gotten pierced (Congrats!) or you're the super organised, read all the details type of person. We like your type.

Secondly, thanks for choosing to get pierced at Remedy! We've done our best to pierce you to the highest standards of hygiene and the best of the best quality body jewellery in the world. Once you're out the door, the rest is up to you.

It's simple – let your body heal! Seriously. You want to allow your body to heal the piercing without interrupting this process as much as you can. Most cuts and scrapes don't need an assault of chemicals and disinfectants twelve times a day. (What are you told to do when healing sutures for a nasty cut? Leave it alone!)
 

No nasty chemicals, soaps, essential oils or ointments such as alcohol, Dettol or even most piercing sprays you find at the pharmacy! These usually do more harm than good and actually slow down healing. Think over washing or sanitising your hands, you'll kill the bad stuff AND the good.

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The only product suitable is a Sterile Saline Wound Wash. This is essentially like sterile water to flush out the piercing of debris and discharge. We stock this (Neilmed Brand) at the studio or might be able to advise if an equivalent product is suitable.

Once or twice daily: rinse your piercing out thoroughly with clean water in the shower. Do this last before you turn off the water for a minute or two. This helps rinse away any soaps, shampoo, sweat and day-to-day dirt as well as discharge from the piercing. You can use Sterile Saline Wound Wash after turning off the water.

Any stubborn “crusty stuff” should be gently wiped away with gauze (preferably non-woven if possible – it doesn't have any little fibres that can stick to the piercing) soaked with saline. Dry it after with a fresh piece of gauze. You can find this at the pharmacy. If you aren't doing this at the end of a shower and just during the day, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water first.

 

The other “Do's”:

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• Keep phones, pillow cases, bedding, clothing and towels clean. Be mindful of anything else that comes into regular contact with the piercing.

• Keep it dry! Rinsing is great but don't leave the area moist. Gently dry with gauze or a hair dryer on a cold setting.

• Be careful! Washing, drying and dressing yourself etc. knocks and bumps aren't fun and it definitely won't help your healing. Careful of affectionate family members (including the furry kind)

• With clean hands, check your jewellery is secure regularly.

• Stay healthy! I know it's boring but anything that impacts your immune system will slow healing. Eat well, drink lots of water, get plenty of sleep etc. If you're run down or sick you will take longer to heal your piercing.

 

And most importantly: Downsizing your jewellery! (If required)

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Many piercings need extra length to accommodate for swelling during the initial healing phase (It IS just a phase, mum. Don't worry). Once this has subsided it's crucial to the longevity of the piercing that you return for a downsize. 

All this involves in most cases is replacing the “wearable area” (the stem going through the actual piercing) with one that's shorter. Don't stress, your gorgeous piercing is going to look the same (or often – better!)
 

If you don't return in an appropriate time frame (approx. 2-8 weeks depending on the piercing and individual), your jewellery is much more susceptible to get caught on hair, clothing etc. which is definitely doing to affect your healing process. Please do your absolute best to avoid direct pressure and sleeping on the piercing during this time. Doing so will put pressure on the piercing (in particular, ears) and may cause the angle of the piercing to “drift” from straight to crooked and this cannot be fixed without removing, healing and re-piercing. This is also a significant cause of “piercing bumps”. Travel pillows can help you avoid sleeping directly on your ear while healing an ear piercing.

 

The other “Dont's”:

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• Don't touch your piercing with unwashed hands. Seriously, think of all the things you touch in a day and the potential nasties you could be introducing. This is the absolute best way to potentially cause infection. Not touching is the GOLDEN rule (and we love gold here at Remedy)

• Don't remove your jewellery during the healing process, unless instructed to do so by a medical professional. Even healed piercings can shrink when jewellery is removed, potentially resulting in loss of the piercing.

• Prevent makeup, health and beauty products, sunscreen and other cosmetics from touching the piercing site or jewellery. The best rule of thumb is “If you wouldn't put it in your eye, don't put it in your piercing”

• Harsh chemicals, including “natural” products like tea tree oil, are not to be introduced to the piercing. We strongly suggest against the use of any product besides Wound Wash Saline. Those essential oils? Put them down, sweetie. They're not essential.

• It is important to avoid submerging in any open body of water while healing a new piercing. Some piercings on the torso such as Nipple and Navel can be covered with a large, waterproof dressing such as Opsite brand dressings but keep adhesives far away from the piercing.

• If you wouldn't drink the water, then it's definitely a no. This is especially applicable to public swimming pools, hot tubs and chlorinated water. We would like you to consider these “Bacteria Soup” from now on. The ocean is definitely better than those but still does contain bacteria. If your piercing is definitely not being submerged (such as waist deep in the ocean while healing a nostril piercing – you're safe). But if you do happen to fall up 3 flights of stairs and down a waterslide follow the regular cleaning routine as soon as possible after.

• Do not rotate, twist, or turn your jewellery while healing. This damages your piercing channel like picking at a scab. I know it's what everyone did. We also once thought smoking was good for us..

Oral Piercing? (Tongue and Lip)
 

• They swell quite a bit initially but tend to heal quite fast. Something cold is great for this to soothe that swelling. Drinking icy water can help and feels good.

• Sleeping with an extra pillow (elevating your head!) can help too. -Avoid any activity that would result in someone else’s body fluid getting into the piercing, including sharing food/drink and intimacy.

• You can rinse your mouth out with filtered or bottled water regularly after eating.

• If you normally use mouthwash. Use 50% water and 50% alcohol free mouthwash after brushing your teeth (twice daily – please!)

• Now is a great time to get a new toothbrush. Consider an electric one as they do a better job with less scrubbing back and forth that has potential to bump your piercing.

• Please try to abstain from smoking/vaping as much as you can. Use the diluted mouthwash rinse afterwards if you do.

• Avoid whitening toothpastes and mouthwashes as these often contain irritating chemicals such as peroxides and bleaches.

• These are INCREDIBLY important to downsize. You run a significant risk of dental damage if not. Preventing is a LOT easier than curing – and which one do you think is going to cost you a lot less?

If you're having any concerns:

A lot of cases of irritation or inflammation is commonly misdiagnosed as infection. Redness, soreness, swelling and sometimes bruising are all very normal reactions to a fresh piercing. It's also normal and expected for the piercing to have discharge when healing. It may be a gooey substance or crusty stuff. It's the same – just before/after drying. Clear, light yellow, milky or white to a honey colour is typically just dead skin cells and your body healing the piercing. Don't pick!

 

Please don't be tempted to use a disinfectant because google convinced you. It's about as effective as using a hand sanitiser after jamming your finger in the door. Please, just don't Google it. We all know that EVERY headache is definitely a brain tumour according to Dr. Google..

 

Please get in touch if you have concerns about your piercing. I'm always happy to answer questions.

When to Seek Medical Assistance:

While infection is very rare, it is a crucial to contact a Doctor if you do have one. Things to watch out for are sudden onset of excessive swelling, excessive bleeding, discharge of bright yellow, green, or dark fluids. Excessive redness and/or red stripes coming from the piercing site are indicative of potentially serious problems. Fever, upset stomach, dizziness, or vomiting may also be signs of infection. Should any of these symptoms occur, immediately contact a doctor. But don't worry – these are very rare occurrences if you follow aftercare.

Again, there is no such thing as a silly question. Don't hesitate to get in touch if you're unsure of anything, it's what we are here for! Social media or Email is often best. Otherwise you can always book a checkup.

Finally, if you had a positive experience I would LOVE it if you told your friends/family! “Word of mouth” advertising is a powerful thing and helps us greatly. Positive reviews on Social Media (google etc) are greatly appreciated too!

 

Happy healing,
Remedy.