There are many potential irritants that are in the world that can potentially cause issues with a fresh piercing. It would be ideal if we lived in a germ-free bubble but we do not and sometimes, these irritants can get into piercings and cause those unsightly piercing bumps, tissue discoloration (redness), additional swelling, and other annoying problems that we’re all familiar with. There are some very easy, gentle ways to get irritated piercings back on track. To get a piercing back to where it needs to be, we suggest using a sterile saline compress with gauze pads. This is a very mild way to get irritants out of a piercing, as well as to assist in bringing down inflammation.
Irritated Piercing Aftercare
Sterile Saline Compress
When an irritant gets into a piercing, the body reacts by surrounding the irritant with fluid. This is the cause of those piercing bumps, where the fluid builds up under the skin. The piercing channel allows a way for this fluid to weep out so it is very important to remember that if you are dealing with an irritated piercing, leave the jewelry in. This will leave a place for the fluid to escape, which will lead to a decrease in the size of the bump.
With clean hands, twice a day, once in the morning and once at night, take a sterile gauze pad and saturate it with sterile saline solution. Place the gauze on a clean plate and put it in the microwave for no more than 5 seconds. Once the gauze pad is warm, gently cuff it around the piercing. Ensure that the gauze is touching the front and the back of the piercing as best as you can.
Hold the gauze pad like that for ten minutes each time you do a compress. Do not squeeze the area or move the jewelry around. The extended contact time is a nice deep clean for the piercing and the sterile saline tends to weep out any irritants that may be trapped inside the piercing causing the problem. The warmth can also help to draw fluid out of the piercing channel, causing the bump to decrease in size.
Additional Steps
Ramp up your aftercare. Follow our instructions in regards to cleaning and caring for your irritated piercing. Clean the piercing with only the suggested products. Do not use anything else on your piercing besides these products, even if you think it may help.
For piercings on the head and face, change pillow cases frequently, especially if there are animals in the house. Even without the pets, oils/dead skin, as well as germs/bacteria build up rapidly on pillowcases so be sure to replace them often.
The biggest thing to remember is to avoid touching your piercing. We know that it’s difficult to avoid interacting with an angry piercing but fingers are the number one way that germs are introduced to your piercing.
During this process, we tend to suggest that clients take photographs of the progress that is happening while applying this mild - yet effective - aftercare routine. Every three days or so, have a friend take a clear, well-lit photo of your irritated piercing so that you can see it from someone else’s perspective. This will give you assurance that what you are doing is working and motivate you to continue to implement this aftercare. We request that you follow up with us in 2 to 3 weeks to ensure things are moving in a positive direction.