The Piercing Revolution

Introduction to Piercing

General Piercing
  •  Mouth Related Piercing
  •  Tongue Related Piercing
  •  Genital Related Piercing

Infections

The Piercing Revolution

Putting holes in to the body for decorative purposes is probably as old as tattooing. Indeed in one form -ear piercing- has gained such a wide spread acceptance, that it is probably a minority of woman that do not have thier ears pierced. But beyond this, body piercing is a fringe activity and one witch does appear to have a number of drawbacks, although enthusiasts claim that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

Piercing involves the insertion of studs or rings, usualy made of metal, into holes pierced through the flesh. The inserted object is left there until healing is complete, preventing the hole to close.

Such holes aren't truly permanent, as they may eventually close if not kept open by an insert. It is important to note that the object that is inserted is smooth, to prevent it sticking as healing takes place or become abrasive later. The insert is advised to be made of a safe substance, and for these reasons the insert is commonly made of metal either stainless steel or one of the most acid-resistant noble metals such as gold or silver. The use of other metals can prove to be dangerous as it can be attacked by substances in the bloodstream, or other secreations from the skin, and chemically react into a toxin.

Body piercing is becomming more common in places other than earloabes, and more frequently with closed and permanent inserts. Some people are now piercing the upper ear, nasal septum, nipples and at times genitalia.

Doubtless piercing is here to stay, and equally doubtless if you deside to go through with it, it would be far better to have them properly performed by somebody such as a tattoo artist, who is aware of all the practical design and hygiene considerations, than to attemp them yourself. But they have a limited role to play in bodily decoration.

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Introduction to Piercing

A piercing heals in a different manner than a regular cut would heal. In a piercing, the body's first reaction is to slightly swell the area around the jewelry (which is what causes the slight tightness that you will feel). This acts as a barrier, so that any foreign bacteria have a very hard time entering the piercing during the healing period. Your immune system reacts to any foreign object (such as jewelry) present in the body by trying to break it down and be rid of it. Your bodily fluids are three times as corrosive as salt water and this will increase up to eight times further during healing. This creates the crust that is present at the edges of a piercing.

Immediately after the piercing you start forming a thin layer of scar tissue around the jewelry and as the healing progresses this layer will thicken until it is not damaged by daily abuse. Generally it is at this point that the aftercare can be stopped. From this point on, your skin cells start to grow into the piercing from both sides until they meet in the middle. You are considered "fully healed" when the migration of your skin cells has finished. At this point the scar tissue starts being absorbed back into your body and the edges of the piercing take on a rounded appearance.

It is important that during the healing processes that contact with other people (on the piercing itself) is kept to a minimum and that the piercing is only handled during cleaning and with freshly washed hands. The general purpose of the aftercare is to keep the area around the piercing clean and free of contaminants and irritants. During the healing of the piercing it is wise to restrict the use of any body products (soap, shampoo, body sprays, and make up) that contain fragrances, moisturizers, deodorants and talc powders. These products are irritants and can cause an allergic response. This will slow down the healing process allowing more opportunities for mishaps such as infections.

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General Piercing

  1. Wash your hands before touching your piercing.

    2.  
  2. Wash the area surrounding and including the piercing with an antibacterial soap.

    3.  
  3. Concentrate on the piercing itself and soak away the crust (do not pick or pull at the crust, just like a scab it is connected to the hea1ing tissue).

    4.  
  4. Lather up the jewellery and move it back and forth through the piercing six or seven times.

    5.  
  5. Allow the cleanser to soak in for one minute.

    6.  
  6. Rinse off the cleanser with some warm water and move the jewellery a couple of times to allow any excess cleanser to be removed from inside the piercing.

    7.  
  7. Use the cleaning solution that we supply with every new piercing twice a day. Never use surgical spirits or any other spirits as these are too strong, it keeps the toxins in the jewellery, preventing it to heal naturally.

    8.  
  8. Do not use salt water as the body generates it’s own salty solution, that’s what makes the crust around the jewellery.

    9.  
  9. Pat dry the piercing. Do not rub with a towel.
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Mouth Related Piercings (Lip, Labret, Cheek)

The outside of the piercing should be cleaned following the general cleaning rules. For the inside of the piercing:

For the first week rinse with a diluted (two parts water: one part mouthwash) antibacterial antiseptic mouthwash for ten seconds after you place anything in your mouth other than water (this includes cigarettes). As an alternative to mouthwash you may use saltwater (strong, but not so strong that there are crystals undiluted). If the colour of the surface of your tongue changes to a greenish or brownish colour add more water to your rinse (the colour is caused by a resident bacterial imbalance).

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Tongue Related Piercing

  1. For the first two weeks rinse with a diluted (two parts water: one part mouthwash) antibacterial / antiseptic mouthwash for ten seconds after you place anything in your mouth other than water (this includes cigarettes). As an alternative to mouthwash you may use saltwater (strong, but not so strong that there are crystals undiluted). If the colour of the surface of your tongue changes to a greenish or brownish colour add more water to your rinse (the colour is caused by a resident bacterial imbalance).

    2.  
  2. For the next two weeks (third and fourth), rinse four times a day with an undiluted mouthwash.

Dealing with the swelling:

  1. Sucking on ice-cubes, popsicles, and Freezies (basically anything cold) will provide a temporary relief.

    2.  
  2. We provide some ibuprofen tablets with a new piercing.

    3.  
  3. The anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic, non-steroid tablets we provide free with every new tongue piercing helps for pain relief and cares for the swelling.

    4.  
  4. It is good to leave a jug of water in the fridge so that in the morning when you wake up you can have a large drink of cold water to soothe your tongue (since when you are lying down the blood pressure increases to your tongue). Slowly drink the water, allowing it to bathe your tongue.

    5.  
  5. After one month, we replace your long barbell for a more comfortable one free of charge.

General tongue advice:

  1. Avoid foods that are temperature hot (this includes coffee, tea, and soup) Allow it to cool first. Spicy food and dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt should also be avoided altogether, as these will increase the swelling during the healing process.

    2.  
  2. The Important thing with food is to take small bites at first and to eat slowly and carefully.

    3.  
  3. Do not get frustrated with the healing process. It is easier to try to adapt to your tongue healing than to fight it.

    4.  
  4. Avoid oral contact with other people (no open-mouthed kissing or sex) since you have an open wound in your mouth. This applies for the first four weeks.

    5.  
  5. Avoid playing with your tongue bar for the first three weeks as this may cause a slight tear in the fresh piercing.

    6.  
  6. Do not put yourself in a situation where you will be forgetting to rinse.

If , for any reason you may lose a ball or the whole barbell, don't be alarmed, the hole in the tongue doesn't close up immediately. You still have a few hours to get a new barbell to replace. If you swallowed the ball or barbell don't be alarmed, they are made out of 316L stainless steel that will not rust or cause any harm to your intestines.

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Genital Related Piercings

Clean following general cleaning instructions, but with the following additions:

  1. Urinate after cleaning to flush any cleaning agents from the urethra, as they may be an irritants.

    2.  
  2. Cleaning agents may also irritate the vagina, and cause yeast infections to a depleation of resident bacteria.

    3.  
  3. Clean piercings after intercorse, and use a condom during the healing period, oral contact should also be avoided, aswell as certain lubricants and spermicides may also irritate the piercings.

    4.  
  4. Clean and soak piercings with an antibacterial soap.
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Infections

Keloids:

A keloid looks like a small reddish bump on the piercing. A keloid forms when a piercing is exposed to stress (either internal or external). Internal stress is related to the piercing specifically (clothing may be pushing on the piercing, sleeping on the jewellery, a slight rip in the edge of the piercing from over-stretching). External stress is when an outside source affects the piercing -- for example, body products, laundry detergents, and germs. The most important thing during the treatment of a keloid is to remove the stress causing the keloid. To aid the body in breaking down the keloid there are a few things you can do:

  1. Vitamin E oil. Place the vitamin E over the piercing, allow it to soak in for ten minutes, and then rinse it off. Do this once a day.

    2.  
  2. Hydrocortisone Cream (for example, Cortate). This is available without prescription from your pharmacist. Apply once a day and leave on.

    3.  
  3. Hydrogen Peroxide. This is only good for viral and germ related keloids. Soak the piercing with it once a day.

    4.  
  4. Aspirin (oral piercings only). Crush one regular strength aspirin into a fine powder and add one drop of water. Apply this paste to the keloid. Rinse it off after five minutes, and do this once a day.
It will take a few days to see any results occur.

Boils:

A boil looks like a pimple. It is a localised strep (streptococci, a very common bacteria) infection. When it first appears, break its surface and apply an antibiotic cream eg. Savlon cream (not an ointment, which does not penetrate). Apply a hot cloth, as this will help speed up the absorption and reaction of the cream. If the boils are recurring, see your doctor for a prescription strength antibiotic.

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