PSA: Infection Control Guidelines For New Piercings

[Originally posted to the r/piercings subreddit]

Since I am constantly seeing oodles of infected or angry-looking piercings, I thought some instructions on infection control from a healthcare professional (and fellow pincushion) would be useful to everyone to help reduce the risk of infection and unhappy holes.

[For the readers, I am a dental hygienist with 17 years in dentistry (14 as a licensed dental hygienist in good standing), 20 years as a body-perforating enthusiast, I hold a degree that requires extensive knowledge of biology, chemistry, and sterilization procedures, and have a certification in infection control I am required to renew yearly that I submit as evidence of my expertise in this subject. I'll be happy to back up any of my recommendations stated here with peer-reviewed data if requested.]

1) Before getting any piercing done anywhere, make sure you have thoroughly cleaned and sanitized your bathroom or wherever you plan to take care of your piercings. 🪣🧽🫧 This includes removing debris and using an antimicrobial cleaning solution on:

●your sink

●countertops

●Q-tip holder (only use fresh from the package for your piercings)

●hot/cold faucet handles

●UNDER your faucet where the water comes out AND your shower head (pink slime/mildew can grow under/on there). To clean under the faucet, just wipe the screen with a paper towel (or your finger, it'll likely be brown/pinkish and squishy—you've been warned 🤮), spray with some mildew/mold killer with bleach, and let sit for as long as the directions instruct (please turn on the bathroom fan so you don't inhale that stuff). For your shower head, use a stiff brush to knock off any hard water deposits, and spray with mildew/mold killer with bleach, allowing it to sit as per the manufacturer's instructions. After the allotted time, run the faucet/shower head on hot for a couple of minutes to rinse. ‼️ A clean working area is the first step in preventing contamination, and after seeing the pictures on the r/piercings subreddit (for years at this point), I felt a cleanliness refresher was needed. Your hands, toothbrush, eyes, and piercings will thank me.

2) Before getting any piercing done anywhere, replace your towel/hair turban/washcloth with a fresh, clean one and wash yourself (showers only 🛁), paying special attention to the area you intend to have pierced. Antibacterial soap is not necessary, BUT THOROUGHNESS IS!!

●If you are piercing your ears 👂🏻, wash your hair and avoid using any hair products. Keep your hair away from your piercing as much as possible for the first few weeks. Before your appointment, use a soft washcloth and GENTLY clean all the nooks and crannies. Don't scrub too hard. The skin here is very thin and delicate. This removes dead skin cells and wax that can accumulate on/in the ears. Finish with rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad on the outside of the ear only to remove any residual oil. This will be the last time alcohol touches your ears, got it? 🤨

●If you are piercing anywhere in or around your mouth 👄👅, REPLACE YOUR TOOTHBRUSH 🪥 WITH A NEW ONE. Then, before your appointment (and please, oh, please also the days before then, too), FLOSS FIRST, thoroughly brush your teeth (BONUS POINTS for using an electric toothbrush, and EXTRA BONUS POINTS for getting your teeth professionally cleaned), then use mouthwash for one minute. You should eat before getting a piercing, as it reduces the risk of fainting (it happens to the best of us), BUT MAKE SURE YOU FLOSS, BRUSH, AND RINSE YOUR MOUTH AND WASH YOUR LIPS/FACE BEFORE GETTING ANY PIERCING IN OR AROUND YOUR MOUTH. Do not apply any lipstick or lip balm.

●If you are piercing your face, nips, OR belly button, thoroughly wash the area with a CLEAN washcloth or scrubby exfoliating shower towel (they're far more hygienic and frankly, amazing—no really) to remove dead skin cells, and THROW AWAY THAT NASTY LOOFAH PUFF. You will never use one again. Mourn its death.💀🪦 Trust me. They are a cesspool of bacteria and WILL rip out your new piercing (it only took one yoink 20 years ago for me to learn my lesson 😭). If you are piercing your nose, thoroughly clean the inside of your nostrils, removing any crusty boogers with a Q-tip. If you feel confident using one, a nettipot can be used to flush out your sinuses and remove allergens. Nettipots should only be used with distilled water at slightly warmer than room temperature with a salt and mineral packet (found at your local drug store) that balances the solution to the correct pH equal to that of your body. DO NOT USE TAP WATER. Your sinuses have a direct pathway to your bloodstream, and thus, your brain. Tap water SHOULD NOT BE TRUSTED to be free of all contaminants (or pathogenic cooties) that can possibly be given direct access to vital organs. The salt and minerals help to eliminate burning and break up mucus inside the sinuses. This step is not necessary, so only follow through if you feel comfortable. Do not apply any makeup, lotions, or perfumes to your skin.

...And really, get the exfoliating towel; they can completely dry between uses so they won't harbor bacteria or mold, are long enough to scrub your entire back, and are far less likely to snag on your jewelry—it's heavenly.

●If you are piercing your genitals 🐈‍⬛🍆, thoroughly clean all nooks and crannies (and glob speed 🙏🏻, yeeouch!), and allow to dry. Do not apply any deodorant or powders (yes, it's a thing people do; don't judge, just appreciate they are self-aware enough to hide it from those of us who may notice such things). Trimming extra, umm... fuzz(?)—NOT shaving bare 🪒, which can increase risk of infection/irritation if the new growth makes you itchy—is also highly advised to keep things tidy (and visible to check on healing progress or missing jewelry 😳).

3) After you have your fancy new hole, congratulations! 🥳 NOW DON'T TOUCH IT. 🫵🏻😠

Before you even THINK 🧠 about touching your piercing, 🤲🏻 WASH YOUR HANDS, including:

●under your fingernails

●in between your fingers

●under any jewelry you're wearing

●the back of your hands

●the palms

FOR AT LEAST ONE MINUTE ⏱️ WITH ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP AND WARM WATER. 🧼🫧

When your piercer has instructed you to, CLEAN YOUR PIERCING AS PER THEIR INSTRUCTIONS.

4) If your piercer was... less than professional about giving you thorough homecare instructions 😬, or you were too excited (or woozy 🥴) to listen and absorb the information they told you, or you lost the instruction sheet somewhere between your adventure to your piercer and your home 🤔📄, or you'd just like to make sure you're just being extra diligent to reduce your risk of infection 🤓, here's some basic, universal instructions to keep you healthy:

●ALWAYS THOROUGHLY WASH YOUR HANDS FIRST (as per instructions given in number 3 above), then rinse 2-3x a day with running water on the hottest temperature you can stand 🥵🚿 (but not scalding, don't burn yourself, silly person) for 2 to 3 minutes AT LEAST. If this means you need to take 2 showers per day, then so be it. DO NOT USE SOAP ON YOUR PIERCINGS. This is unnecessary and can cause irritation.

●Use a clean Q-tip to remove any lymph crusties (or softened nose goops from inside your nostril) that have not fallen off (or out) during the rising process. Make sure you are only removing anything soft and squishy. If it's still stiff and attached after rising for several minutes, LEAVE IT ALONE. It needs to be there; removing it is like picking a scab, increasing your risk of infection and prolonging healing time.

●Do not wiggle 〰️ or twist ➿️ your piercing. The less you fuss with it, the better. Touch it as little as possible with your hands.

●Only use clean towels to dry your piercings. Replace bath towels every 2-3 days and use a fresh, clean washcloth to dry your piercings whenever possible.

●Do not 🚫 apply any antibiotic ointments, tea tree oil, or alcohol to your piercing. This will irritate your piercing, disrupt the natural healing process, and WILL NOT make your piercing heal faster.

●If you have a body piercing, only wear clean clothes if your piercing is in direct contact with any fabric. Wearing a clean bralette (for those with breasts), a snug undertank or compression shirt (for those with or without ⵙⵙ), and clean, breathable (but close-fitting) underwear (NO LACE) will make sleeping with nipple/belly button/genital piercings much more comfortable and less likely to snag. Do not wear high-rise jeans or leggings with a fresh belly button piercing. It will rub and irritate it.

●For genital piercings, avoid touching the piercing unnecessarily, swimming in pools, oceans, or lakes, using hot tubs or saunas, and submersion in stagnant water during the healing process. 🌊 The area around the piercing should only be washed using running water (preferably in the shower) with a mild, fragrance-free soap, manipulating the piercing as little as possible. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, especially if the piercing is near the urethra (the hole where pee is released). Concentrated urine on a new piercing can cause extreme burning, discomfort, and irritation, increasing the risk for infection. ☣️ URINE IS NOT STERILE (despite what Bear Grills told you). Urine is a waste product excreted from our bodies by the kidneys, eliminating excess water, urea, uric acid, toxins, creatinine (the product of natural muscle protein turnover), excess salt, and bacteria (including Escherichia coli, Proteus, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Shigella, Klebsiella, Staphylococcus, and Citrobacter). If these chemicals and bacteria are allowed to sit on an open wound, especially in high concentrations, let's just say it won't be comfy. Drink plenty of water to keep your urine more diluted (it should look pale yellow), reducing the overall concentration of waste chemicals (and it's just good for you in general while you're healing any piercing). Wait at least 2 weeks (or the length of time directed by your piercer) before engaging in any intimate canoodling to avoid possible bumping, tearing, or bacterial contamination accidentally caused by your partner. If you reach that benchmark, want to give it a go, and your piercing gives you a YELP! 😫 in protest, STOP AND SLOW THINGS DOWN. Don't risk hurting yourself and causing a possible infection. Genital piercings should be rinsed with sterile saline solution after every trip to the bathroom and after sex, making sure you're WASHING YOUR HANDS BEFORE AND AFTER CLEANING YOUR PIERCING.

●If you have a new ear piercing, try not to sleep on it. 🛏 If you have them on both sides (you poor thing), invest in a piercing pillow with an ear hole so you do not put any additional pressure on your new piercing which can cause it to migrate or heal improperly.

●Be cognizant of placing sunglasses or protective eyewear, hair accessories, long hair and hairbrushes, other jewelry and watches, hats, face masks, lace underwear, ear buds and headphones, cell phones or office phones, and other snagable items around your piercing.

●If your new piercing is in your ears or on your face, change your pillowcase with a fresh, clean one before you get your piercing, and replace it with a clean one nightly (if possible), or (at least) every other night.

●Do not apply makeup or skin care products anywhere near a facial piercing. If you wear makeup or skin care on the rest of your face, wash your face twice with a gentle cleanser at the end of the day and rinse your face THOROUGHLY to remove any residue from your face wash. Avoid directly rubbing or bumping your piercing. Rinse your face and your piercing again in the morning.

●Practice good oral hygiene (ideally at all times, but this is an excellent opportunity to begin a nightly flossing routine 🦷) while piercings in and around your mouth are healing. Your mouth is teaming with bacteria (more than a public toilet seat, in fact 🦠), so reducing the amount of harmful bacteria will lower your risk of infection to your lip, tongue, or cheek piercings. ONLY USE AN ALCOHOL-FREE MOUTH RINSE. Mouth rinses containing alcohol are drying, can cause irritation to your oral mucosa, disrupt the balance of good bacteria (that aids in digestion), bad bacteria (that can cause an array of kerfuffles), and yeasts (that also live in there without much fuss, until you go disrupting your body's homeostasis, resulting in some nasty side effects). Mouth rinses formulated for mouth sores are more gentle and won't upset your natural body chemistry. Use as per your piercer and manufacturer's instructions. In lieu of over-the-counter mouthwash (if you are allergic to any ingredients in mouthwash or have sensory issues that make it impossible to use), a warm saltwater solution can also be used to help your piercings heal. To make your own rinse, simply put a teaspoon of salt in 8 oz of very warm (not boiling) bottled or filtered water (to ensure cleanliness), allowing the salt 🧂 to dissolve completely, and rinse your mouth for 30 seconds to a minute. Salt water creates an alkaline environment in the mouth, soothing oral tissues and making it harder for bacteria to thrive.

●Do not chew on or play with lip or tongue jewelry with your teeth. 🫦 You WILL chip your teeth, which is costly to fix, and may pull on or tug your piercing, increasing the risk of improper healing and infection. Be careful while chewing food as you get accustomed to your new jewelry. Thoroughly rinse your mouth with WATER after every meal. Do not sip sugary drinks throughout the day. This increases the amount of harmful bacteria in your mouth because you are giving them a steady food source to grow and multiply.

●Saline solution isn't always necessary on outer-body piercings. However, if you choose to use it or your piercer recommends it, only buy a sterile formulation specifically for piercings and follow the manufacturer's instructions. If any irritation occurs, including redness, swelling, itching, or burning, 🛑 STOP USING IMMEDIATELY and continue rinsing with hot water ONLY 2-3x a day until symptoms subside.

●Do not use heavily scented or harsh soap on your piercing. Again, touch as little with your hands as possible.

●Do not remove your piercing before the recommended healing time. 🚫⏱️ If the jewelry your piercer placed to account for possible swelling is too long, call your piercer to switch to a shorter bar. Jewelry that is too long has a higher risk of snags, which can cause trauma and delay healing.

⚠️‼️IF YOUR PIERCING IS THROBBING, HOT, RED, SWOLLEN, WILL NOT RESPOND TO OVER-THE-COUNTER PAIN RELIEVERS, BLEEDS, OOZES ANYTHING OTHER THAN CLEAR/PALE YELLOWISH FLUID (AKA GREEN, OPAQUE WHITE, OR GRAY), BECOMES INBEDDED IN YOUR SURROUNDING SKIN, EMITS A FOUL ODOR, TURNS BLACK, OR YOU EXPERIENCE FEVER, CHILLS, OR OTHER FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS, CONTACT YOUR PIERCER IMMEDIATELY AND GO TO THE NEAREST URGENT CARE. 🚨 Do not remove your piercing yourself. Piercings heal from the outside inwards. Removing an infected piercing without first addressing the infection can cause an abscess (a buildup of pus and toxins trapped under the tissue that can destroy surrounding structures if not promptly addressed and drained). You do not want to lose a body part or permanently disfigure yourself. No piercing is worth it.

When in doubt, ask your doctor and listen to your body. Get plenty of rest, as exhaustion reduces your body's ability to heal quickly and fight off any possible infections. Limit your intake of alcohol and/or recreational substances. Treat your body like a temple for a few weeks to give your new pretty puncture the best possible outcome.

I hope this helps everyone have a happy, healthy piercing experience. Best wishes to your new holes! 🩶🫶🏻