What to avoid

• Don’t use alcohol, peroxide, Betadine or Hibiclens as they are overly strong and drying which can hinder healing.
• Don’t apply any ointment such as Bacitracin, Neosporin, or any triple antibiotic ointment on your piercing. These prevent oxygen from reaching the wound and form a sticky residue which can cause complications. They are not designed for use on healing piercings.
• Don’t over clean. Cleaning more often than once or twice a day is not better. This can delay your healing and irritate your piercing.
• Don’t use too many different products; select and use only one cleaning solution such a Provon or Satin plus sea salt.
• Avoid oral contact, rough play, and contact with others’ bodily fluids on or near your piercing during healing.
• Don’t use Band-Aids on a healing piercing. They limit air circulation and the adhesive can irritate the surrounding area.
• Avoiding sleeping on a piercing during healing is advisable.
• Don’t hang charms or any object from your jewelry until the piercing is fully healed.
• Avoid submerging your piercings in water such as pools, lakes, Jacuzzis, etc. unless you feel confident that the water is clean enough for you and your open wound (which is what your piercing is while it is healing). Most bodies of water harbor large amounts of bacteria. If there is sea life, motor oil, or children in the water, it is not clean enough.
• If you are going to be in water of questionable cleanliness, use a breathable, non-water-permeable wound sealant such as Tegaderm or Clean Seals (available at drug stores and pharmacies) before you go in, to protect yourself and prevent dirty water from getting inside your open wound. Cleaning afterwards is not likely to be effective in preventing infection.
• Exercise during healing is fine, just “listen” to your body. Try to avoid activities that put undue stress on the area. Your own sweat and bodily fluids are not harmful to your piercing, provided you clean daily as directed.