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Aftercare

Complimentary Aftercare

Don't worry about buying aftercare

You get a complimentary bottle of saline with each new piercing

Holier Toledo Aftercare Instructions

General Aftercare Instructions:

  • 1. Ensure that you have clean hands before cleaning your piercing!
  • 2. Directly spray the piercing(s) with sterile saline. You will receive a complimentary bottle of Neilmed sterile saline spray in your aftercare goodie bag!
  • 3. Rinse the piercing(s) for a couple of seconds under warm (preferably filtered) water, ideally while you are in the shower. This will help to loosen up/soften any crusties that form around the piercing site.
  • 4. Using clean, non-woven gauze or a paper towel, GENTLY wipe the piercing’s entrance and exit to remove any stubborn crusties/sebum that has gathered around the area.
  • 5. Thoroughly dry your piercing(s) using a blow dryer on the low or no heat setting. Make sure that the filter on the blow dryer is clean. Allowing excess moisture to linger around your piercing(s) can cause irritation and potentially extended healing times, so this step is very important!

Oral Piercing Aftercare Instructions:

  • 1. Brush your teeth 2x a day. Switch to any non-whitening, bland toothpaste (avoid baking soda as well). This step is important because whitening products generally contain peroxide, which is very harsh and irritating to a healing piercing. Now is a good time to get a new toothbrush if you haven’t in a while!
  • 2. Rinse your mouth out 2x daily with a gentle, non-whitening and alcohol-free mouthwash (such as Biotene).
  • 3. Rinse your mouth out with clean water anytime you eat/drink anything that is not water.
  • 4. We recommend eating bland/soft foods for the first 10-14 days so as not to potentially irritate your piercing(s). Slowly re-incorporate your normal foods 10-14 days post-piercing.
  • 5. Avoid smoking/drinking. If not possible, attempt to reduce the amount/frequency and rinse with clean water afterwards.
  • 6. Avoid contact with others’ saliva/bodily fluids in the area during the healing period.

General Aftercare Tips:

  • 1. Follow aftercare for the entire estimated healing time for your piercing(s).
  • 2. Refrain from touching/playing with/picking at your new piercing. The key to a healthy and happy piercing is limiting movement as much as possible during the healing period and being cautious not to introduce bacteria/germs into the wound (i.e., touching with unwashed hands). Only ever touch your piercing with clean hands!
  • 3. Avoid applying makeup/skincare products directly around the piercing site for the duration of the healing period.
  • 4. Do not remove your jewelry during the healing period. Have a medical procedure coming up? Book with us for a “Retainer Insert/Switch Out” appointment! We carry medical grade glass retainers, and one of our experienced piercers would be happy to install it for you.
  • 5. Do not rotate or twist your jewelry. As stated above, it is best to limit movement to your fresh piercing as much as possible. Rotating/moving the jewelry around will break up the still-forming scar tissue inside the piercing channel, which as a consequence can lead to extended healing times and irritation.
  • 6. Try not to put pressure on your healing piercing(s) by sleeping on it. If you are having trouble not sleeping on the side with your fresh piercing(s), you can either use an airline neck pillow or a clean t-shirt/towel wrapped in a U-shape to comfortably fit your ear in. This can help to alleviate pressure on the piercing(s) while sleeping.
  • 7. Ensure that your pillowcase/sheets are clean to avoid introducing germs/bacteria into your healing piercing.
  • 8. Consider switching to earbuds/over-the-ear headphones. For example, if you just got a fresh daith piercing, it would be best to switch to over-the-ear headphones to avoid putting pressure on the piercing with earbuds that would otherwise rub against it.
  • 9. Do not swim/submerge the piercing(s) underwater for a MINIMUM of six weeks post-piercing.
  • 10. Once healed, it’s recommended to not go extended periods of time without jewelry in your piercing. Healed piercings can shrink, making it difficult to put jewelry back into the piercing. Can’t get your jewelry back in? Stop in or book a “Closed Piercing Checkup” appointment with us! We carry special tools that may be able to reopen piercings that have shrunken without re-piercing.
  • 11. Do not swap out your own jewelry while your piercing is still in the healing phase. If you’d like to switch your jewelry to something else, feel free to book a jewelry change appointment or stop in! One of our experienced piercers will assist you with switching out your jewelry in a sterile and comfortable manner. The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) has strict regulations for body jewelry (i.e., implant-grade materials, polish, etc.) Holier Toledo carries nothing but jewelry in compliance with the APP, so you can be assured that you will receive safe and high-quality jewelry no matter what you pick!

Downsizing:

  • 1. Downsizing is a necessary part of the healing process for most piercings. When you are initially pierced, your piercer will usually install jewelry that is a bit longer than what you would wear in a healed piercing. This is to accommodate for any swelling you may experience. In some cases, you may need multiple downsizes throughout the course of the healing process.
  • 2. After your swelling has gone down (usually about 4-6 weeks post-piercing), you will receive an email reminder to schedule a downsizing appointment. This is a sterile process. At this appointment, your piercer will evaluate the piercing(s) to ensure that they are healing properly, troubleshoot any issues that they may see and, if appropriate, install a shorter post. Your piercing is not healed at this point yet.
  • 3. Wearing jewelry that is too long for an extended period of time can cause a variety of issues including but not limited to irritation, snagging, and migration (this is when the piercing appears to have “moved” from the spot where it was originally pierced). This is why downsizing is so important for most healing piercings!

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