Looking after a new piercing
Warm water, once a day. Nothing else.
That is the whole clean, done in the shower. Then leave it alone and let it heal.
Is it meant to look like this?
Probably. Crust, a little redness and tenderness in the first weeks are all part of healing.
What is normal, and what is notIs this normal?
Yes, this is healing
Clear, straw or white-yellow crust around the jewellery
Tenderness for the first week or two
A little redness right around it, early on
Itching as it settles
A small white blister beside the hole
Better, then worse, then better again in the first months
Tell us about these
!Thick green or yellow pus, not crust
!Heat and swelling that get worse after the first week
!Redness spreading away from the piercing
!Pain that is growing, not easing
!A fever, chills or swollen glands
If it’s late and you’re worried
A fever, or redness spreading away from the piercing?
See your GP or an after-hours clinic tonight, and tell them it is a healing piercing. Then let us know.
Anything else can wait until morning.
Leave the jewellery in, don’t put anything on it, and call us on 09 949 0940. We’re open seven days, and we’d always rather you asked.
A bump beside it, the post feeling tight, or an end that won’t stay on?
Those are things we can usually fix. If we pierced it, the look is free, healed or not.
Something not right with a piercingOnce a day, in the shower
Warm water
Let warm, not hot, water run over it for 30 to 60 seconds. That is the clean.
A damp cotton bud
If there is crust, wipe it gently while it’s still wet. Only what comes away easily.
A paper towel
Pat it dry with a clean paper towel. Not a cloth towel: the fibres catch on the jewellery.
Nothing else goes on it
Saline, sprays, soaks, soap, creams, Savlon, Betadine, tea tree oil, Dettol, hydrogen peroxide, iodine, alcohol wipes.They damage the skin that is healing, and they are the most common cause of irritation we see. There is nothing to buy, and more cleaning is not better.
While it heals
Don’t turn it
Leave the jewellery completely still.
Wash your hands first
If you have to touch it at all.
No swimming
No pools, hot tubs, rivers or the sea until it is fully healed. A shower is fine.
Keep products off it
Makeup, skincare, hairspray, dry shampoo, perfume and sunscreen go around it, not on it.
Don’t sleep on it
For cartilage, a travel pillow with a hole in it, or sleep on the other side.
Mind earphones
Nothing in-ear against a healing tragus or conch, and no headphone cups on a healing helix.
Keep the same jewellery in
Nothing changes before your checkup. A new style waits until it is fully healed: lobes at least 6 to 8 months, cartilage at least 12.
How long it takes
It can look healed months before it is.
Nostril
9 to 12 months
Septum
3 months
Lip
3 to 6 months
Vertical lip
3 to 6 months
Bridge
3 to 6 months
Eyebrow
2 to 3 months
Your checkup, at four weeks
The post goes in a little long, to leave room for swelling. Once the swelling settles, a long post catches and moves, so we swap it for a shorter one that sits flush. The end you chose stays the same. It is part of healing, so please don’t skip it.
About four weeks for every spot. A daith or septum usually doesn’t need one. Later is always fine.
Free for everyone we pierce.
It is usually booked before you leave. If it wasn’t, or you need to move it:
Book your checkup389 Parnell Road, Parnell
09 949 0940 · info@platinumpoint.nz
Open seven days. Weekdays 11am to 6pm, weekends 10am to 6pm.