Aftercare Guide
Piercing Aftercare Guide
A new piercing needs time, patience and gentle care while it heals. Following simple aftercare practices can help minimise unnecessary irritation and support the natural healing process.
How to care for your new piercing
1. Wash your hands
Always wash your hands thoroughly before touching your piercing or jewellery.
2. Clean gently
Use your Sterisure Piercing Aftercare Spray as directed by your piercer. Apply the saline to the piercing and allow it to gently rinse the area.
There is no need to twist, spin or rotate your jewellery while cleaning. Unnecessary movement can irritate healing tissue.
3. Let it dry naturally
Allow the piercing to air dry where possible. If you need to dry the area, use a clean, disposable product and avoid rubbing the piercing.
What is normal during healing?
A healing piercing can experience some tenderness, swelling, itching, bruising or minor crusting, particularly during the early stages of healing.
A small amount of pale or whitish-yellow fluid that dries into crust around the jewellery can also occur during normal healing. A piercing can appear healed on the outside before the inside has completely healed, so continue your aftercare for the full healing period.
Healing times vary depending on the piercing location, jewellery, individual anatomy and other factors.
What to avoid
During healing, avoid:
- Touching or playing with your jewellery unnecessarily
- Twisting, spinning or rotating your jewellery
- Picking at crust or dried discharge
- Alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and other harsh cleaning products
- Ointments unless specifically recommended by a healthcare professional
- Excessive cleaning
- Friction and pressure from clothing, sleeping or activities
- Cosmetics, lotions and sprays directly around the piercing
Avoiding unnecessary irritation is an important part of allowing a piercing to heal normally.
Jewellery care
Leave your initial jewellery in place unless your professional piercer advises otherwise.
Some piercings require a jewellery downsize during healing. Jewellery changes during healing should be performed by a qualified professional piercer.
Having problems with your piercing?
Not every bump, swelling or change around a piercing means infection.
If you are concerned about your piercing, contact your professional piercer for advice. If you suspect an infection or develop significant symptoms, seek medical advice.
Do not remove jewellery from a suspected infection unless advised to do so by an appropriate healthcare professional.
Professional aftercare
Sterisure develops professional aftercare products for piercing studios and their clients.
Sterisure Piercing Aftercare Spray provides a simple saline-based option for routine piercing aftercare.
Important
This information is provided for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Your piercer may provide specific aftercare instructions based on your piercing and individual circumstances. If you have concerns about your healing or suspect an infection, seek appropriate professional advice.