Jared Wicklund

TOP THREE MISTAKES YOU NEED TO CORRECT IF YOU'RE HAVING ISSUES WITH YOUR PIERCING:

#1 Provon OR Satin should be the only soap you are using on your piercing. NO DIAL and NO SOFTSOAP (unless heavily dilluted...one pump in a dixie cup, fill the rest with purified water). NONE OF YOUR REGULAR SOAP. This should be AFTER you take a shower: Soak a q-tip with purified water (distilled/bottled/PUR bacterial filter), small dab of soap on it, gently work it underneath each end of the piercing, up against the skin. Soak up a few cotton balls, and GENTLY rinse the area until it stops sudsing up. Only a small amount is necessary, these 4oz bottles should be lasting you 4-5 piercings for the entire aftercare period (3-6 months, or 6-9 months depending on the piercing). If you have an oral piercing, BIOTENE, Crest Pro-Health, or Tom's All-Natural mouth rinses are what you should be using for the inside. NOTHING WITH ALCOHOL.

#2 MILD Sea Salt Soaks are supposed to be frequent. This means 3-6 times a day MINIMUM. Ideally, every 2 hours as needed. If you see clear to light-yellow crust, soak for 15-45 seconds and GENTLY wipe away any material that's left. By MILD, I mean they shouldn't sting or burn (3 pinches of salt to 2 inches of purified water in a dixie cup), H2O Ocean, or Dr. Piercing Hole-istic Care. I am more of a fan of soaking a "fluffed" cotton ball, soaking up your sea salt solution, and gently placing it over your piercing instead of trying to upend a cup and submerge your piercing.

#3 Snagging/submerging/hitting/playing-with the piercing. That's right, the more you mess with it during the first 2-3 months, the more it's going to be irritated and possibly migrate (reject). Wash your hands before you touch the piercing or ANYTHING you soak/cleanse it with, and you should only be touching it when you're cleaning it. NO submerging in the Ocean, Ponds, Lakes, Pools, Saunas, Hot Tubs, or Bath tubs.

BEFORE YOU EMAIL ME ABOUT PIERCING ISSUES, PLEASE COPY AND PASTE THIS FORMAT INTO YOUR MESSAGE AND PROVIDE ME WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

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What type of piercing did you get:

How old is your piercing:

What are you using to clean it:

How often are you cleaning it:

How many times a day are your sea salt soaks:

Do your sea salt soaks sting or burn:

If an oral piercing, what brand of rinse are you using:

Do you consume alcoholic beverages (if yes, how often?):

Do you notice any localized redness, inflammation, swelling, or discharge:

Have you traumatized the piercing (hit, caught, torn):

Any other information you feel I should know:

If the situation worsens, come in to see me IMMEDIATELY, there's only so much I can do online. If you can't get in to see me, see your healthcare professional IMMEDIATELY.

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