Keeping your body jewelry and body piercings clean is an absolute must. To ensure that you get the most use out of your jewelry you must clean your jewelry and your piercing frequently and take good care of your body jewelry. Cleaning sounds easy, right? This aftercare guide going to lay out the dos and don’ts of cleaning and caring for your body jewelry and body piercing so you can always stay germ-free and keep your body jewelry looking and feeling brand new.
Piercing aftercare is especially important right after you get pierced. Make sure you abide by all the aftercare tips that your professional piercer informed you of. Keep track of your healing period and avoid touching your piercing unless you’re cleaning it. Be kind to your body while your piercing heals. It is not used to having foreign objects inside the skin, so your healing process relies heavily on your jewelry care and piercing care practices. Keep in mind that some body piercings have longer healing times than others. For instance, standard ear piercings will have much quicker healing times than cartilage piercings, nose piercings, or oral piercings.
How do I clean my body jewelry?
MUST HAVES:
- Paper towels
- Soap and water
DO:
- First and foremost: Always wash your hands before handling your body jewelry! You can remove your jewelry after washing your hands.
- We recommend cleaning your body jewelry with antibacterial soap and warm water.
- Clean your piercing jewelry regularly. This will minimize the chance of infection and keep your body jewelry looking brand new.
- Make sure to wash all the twists, curves, and hard-to-reach areas. This will ensure that your piercing is clean and safe, and that the quality of the jewelry will last.
- Always clean your jewelry prior to inserting it into your piercing.
- Store your piercing jewelry in a safe, dry place.
DON’T:
- It’s important that you avoid alcohol-based chemicals as your jewelry cleaner. These may cause tarnishing and limit the life of your body jewelry. Avoiding the temptation of dropping your jewelry into a bowl of rubbing alcohol is a must. We promise the warm soapy water will do just fine!
- Don’t scrub or brush the jewelry with tools. Friction from a cleaning tool can scratch or damage the jewelry. Just use your hands and a paper towel!
- Try and avoid swimming pools while wearing your body jewelry. Though chlorine is known to sanitize, the chemicals may tarnish your jewelry.
- Try not to keep all of your body jewelry together in one box. Some jewelry pieces have prongs and sharp edges that could damage the rest of the jewelry in the box. Putting them in separate bags could alleviate this issue.
How do I clean my body piercings?
MUST HAVES:
- Paper towels
- Cotton balls/cotton swabs
- H2Ocean Aftercare Spray or saline solution
DO:
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
- We recommend cleaning your body piercing with H2Ocean Aftercare Spray or saline solution.
- Clean the piercing site regularly until the piercing is fully healed. This will minimize the chance of infection during the healing period.
- Use a cotton swab to clean all the twists and curves.
DON’T:
- Do not use alcohol-based chemicals to clean your body piercing. H2Ocean Aftercare Spray or saline solution will do the job and it won’t sting!
- Do not clean your jewelry without cleaning your piercing. Piercing hygiene and jewelry hygiene go hand-in-hand. You can’t have one without the other!
- Don’t clean the piercing too often! Cleaning too often can dry out the piercing site and delay or complicate the healing process.
- A dirty piercing is a pissed piercing: don’t put off body piercing aftercare for too long!
You may experience some pain in the first couple of days while your piercing is healing. If think your piercing is infected, speak with your doctor or a professional piercer.
How do I prevent the threading of my jewelry from breaking?
DO:
- Tighten the beads carefully.
- Check on the beads every so often and gently ensure that they are tightened properly.
- Make sure to clean all the hard-to-reach places. This will make sure that the threading stays intact.
DON’T:
- Do not over-tighten your beads. If you tighten the beads too much, it could strip the threading and breakage could occur.
How Often Should I Clean My Jewelry?
DO:
- Wash your piercing before putting it in the first time. It’s something you’re going to have to get used to, so you might as well start now!
- If you’re wearing the same piece of jewelry every day, plan on cleaning it every 2-3 weeks while the piercing heals. Making this a habit will help maintain the quality of your jewelry and keep your piercing safe.
- Clean your jewelry any time you take it out. If you don’t clean your jewelry, it’ll get dingy over time. Clean it regularly and the shine will stay.
More Body Piercing Info
Want to learn more about piercings and aftercare tips? We have in-depth guides on ear piercings, including lobe piercings, cartilage piercings, helix piercings, and so much more. We also have guides on nose piercings, oral piercings, and pretty much any other type of piercing that you can think of!
Thanks for reading our aftercare guide. If you take care of your piercing and keep up with the cleaning process, all of your Spencer’s jewelry will stay shiny and bright! Got more questions? Book an appointment with your piercing studio and ask away!
