How To Care For A Cartilage Piercing

CDHubbard

Jan 13, 2008

Health

The proper aftercare for a Cartilage Piercing.

(Healing time 4 - 8 weeks)

•1. Never touch your piercing with dirty hands and don't let anyone else touch your piercing with dirty hands. You are constantly picking up bacteria on your hands all the time when you touch things.

•2. You should always wash your hands first, and then wash your piercing with a mild liquid Anti-bacterial soap (soft-soap).

•3. Do not rotate your jewelry for the first day. Just wash around your new piercing before bedtime.

•4. In the Morning when you get you should wash you piercing and be sure to always clean the crusty's off the jewelry before moving the jewelry through the piercing otherwise they could irritate the inside of the piercing when you move the jewelry and this will cause the piercing to take longer to heal. Remember to always wash your hands first.

•5. Never pick anything off the skin; it will come off naturally during the washing procedure.

•6. You should repeat this washing procedure 3 times a day for the next 8 weeks. Remember to always wash your hands first then wash your piercing.

•7. You may experience some swelling with the piercing the swelling is natural and should go away in a few days. You can also take an over the counter anti-inflammatory like Aleve or Midol for the swelling. The swelling is different for everyone so don't ask your friend, always ask you're piercer.

•8. Be sure that you wash your piercing after shampooing your hair, to make sure that you get all the shampoo & conditioner out of the piercing so that no irritation occurs.

•9. Be careful when putting shirts on and brushing you hair until you get use to your new piercing because you could accidently snag the piercing which could tear your piercing and this would cause the piercing to take longer to heal.

•10. Keep hair spray, gel and hats off the pierced area these things will only irritate the piercing and could led to a most serious problem.

•11. Stay out of Tanning beds for the first week because the tanning bed will heat the jewelry up and burn the inside of the piercing which will prolong the healing process and sun tan oils and sweat will get into the piercing and cause it to get irritated.

•12. Stay out of hot tubs, lakes, rivers, ocean, pools, ect. for 2 weeks. These things carry bacteria even if it is chlorinated water it still has bacteria in it and this could cause some type of infection so stay away.

•13. Do Not remove your jewelry from your piercing because it will close-up. Only remove the jewelry if you are changing to another piece of jewelry.

If Irritation Occurs

•1. Twice a day use a saltwater rinse (not table salt). Fill a Dixie cup ¾ of the way with warm water, then mix ½ teaspoon of Epsom or Sea salt.

•2. Submerge a cotton ball in the mixture and place it on your piercing for 5 minutes so that the mixture will soak into the piercing.

•3. Wash your piercing afterwards with a mild liquid Anti-bacterial soap (soft-soap).

Do Not use any of the following: Alcohol, Peroxide, Hibiclens, Povidone-Iodine, Neosporin or any cleaners or ointments. These products are made for minor cuts, scrapes and sunburns.

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