Bacterial infections: Redness, pain, swelling, pus, or severe abscesses.

Allergic reactions: Rashes from low-quality jewelry metals

Scarring: Raised hypertrophic scars or permanent keloids

Tearing: Accidental pulling or ripping from clothing or daily movement.

Rejection: The body pushes the metal out due to shallow placement.

Tooth damage: Chipped or cracked enamel from biting metal.

Gum recession: Constant rubbing wears down gum tissue

Swelling: Extreme tongue swelling can block airways

Always wash your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing

Clean around your piercing 2-3 times a day with a Q-tip by the recommended solution from your agent

Dry by gently patting with clean, disposable paper products.

Use alcohol free mouth rinse after eating or drinking.

Avoid open mouth kissing, oral sex, sharing eating utensils/food, and drinking after others

Avoid alcoholic beverages and smoking.

It is NOT necessary to spin or rotate jewelry.

It is important to clean your piercing/jewelry before hand

Avoid pulling crusty or bacteria into you new piercing.

Use a new soft-bristled toothbrush and keep it clean.

Don’t chew gum, tobacco, fingernails, or other foreign objects that could harbor bacteria

Only wear high-quality jewelry.  This means 14k-18k solid gold, platinum, implant-grade titanium, implant-grade stainless steel, pure niobium, or glass. 

Quality isn’t just indicated by materials. Be sure that your jewelry has a smooth wearable surface with a high polish to avoid harboring bacteria.

Don't use any products other than sterile saline or plain water on your piercing. This includes soap, alcohol, makeup, peroxide, sea salt, medicated ointments and tea tree oil.  It all can be very irritating for your piercing

Don’t just spray the piercing with saline and let it air dry.  Saline is not a medicated product, so all that does is make your ear wet.  If you are having issues with a piercing, spraying with saline and letting it air dry is not going to help things and will only make the piercing wet

Don't play with or rotate your jewelry.  Your skin will not stick to your jewelry, and rotating it only will break apart any tissue that is trying to heal inside.

Don't take your jewelry out - piercings can close quickly.  Even if it's healed!  Play a sport?  Having surgery?  Come see us to discuss alternative jewelry styles and materials!

Don't submerge your piercing in any body of water, including pools, oceans, lakes, and baths for 2 months.  The chemicals/bacteria in the water can be extremely irritating to the piercing and can cause irritations or infections that could lead to the piercing needing to be removed.

Don't wear costume jewelry or low quality materials such as sterling silver or surgical steel.  Even healed piercings can sustain permanent damage from lower quality jewelry.

Do not sleep on your new piercing and avoid helmets, headphones, high-wasited pants or anything else that applies pressure to the piercing.

Earlobe

Typically take around 6 months to heal and may or may not need a downsize around 6-8 weeks. Check in with a piercer to see if your lobes need shorter posts

Helix/Cartilage

These piercings take about 9 months to heal and will need a downsize at 6-8 weeks

Rook

These piercings will take around 9-12 months to heal and will not need to be downsized during the healing period

Daith

These piercings take around 9-12 months to heal and will not need a downsize during the healing process

Nostril

These piercings take about 9 months to heal and will need a downsize at 6-8 weeks

Septum

These piercings take around 6 months to heal and will not need a downsize during the healing period.

Lip/Philtrum/Monroe/Ashley

These piercings take about 6 months to heal. To prevent damage to teeth and gums, they will need a downsize at 3-6 weeks and potentially once again after 2-3 months

Eyebrow

These piercings take around 6 months to heal and may or may not need a downsize. Check in with your piercer around 6-8 weeks to confirm

Bridge

These piercings take 6-9 months to heal and will need a downsize at 6-8 weeks

Piercing aftercare aims to prevent the accumulation and hardening of the discharge produced by your body during the healing process. This hardened discharge, often referred to as "crusties," can gather and lead to problems like causing your jewelry to fit incorrectly, irritating the healing piercing, or causing discomfort if it's pulled into the piercing channel. 

To effectively manage this, it's recommended to check your piercing each day to see if there are any crusties around the piercing.  If you notice crust or discharge, do these steps to clean:

 • Gently spray sterile saline solution onto all sides of your piercing

 • Spray sterile saline solution onto a corner of unwoven gauze, clean paper towel, or a q-tip.  Gently clean around the piercing on each side to remove the crusties.

 • Carefully pat the area dry using unwoven gauze, a clean paper towel, or a hair dryer on the cool setting.

If you don't see any crusties, your piercing is likely happy, healthy, and healing well! In this case, there is no need to additionally clean the piercing.

In the event that you notice hardened-on buildup, a warm shower can help by softening the crusts. Letting the water flow over the piercing can aid in this process. After your shower, you can use saline spray to rinse away the softened crusties. 

If the buildup proves resistant, consult your piercer to determine if a more assertive approach is necessary. Piercings don’t like being handled aggressively so striking a balance between gentle care and forceful removal is key – remember to avoid picking at scabs but do attend to build up discharge.

For oral piercings, apply the same technique externally. Additionally, maintain oral hygiene by rinsing the inside of your mouth with bottled water after eating, drinking, or smoking. Incorporate rinsing with an alcohol-free mouthwash up to twice daily to support the healing process.

Age limit: State law prohibits body piercing for anyone under 16 years old (excluding standard earlobe piercings). 

Snake Eyes piercing: This is a piercing that goes across the tip of the tongue. While it may look cool, it can be damaging to your teeth as the constant clicking and clacking against your front teeth can wear them down over time. There's also the risk of accidentally biting off the ball or breaking a tooth.


Finger piercings: These piercings may not heal well due to the constant use of the hands and the risk of the jewelry getting snagged or bumped. A dermal piercing may be a better option, but it can still reject over time.


Lip webbing piercing: This piercing involves a needle going through the thin tissue between the lips and gums. It can be painful and may take longer to heal due to the constant movement of the mouth and the risk of infection.


Nostril piercing: While nostril piercings can be fashionable, they can also be prone to infection and scarring. If the piercing is not placed correctly, it can result in a crooked or uneven appearance. 


Ear cartilage piercing: Ear cartilage piercing: Ear cartilage piercings can be prone to infection and scarring, especially if the piercing is not done properly.


Lip piercing: Lip piercings can be prone to infection and scarring, and the jewelry can often interfere with eating and speaking. It's important to choose a reputable piercer and follow proper aftercare instructions to minimize the risk of complications.


Oral piercings: Oral piercings, such as tongue or cheek piercings, can be prone to infection and may take longer to heal. It's important to choose a reputable piercer and follow proper aftercare instructions to minimize the risk of complications.


Septum piercing: Septum piercings can be prone to infection and scarring, and the jewelry can often interfere with breathing. It's important to choose a reputable piercer and follow proper aftercare instructions to minimize the risk of complications.

Surface piercings: Surface piercings, such as dermal piercings or surface anchors, can be prone to rejection and scarring. It's important to choose a reputable piercer and follow proper aftercare instructions to minimize the risk of complications.