Saline Solution: Less expensive and more readily available than most other products, saline solution is often recommended in soothing and healing a new piercing. It's also an acceptable substitute for sea salt soaks which is when you submerge your piercing into salt water to help clean it.
Rinse your piercing daily with fresh warm water in the shower to clean away any excess crusty discharge. Keep yourself healthy! Healthy bodies heal piercings best.
If you want to use a water/salt mixture to clean your piercings it's important that you only use sea salt and not table salt. This is because table salt, and other salts like kosher salt or Epsom salts contain iodine.
Do not use table salt, kosher salt, Epsom salts, or iodized sea salts: Non-iodized fine-grain sea salt is best for avoiding additives, as well as its ability to dissolve into a solution. Do not make the solution too salty: Too much salt can be irritating to the piercing and the skin.
While sea salt soaks and/or saline rinses are the preferred aftercare for most piercings, soap effectively removes the residue of sweat, dirt, skin oils, cosmetics, cigarette smoke, and natural discharge that can sometimes remain after a salt water soak or saline rinse. Use a natural, fragrance-free and dye-free soap.
Use salt soaks for best care/cleaning of ring or stud and loosening dry material on the skin (¼ teaspoon of sea salt or teaspoon of table salt dissolved in 8oz of warm water).
To ensure the healing process goes as smoothly as possible, wash your hands before touching your piercing or jewelry. Don't soak your piercing in water (other than a saline solution) until it fully healed.
The only way your piercing will heal properly is if you keep it clean at all times throughout the aftercare phase. Failing to keep your piercing clean can mean infections, which will ultimately make it take even longer for your piercing to heal.
Not cleaning your earrings often can lead to grimy, infected holes when the dirty earrings introduce bacteria into your piercing. Moreover, dirt and grime can cause your beautiful studs to lose their shine and become discoloured.
Apply a small amount of soap to the palm of your hand and combine with warm water to create a lather. Using your fingertips, apply lather to your piercing and then thoroughly rinse clean. Let the area air dry or pat dry with a disposable paper towel. Remember, over-cleaning your piercing can cause more harm than good.
Apply a generous amount of unscented liquid soap to your fingertip, and apply it to the piercing site and jewelry. Make sure you get the soap everywhere, but rotating your jewelry is not necessary as long as you work the soap around the piercing and jewelry completely.
Soak in warm water with antibacterial soap.
Place the jewelry in the water and allow to soak for about 3 minutes. Perform this soak on a regular basis to keep the jewelry clean and keep the piercing healthy. It is best to clean your jewelry every day, but you should do it at least every 2-3 days.
Cleaning Solutions
Dissolve 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon (. 75 to 1.42 grams) of non-iodized (iodine-free) sea salt into one cup (8 oz / 250 ml) of warm distilled or bottled water. A stronger mixture is not better; a saline solution that is too strong can irritate the piercing.
Gently wash your piercings with a mild, fragrance-free soap and water at least once a day. Thoroughly rinse your piercings after washing them. Using petroleum jelly that comes in a squeeze tube, gently apply a thin coat around each opening.
Piercing aftercare begins 24 hours after your ears are pierced and will occur 2-3 times per day and continue for several weeks.
For various reasons, there are products you should never use on a piercing. These include, but are not limited to rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, Bactine, Neosporin, hand sanitizer, Band-Aid Wound Wash, essential oils, etc. If your piercer did not recommend it, don't use it!
3) It is normal for dried blood or serous fluid (yellow crust) to form around the edges of your piercing. DO NOT pick it away while it is dry.
Baking soda: Combine 1 cup of water with 1–2 teaspoons of baking soda. Stir until the baking soda dissolves. Soak your jewelry for 5–10 minutes. Rinse in cold water.
Packaged sterile saline (with no additives, read the label) is a gentle choice for piercing aftercare. This is often labeled as “wound wash saline” and is available on most first aid aisles.
General Care for Body Piercings
Do not use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. (Both slow the healing of pierced area by drying and killing new healthy cells.)
--NEVER use products like alcohol, peroxide, bactine, hibiclens, neosporin, vaseline, etc. These products are not meant for piercings and even says on these bottles "not meant for puncture wounds."