Congratulations on your new piercing. This aftercare sheet is intended to
help you through the healing process and beyond. We go through great
lengths to ensure that your piercing or tattoo is going to be great looking,
great feeling and easy to heal. While healing, you can help by giving your
new piercing or tattoo the effort it deserves by following these simple
suggestions based on years of experience and medical research. Please
feel free at any time to call or pay us a visit so that we can help to keep
things healing quickly. Try to remember it is common for clients to have
questions during the healing of a new piercing or tattoo.
No question is a dumb question !

CLEANING THE PIERCING

A body piercing is just a small, tiny cut that looks good with
jewelry in it. We heal small cuts all the time with no problem and a
piercing should be no exception. The main difference here is that with
jewelry in the little cut, it will take longer to heal.  In order to keep
the healing time as short as possible we suggest you clean your piercing
with salt water  (teaspoon salt per 8oz. of water) using the following
steps:

Piercings in the mouth

Rinse your mouth with salt water ( teaspoon salt per 8oz. water)
for 10 seconds after EATING, SMOKING, or DRINKING anything other than
bottled water. Swish like mouthwash.

Piercings in and around the mouth may require bigger jewelry at
first to allow for swelling. It is very important that you downsize the
jewelry when the swelling is completely gone. This switch to smaller jewelry
will help avoid tooth damage.

* Do not use Listerine or other mouthwash containing alcohol.

* Do not play with the piercing
Remember: cold fluids and anti-inflammatory medications (like
ibuprofen) help to reduce swelling.
Try to cut back or stop smoking for 3 weeks.

Piercings outside the mouth

Soak piercing in warm saltwater  ( teaspoon salt per 8oz. water)
for 5 min 2 to 4 times a day. Stop half way through your soak and clean off
any crusties with a Q-tip. Use another clean Q-tip to dry the piercing
after soaking.

You can either lower the piercing into a cup of water, or if the
piercing is on a flat area like a nipple or navel, you can flip the cup up
against your skin.

It is ideal to soak your piercing in a cup, but as an alternative
you can irrigate by squirting salt water or attempt to soak with a saturated
cotton ball.

Continue to soak throughout the healing period.

Remember these steps 2 to 4 times a day:
1)Soak 2)Clean with Q-tip 3)Soak 4)Dry

Mixing Saltwater

We encourage you to premix your salt water so that you dont have to
mix it every time you clean the piercing. This avoids mixing the wrong
amounts and saves time during the healing period. Non-iodized sea salt and warm distilled water work best.

Please use the following ratios of non-
iodized sea salt to distilled water:
* teaspoon per 8oz
* teaspoon per 16oz
* 1 teaspoon per 32oz
* 4 teaspoon per gallon
* teaspoon per pint
* 1 teaspoon per liter
* 1 teaspoon per quart

When you are mixing salt water please keep in mind that the amount
of salt to water is important. This is because we are trying to make a .9%
saltwater, just like the saltwater in your body.   Since your body is mostly
saltwater we can clean the piercing without causing irritation. Irritation
CANNOT be avoided with ANY other cleanser. (alcohol, peroxide, Listerine,
iodine, Neosporin etc)  This stuff is bad!

NORMAL HEALING

A normal piercing may:
*   Be swollen. Especially oral piercings.
*   Be tender.
*   Be itchy.
*   Have some redness.
*   Discharge a cloudy fluid called lymph. This fluid will dry and
become crusties.
*   Have a small amount of bleeding (especially on genital piercings).

NOT NORMAL HEALING

It is common for people to think they have an infection when the piercing is
only irritated. Piercings that receive the care they need should not get
infected. Sometimes looking over the aftercare you have been following will
point you to the cause of the problem. We at PRIX are always available to
help you with your piercing/healing related questions or concerns.

You can go to a doctor if you are worried, but keep in mind that the answer might be
a very simple one that we can help with. Common signs/symptoms of infection
are: excessive redness, excessive swelling or distortion of the tissue,
heat, odor, excessive tenderness, green, bloody or dark discharge, bumps
behind the piercing, streaks.

HELPFUL TIPS FOR HEALING

Always wash hands before touching your piercing.
*   Avoid contact with body fluids.
*   Avoid : pools, lakes, rivers, oceans, bathtubs, hot tubs.
*   Avoid moving or rotating your jewelry.
*   Do not play with the piercing while it is healing.
*   The healthier you are the better you heal.
*   Try not to sleep on the piercing.
*   Avoid tight or restrictive clothes and belts.
*   Remember that a non-healed piercing is an open wound.
*    Avoid exposing the piercing to body fluids or use latex
*    barriers to help prevent bacteria and disease transmission.
*   If possible wear long hair up off of piercings.
*   The cleaner the saltwater the better it works.
Vitamin supplements like Zinc and C can help with healing.
*   Check beads that screw on/off to make sure they are tight. Right is
tight, Left is loose.
*   Avoid irritants like: alcohol, iodine, peroxide, Listerine,
ointments, glyoxide, anti-bacterial soap, chemicals etc
*   Smoking does effect healing times.

HEALING TIMES:

Everyone heals at different rates and it can vary a great deal from person
to person. To help avoid confusion, the following healing times are the
suggested timelines to keep cleaning the piercing. It does not mean that
magically after this amount of time Poof your piercing is healed.

Please continue soaking your piercing with the saltwater for the amount of time
listed next to your piercing. A piercing heals on the outside first so it
will appear to be healed long before it actually is. Changing jewelry while
the piercing is healing is not suggested and could result in the loss of the
piercing.

Even after the piercing is well healed it could close or shrink
when you remove the jewelry. If you have removed your jewelry and can’t get
it back it in, we may be able to reinsert it for you.

Tongue, Tongue Web-
3 to 6 weeks

Labret, Monroe, Lip-
2 to 3 months

Cheek-
3 to 4 months

Eyebrow-
2 to 3 months

Lobe, Septum-
6 to 8 weeks

Nostril, Cartilage-
3 to 6 months

Nipple, Navel-
4 to 6 months

Hood, Inner Labia, Prince Albert-
2 to 8 weeks

Frenum, Guiche, Scrotum-
2 to 3 months

Outer Labia, Dydoes, Lorum-
2 to 3 months

Triangle, Ampallang, Apadravya-
3 to 4 months

Surface-
2 to 6 months