Having clean piercings is super important to dodge infections and other issues you don’t want to deal with. Different studies say that keeping your piercings clean can help your jewellery last longer. But, like with everything else, there’s a balance to strike, especially when it comes to cleaning your piercings. Different types of jewellery for body modification need various kinds of care, so it’s worth asking: are we going a bit overboard with the cleaning sometimes? How can we tell if we’re cleaning our piercings a little too much? Let’s break it down.
How Often is the Deal?
Normally, slight cleaning once or twice a day is fine for all piercing types as long as you are being gentle and never hurting the comfort. But it is important to know when your jewellery is new, how much you want to touch it for cleaning. In this case, using less hand movements and pouring saline solution on it is advised to keep the infection away.
What Happens When You Overdo It?
When you are cleaning, the piercing will be touched and twisted. Spinning or rotating your piercing studs, especially in your fresh piercing, used to be the go-to move for keeping it clean. People thought it would help the healing process by getting cleaning stuff inside and stopping skin from sticking to the jewellery. But guess what? We’ve learned better now.
When you get pierced, your body starts making this little tunnel of new tissue around the jewellery. It’s called a “fistula.” If you start spinning that jewellery, even for cleaning, you can actually mess up that delicate new tissue. Too much spinning can hurt those new cells and even let more germs in, which is definitely not what we want.
So, forget the spinning. Just focus on gently cleaning any crusty stuff off the outside of your piercing once (or twice) a day. Keep it simple, and your piercing will thank you by healing up nice and quick.
What to Use for Daily Cleaning?
For your everyday cleaning routine, you don’t need anything fancy. Stick to the basics; a saline solution or mild soap and water. Yep, that’s it.
Saline solution is like magic for piercings. It’s gentle on your skin and helps to keep things clean without irritating your piercing. You can either buy a pre-made saline solution at the store or mix up your own at home (just make sure it’s sterile).
If you prefer soap and water, go for a mild, fragrance-free soap. Give your piercing a little wash with warm water and soap, then rinse it off and pat it dry with a clean paper towel or cloth.
What Not to Use for Daily Cleaning?
Let’s talk about what not to put on your piercing. Rubbing alcohol is too harsh for your skin. It can dry out your skin and make things worse, like chafing and extra irritation. That means your piercing will take even longer to heal.
Now, essential oils might smell nice and all, but they’re not your piercing’s get-alongs. Even though they’re good for other stuff, like making your room smell awesome, they’re a no-go for healing piercings.
Some people use contact lens solution, which is technically a saline solution, but it’s not made for your delicate, piercing skin. Stick to a warm salt-water bath instead. Keep it simple, keep it gentle, don’t rub the area or twist the jewellery.
Sings You’re Overdoing it
Imagine your piercing looking like a bright red beacon, swollen and tender to the touch. Maybe there’s even some extra crustiness going on, making it all look a bit, well, yucky.
Well, it’s all about balance. Your piercing needs just the right amount of cleaning to stay happy and healthy. But when you overdo it, it’s like throwing a wrench into the works. Too much cleaning can strip away the natural oils your skin needs to heal, leaving it dry, irritated, and even more prone to infection.
While it’s tempting to scrub away any dirt or crustiness from your cute body jewellery, going overboard with cleaning can actually do more harm than good. Your piercing needs gentle care and proper attention to heal properly. So, keep it simple, stick to a routine, and listen to your body’s cues.