Aftercare, cont...

TONGUE PIERCINGS

• Rinse with saline solution or diluted Listerine 4oz (1 part water, 1 part Listerine) 5 to 10 times daily for 1 minute.
  
• Avoid solid foods for 3 days (I can’t stress this enough!)
  
• Soft food such as over-cooked pasta, mashed potatoes, porridge, soup (lukewarm and blended), cottage cheese or yogurt are recommended. (these are the only recommended dairy because of the friendly bacteria and high protein content) Do remember to drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. Anything that requires chewing should be avoided. Anything that can be mashed with a fork and just swallowed is recommended.
  
• Avoid spicy food (think of dragging spices through a fresh cut!)
  
• Avoid dairy and excessively drinking caffeine products, or high sugar content drinks.

You can expect your tongue to swell during the first few days, this is normal and should go down after about 5 days. To help reduce the swelling:

• Ice often for the first few days, 20 mins on – 20 mins off (crushed ice is best).
  
• Avoid hot liquids such as coffee, tea, or soup (if eating or drinking any of these, drink them lukewarm or cold).
  
• Remember- cold decreases swelling, hot increases swelling.
  
• Advil (ASA based), Ibuprofen or Motrin will help to reduce swelling and ease the pain, as it contains an anti-inflammatory agent.
  
• Don’t forget to lightly brush your tongue.
  
• Brush your barbell balls with your toothbrush. Plaque collects on the balls daily, just like it does on your teeth. If it is not removed daily it will harden and turn into tarter, once this forms it will need to be scraped off and also can become odorous.
  
• Check tightness of barbell beads daily especially before eating or sleeping by twisting both balls in opposite directions at the same time.

Following the initial healing period (about 3-4 weeks), changing your post to a shorter length will make the jewelry more comfortable in your mouth. This will also reduce the chances of biting down on the jewelry and breaking or chipping any teeth, having the jewelry irritate the roof of your mouth or your bottom front teeth. The reason the initial post must be so long is to compensate for the swelling.

NECK, NIPPLE, & NAVEL PIERCINGS

• Clean 2-3 times daily using the procedure outlined in the “getting started” section using saline solution or anti-bacterial soap.
  
• After cleaning, apply a small amount of antibiotic ointment such as "Polysporin" to top and bottom of piercing. Wipe off any excess ointment (use only for the first week).
  
• Check tightness of top ball daily on barbell navel piercings. This can be done by holding the bottom bigger ball and when you look down at it, it is righty tighty, lefty loosey.
  
• Women should wear a gauze pad inside their bra after a nipple piercing for a few days.
  
• Wear a clean cotton shirt to bed and change sheets as often as possible for first 2 weeks.
  - Put ¼ teaspoon of sea salts in a sterile cup of warm water and soak the piercing for 5 mins. Epsom salts can also be added to the bathtub. Epsom salts will help to soothe, but will not clean the piercing.

GENITAL PIERCINGS

• Clean 2-3 times daily, using the procedures outlined in the “getting started” section, using the soap you presently use or Tea Tree Shampoo.
  
• Keep area shaved as hair can act as a bacteria trap.
  
• Wear only cotton underwear to ensure that the piercing can breathe properly.
  
• A burning sensation is normal during urination and there is no need to clean afterwards (urine is sterile to your own body).
  
• No sexual contact at all…until the piercing is completely healed! Just kidding!! Use your own judgement and use your body as a guide or 3 weeks should be sufficient ensuring that a condom is used for the following three weeks. No bodily fluids should come into contact with the piercing for the first couple of weeks, including semen and saliva.
  
• Wear a gauze pad for the first couple of days until the bleeding stops.

Aftercare, continued on page 3...