Avoid cleaning with rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and Dial or other strong soaps soaps containing triclosan, because these can damage your healing piercing. Also don’t use ointments because they don’t let your piercing get the air circulation it needs and may contain ingredients that are not safe for long-term use.
Avoid Bactine, pierced ear care solutions, and other products containing Benzalkonium Chloride (BZK). This can be irritating and should not be used for long-term care.
Avoid moving jewelry in an unhealed piercing, or picking away dried discharge with your fingers. Avoid cleaning too much. This can irritate your piercing and make it take longer to heal.
Avoid irritation like friction from clothing, too much motion of the area, playing with the jewelry, and rough cleaning. These could make ugly and uncomfortable scar tissue form, and cause other problems like migration and a longer healing time.
Avoid rough play, unwashed hands on (or even anywhere near) your piercing, and contact with others’ bodily fluids like saliva while you are healing.
Avoid stress and recreational drug use, including too much caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.
Avoid putting a healing piercing in a lake, pool, hot tub, etc. First, protect your piercing by using a waterproof bandage (such as Clean Seals). You can buy them in any drugstore.
Avoid all beauty and personal care products on or around the piercing, including cosmetics, lotions, and sprays, etc.
Don’t hang charms or any object from your jewelry until the piercing is fully healed.
