After Care Information - Nipple

NIPPLE PIERCINGS

Jewellery

Surgical Stainless Steel or Titanium ring: 14 to 12 gauge, 11mm+,
Women: 14 to 10 gauge, 15mm+.
Or Surgical Stainless Steel Barbell: 14 to 12 gauge (Men), 14 to 10 gauge (Women),
Length: At least one and a half times the piercing length.
The nipple should be examined for suitability before the jewellery is selected. For a vertical piercing, use only a barbell. A ring will protrude and pull on the nipple.

Cleaning Solutions

Microsield T triclosan based skin cleanser or another triclosan based soap such as Sapoderm Soap or Antibacterial Softwash. Note: Some people experience irritation from the perfume present in Antibacterial Softwash.

Healing Period

Initial healing is usually completed within 1 to 2 months, toughening up within 3 to 8 months. During the initial healing period your piercing will secrete an off-white sticky substance that will form a crusty build up around the openings of your piercing and on your jewellery. The secretion is blood plasma, which is a normal part of the healing process. It is imperative that the jewellery is not rotated whilst coated with blood plasma, as the hardened plasma entering the piercing will scratch off the epithelium (newly formed skin tissue) inside the piercing, and possibly infect the piercing. The end of the initial healing period is characterized by the plasma secreted. After this stage has been reached, the bead on your ring can be changed without causing any problems. Wait until the piercing has toughened up before changing the ring inserting a curved barbell.

Aftercare Procedure

  1. Always wash your hands thoroughly before cleaning or handling your new piercing. Keeping the piercing clean is the key to speedy healing and minimizing the chance of infection.
  2. Use and antibacterial hand wash such as Softwash Antibacterial.
  3. Moisten a clean cotton bud and use this to scrape off any dried debris (blood plasma, pus, etc) from the jewellery around the entrance and exit of the piercing. Ensure that the ring is perfectly clean.
  4. Lather up between wet hands about 5ml of aftercare solution with about 5ml water and gently pat it onto the piercing and let it soak in.
  5. Now move your jewellery back and forth through your piercing 5 or 6 times so that the aftercare solution penetrates the entire piercing. Leave the piercing in this state for 3 to 5 minutes to ensure that the solution is effective.
  6. Rinse your piercing thoroughly. Any left over traces of your aftercare solution can irritate and aggravate the piercing.
  7. Pat dry your piercing with a disposable paper towel, Cloth towels often harbor bacteria.

Infection Control

A mild infection is characterized by discomfort, swelling, redness, inflammation and a discharge of yellowish pus. Should these symptoms become apparent, clean your piercing with your after care solution 2 to 3 times a day, after squeezing the piercing in several different directions to fully remove the discharge. You may wish to apply an antibiotic ointment, and if so this should only be done after the piercing has been thoroughly cleaned, and then only for a maximum of one week. If there is no improvement in the condition within 3 days, please consult a doctor, who may recommend a course of antibiotic tablets.

If your piercing does become infected, leave your jewellery in. If the jewellery is removed with the piercing in this condition, the openings of the piercing will close, blocking the drainage of pus. This often results in the formation of an abscess, characterized by a darkening of the surrounding tissue.

Hints and Tips

Over cleaning your piercing should be carefully guarded against. This can cause the openings of the piercing to dry up and crack. Also be alert to any allergic reaction you may have to your cleaning solution, characterized by a rash of small bumps and a burning or itching sensation when the product is applied.

Nipples that undergo lengthy or troublesome healing when pierced with rings often improve when the rings are replaced with barbells.

Irritation from swat, clothing and activities may form a ring of soft whitish tissue called a granuloma around the entrance or exit of the piercing during the healing period. This will usually disappear on its own accord, but may be hastened away by bathing the piercing in warm salt water once or twice a day. A granuloma is not an infection, but may occur at the same time as an infection.

Scarring is also formed by excessive irritation, but is characterized by a ring of hard whitish tissue around the entrance of the piercing. This can be treated as a granuloma, but you may wish to apply a very dilute gyrogen peroxide solution every 2 to 3 days to help diminish the tissue. Care must be exercised with this however, as hydrogen peroxide can break down healing tissue.

Swimming should be avoided during the healing period if at all possible. Whilst some people have experienced no problems swimming in the sea, the risk of exposure to unknown elements is great. Public pools and spas should be well avoided. There is far too great a risk of exposure to bacteria.