Body piercings

Piercers generally advise using a sea salt rinse (1/4 teaspoon per 8 oz./250 ml of distilled or boiled water) (proportionate mixes are marketed and sold by some companies) or a medical saline rinse, which could be placed in a small glass and held on the piercing for about 10 minutes, not more than twice a day. The solution could also be soaked into a cotton ball and used to gently cleanse the strange body piercings twice a day. Regular table salt can be subsituted for sea salt which in it's most expensive forms contains many impurities. Overcleaning and use of inappropriate cleansing agents are common causes of irritation and redness in a piercing. Cleaning the piercing 2-3 times a day should be sufficient. Epsom salt diluted in water is also very effective in the healing process or when swelling and pus, or other signs of a possible infection develop. Another technique is sometimes practiced in which a new piercing is left to heal completely on its own without any cleansing, under the philosophy that the body will treat it as any other minor wound. This is commonly called the LITHA method, which stands for "Leave It The Hell Alone." Piercers who use this method compare the healing process to getting stitches to heal up surgical wounds. Since one wants the body to accept the jewelry and create a clean, firm fistula, piercers who use this method advise that any solution or chemical could irritate the piercing, cause rejection, and promote scarring and keloids. Other cleansing solutions piercers sometimes recommend are: Bactine®, Betadine (discolors gold), Hibiclens (May cause eye damage, may irritate the skin), Dettol and Tea Tree Oil.

For the most part, piercers agree that hydrogen peroxide and isopropyl alcohol are effective in sanitation but are too strong for fresh piercings and often result in irritated piercings or excess scar tissue.

The debate over what constitutes proper aftercare is belied by the simple fact that a healthy clean piercing that isn’t made to become irritated through harsh treatment (of any kind) will almost always heal perfectly; but personal preferences will vary.