What to avoid:

DO NOT USE: rubbing alcohol, peroxide, betadine, or hibiclens. These are all overly strong and frying which all hinder healing.

DO NOT APPLY OINTMENTS: bacitracin, Neosporin, or any triple antibiotic are not designed for use on healing piercing. These prevent oxygen from reaching the wound and form a sticky residue that can cause complications.

DO NOT OVERCLEAN! Cleaning your piercing more than once or twice a day is not better, it can delay your healing and irritate your piercing.

Do not use too many products.  Select a cleaning fluid, plus sea salt soaks.

Avoid oral contact, rough play, and contact with others’ bodily fluids on or near your piercing during healing.

Don’t use band-aids on a healing piercing. They limit air circulation and the adhesive can irritate the surrounding area.

Avoid sleeping on a piercing during healing is advisable.

Don’t hang charms or any object from your jewelry until the piercing is fully healed.

Avoid submerging your piercing in water such as pools, Jacuzzis, lakes, etc. unless you feel confident that the water is clean enough for you and an open wound. (Which is what a piercing is while it is healing) Most bodies of water harbor large amounts of bacteria. If you are going to be in water of questionable cleanliness, use a breathable, non-permeable wound sealant such as tegaderm, or clean seals (available at drug stores and pharmacies) Before you go in to protect yourself and prevent dirty water from getting in your open wound. Cleanse well after getting out t of the water.