Piercing aftercare — complete guide

01Basic protocol for any piercing

Healing a piercing takes between 6 weeks (lobe) and 12 months (cartilage, navel). All this time, the piercing is an open wound that requires consistent care. Most infections and complications arise from negligence in the first 4-8 weeks.

Daily protocol — 2 times a day, morning and evening:

• Wash your hands with soap before touching the piercing (non-negotiable)
• Gently remove the crusts formed around the jewellery with lukewarm water + saline
• Apply sterile saline solution (NeilMed, ProntoLindo) or saline on both sides of the piercing
• Gently move the jewellery back and forth (if it allows) to let the solution penetrate

What NOT to do:

• Don't rotate the dry jewellery — micro-lesions that delay healing
• Don't use alcohol, Betadine, hydrogen peroxide — they destroy newly formed tissue
• Don't use antibiotic cream without prescription
• Don't change the jewellery before complete healing
• Don't sleep on the piercing side (for ears)
• Don't swim in pools, sea, hot tubs for 4-8 weeks

Factors that help healing:

• Sleep 7-9 hours a night
• Proper hydration (2L water/day)
• Diet rich in protein and vitamin C
• Avoiding smoking (reduces circulation and local immunity)
• Avoiding tight clothes on the piercing area

Warning signs — call us immediately at +40 731 525 808:

• Redness extending beyond the piercing
• Throbbing pain that doesn't ease after 3-5 days
• Yellow-green pus with unpleasant smell
• Fever
• Moving the jewellery becomes impossible (sign of infiltration)

Funky Tattoo offers free check-ups at 2, 6, and 12 weeks after piercing. Come to the studio in Piața Romană anytime you have questions — we prefer to reassure you rather than let a complication evolve.

02Zone-specific care

Each piercing area has its own care specifics. Here's the specific protocol for the most common areas:

Ears (lobe, helix, tragus, conch, industrial, daith, rook):

• Saline solution 2x/day, applied with sterile compress
• Don't sleep on the piercing side for 4-8 weeks
• Attention to long hair: tie it back so it doesn't catch on the jewellery
• Attention to in-ear headphones (for tragus) — avoid them for 4-6 weeks
• For multiple piercings, care for each one individually

Nose (nostril, septum, bridge):

• Saline solution 2x/day with sterile cotton pad
• Attention to blowing your nose: gently, without pressure
• Don't pick "crusts" — they dissolve with saline
• For septum: avoid sudden nose movements for 2 weeks

Lips (labret, Monroe, Medusa, snake bites):

• External saline solution 2x/day
• Mouth rinse with salt water or oral solution (non-alcoholic) after every meal
• Avoid spicy, hot, sour foods for 2 weeks
• Avoid kissing and oral sex for 4-6 weeks (risk of infection with oral bacteria)

Navel (belly button):

• Saline solution 2x/day
• Don't wear tight clothes at the waist (high-waisted jeans)
• Avoid sitting for long periods (friction)
• Healing is the longest: 6-12 months

Intimate (clitoral, labia, pubic, prince albert, frenum):

• Saline solution 2-3x/day
• No sexual activity for 4-6 weeks (risk of infection and trauma)
• Attention to underwear: cotton, loose
• Strict hygiene after each shower/toilet

For specific piercings not in the list above, piercer Florian will give you personalised instructions at the session. All instructions are in writing on the sheet you receive. For questions during healing, call +40 731 525 808 or message on WhatsApp.