I recall a conversation with one of my first clients, she was a physical therapist who specialized in rehabilitating stroke patients. When we got into the pre-poke banter, she explained to me how it fascinated her how quickly the human body could mend itself.
Everyday new skin cells are generated, our high school acne scars become distant memories and the body keeps… making itself. It was just as I was about to pierce her that she jokingly poked at her helix of 8 years being the only thing she has yet to heal, both personally and occupationally. I momentarily deliberated between explaining the fascinating biology of human anatomy to a doctor or asking we she had it pierced. Before the piercer in me could decide, she quickly mentioned that she expected nothing less from an old-school pharmacy piercing done with a gun. There are few joys we get to experience in this life as body modification artists, one of them being our holy grail of spitefully info dumping against gun piercings. In the moment I was snubbed of that opportunity, but when one-hole closes, another is opened, because the conversation that proceeded the appointment led to a discussion I think many clients, even our doctors and avid piercers, are curious about.
HOW THE ACTUAL F#$CK DO I HEAL A PIERCING?
To be honest with you, there is no one-size fits all method for it, although here is what we DO know and what think you deserve to know.
Healing isn’t linear, it varies from person to person, piercing to piercing and positioning to positioning. Let’s start with the most common reason your piercing may be struggling to heal.
- Consistent irritation, movement or friction in the early stages of the healing process. The first few months of healing are probably the most important. During the initial 2 months we suggest avoiding moving, touching or unnecessarily putting pressure on your fresh piercing.
- Your bar is too long. Very few people know that the size of the jewellery one is initially pierced with is usually slightly longer than your average day to day jewellery. This is to account for the inevitable swelling that occurs in the first few weeks of your fresh piercing. We opt to shorten the bar at around the 3 month mark from the initial piercing.
- Type of metal used. Whether you’re a sensitive girly or not, metal matters! We suggest using implant grade titanium or solid gold if you are prone to irritation or sensitivity.
- YOU'RE SLEEPING ON YOUR PIERCING! Yes, we can tell, no you can’t bullshit us. Whether it’s the slightly slanted jewellery post that gives it away or the reoccurring irritation bump, we know when your piercing is being slept on or put under any sort of pressure.
- Finally and most commonly, cleaning 🧼 Many people believe that you are only meant to keep your piercing sterile during the first few weeks of healing. This common misconception leads to many clients often disregarding their cleaning regimen once a piercing feels or looks healed. This cause excess build up as well has higher chances of infections.
Our suggestion? Always ALWAYS go to a reputable piercer. Never be scared to reach out to your studio/artist for advice even after the piercing and most importantly WASH YOUR HANDS! 🙌 💋🧼
