P.D.G.T.G.

PAT DRY GOOD TO GO.

OUR AFTERCARE STANDARDS

Our aftercare recommendations follow the standards and guidance of the Association of Professional Piercers (APP). Piercing care has changed over the years as the industry has learned more about safe, healthy healing—so some advice you’ve heard before may no longer be recommended.

We keep our aftercare current, simple, and focused on giving your piercing the best environment to heal.

So yes, we really mean it when we tell you to leave it alone. 🖤

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KEEP IT SALTY — BUT NOT TOO SALTY 🧂

For piercing aftercare, stick with packaged sterile saline wound wash containing 0.9% sodium chloride as the ONLY ingredient.

Skip contact lens solution, eye drops, and other saline products—they’re not made for healing piercings.

And please, retire the homemade sea salt concoctions. Mixing your own is no longer recommended by the APP because it’s very easy to make it too strong, which can dry out and irritate your piercing and interfere with healing.

Easy rule: Sterile wound wash. 0.9% sodium chloride. Nothing else.

CLEANING YOUR PIERCING

WASH — Always wash your hands thoroughly before touching or cleaning your piercing. Dirty hands and fresh piercings are not friends.
SALINE — Rinse with sterile saline wound wash as needed during healing. For tricky placements, clean gauze saturated with saline can make things easier.
SOAP? — Only if your piercer recommends it. Use something gentle and avoid harsh soaps, dyes, fragrances, or unnecessary additives.
RINSE — Rinse thoroughly and make sure nothing is left behind. And do not twist, turn, or rotate your jewelry.It doesn’t need your help.
DRY — Gently pat dry with a clean, disposable paper product. Skip cloth towels—they can harbor bacteria and snag your jewelry.

Easy rule: Clean hands. Saline. Rinse. Dry. LEAVE IT ALONE. 🫡

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT AFTERCARE

Aftercare isn’t one-size-fits-all. Piercing care continues to evolve, and things like your piercing placement, environment, climate, and individual healing needs can affect what works best. When in doubt, talk to your piercer—we’d much rather you ask than experiment.

If your piercer recommends soap, choose something gentle and free of harsh chemicals, dyes, and fragrances, and rinse it away completely. Antibacterial soaps can be overly drying and irritating and are generally not recommended.

Sterile saline wound wash is our preferred option. In areas where sterile saline truly isn’t available, a properly mixed sea salt solution may be used as an alternative—but stronger does not mean better. Too much salt can irritate a healing piercing.

When in doubt: keep it simple and ask your piercer. 🖤

WHAT’S NORMAL? 👀

Healing piercings can be a little dramatic. Not everything that looks weird means something is wrong.

At first: Minor bleeding, localized swelling, tenderness, and bruising can all be normal.
While healing: You may notice itching, mild discoloration, and a whitish-yellow fluid that dries into crustaround your jewelry. Yep—crusties can be normal.
It looks healed already! Not so fast. Piercings heal from the outside in, so the inside can still be fragile even when everything looks and feels great on the outside. Keep following your aftercare for the full healing period.
Once healed: Jewelry may not move freely—and that's okay. Never force it. Regular hygiene will help prevent normal secretions and buildup from accumulating.

ONE MORE THING...

Even a piercing you've had for years can shrink or close surprisingly quickly once the jewelry is removed. Every body is different, and there’s no guaranteed amount of time a piercing will stay open.

If you love it, put a ring on it. 💍
Or a flatback. Whatever. Just keep jewelry in it.

DO THIS 👍

Wash your hands before touching your piercing. Otherwise, leave it alone.
Leave your jewelry alone. No twisting, spinning, or rotating while it heals.
Exercise is fine! Just avoid activities that put pressure on, snag, or irritate your piercing—and keep it away from dirty gym equipment and mats.
Keep it clean where you sleep. Change your bedding regularly and wear clean, breathable clothing that protects the piercing from snagging.
Choose showers over baths when possible. If you do take a bath, clean the tub first and rinse your piercing afterward.
Listen to your body. If something doesn't look or feel right, come see us. We'd rather look at it than have you attempt some internet concoction at home.

Easy rule: Clean hands. Clean environment. Leave it alone.

DON’T DO THIS 🚫

No alcohol, peroxide, iodine, antibacterial soap, ointments, Bactine®, piercing solutions, or other harsh products. More products ≠ better healing.
Don’t over-clean it. Your piercing is healing, not a kitchen counter.
Avoid unnecessary pressure, friction, excessive movement, picking, playing with your jewelry, or aggressive cleaning.
Keep bodily fluids away from it while it heals. That includes oral contact and rough play around the piercing.
Skip the pool, ocean, lake, and hot tub while healing when possible. If water exposure can’t be avoided, ask your piercer about protecting the area with an appropriate waterproof film dressing.
Keep makeup, lotions, sprays, skincare, and other personal-care products away from the piercing.
Don’t hang charms or other objects from your jewelry until the piercing is fully healed.
Give your body a fighting chance. Excessive stress, nicotine, alcohol, recreational drug use, and too much caffeine may interfere with the healing process.

Easy rule: Don’t touch it. Don’t drown it. Don’t put random stuff on it. 🫡

JEWELRY — DON’T MESS WITH A GOOD THING ✨

Leave your initial jewelry in while you’re healing unless there’s an issue with the size, style, or material. If something needs to change, let a qualified piercer handle it.
DOWNSIZING IS IMPORTANT. Many piercings start with extra room for swelling and need a shorter post once that swelling goes down. A downsize does not mean your piercing is fully healed—it’s part of the healing process.
Keep jewelry in at all times. Even healed piercings can shrink or close surprisingly quickly. If you need jewelry removed for a medical procedure, talk to your piercer about whether an appropriate non-metal alternative is an option.
Check your ends! With freshly washed hands or a clean paper product, periodically make sure threaded ends are secure. Threadless jewelry should also be checked to make sure everything is sitting properly.
Done with the piercing? Have the jewelry professionally removed if needed and continue caring for the area until it closes. Remember: piercings permanently alter the tissue, so some evidence or scarring may remain after jewelry is removed.
Think it might be infected? DO NOT just take the jewelry out. Contact your piercer and a medical professional for guidance. Removing jewelry from a suspected infection without appropriate medical advice can create additional problems.

Easy rule: Leave it in. Downsize when it’s time. And PLEASE stop playing with it.

WHAT BODY PART DID WE POKE?

Belly Buttons • Ears • Nipples • Genital Piercings • Surface

Navel/belly button

Navels and waistbands are natural enemies.

Tight clothing, high-waisted pants, workouts, and sports can put pressure on or snag a healing navel piercing. When you can, choose clothing that gives it some breathing room.

If you need extra protection during physical activity or under restrictive clothing, a hard, vented eye patch can be positioned over the piercing and secured without putting adhesive directly on the piercing.

Easy rule: Less pressure. Less snagging. Happier belly button.

EARS

Your new ear piercing is about to make you VERY aware of everything that touches your head.

Keep phones, headphones, glasses, hats, helmets, and anything else that contacts your ears clean. Be careful when brushing or styling your hair, and give your hairstylist a heads-up about your new piercing before they accidentally introduce it to a comb.

And please: DO NOT SLEEP ON IT. A travel or piercing pillow can help keep pressure off your healing ear.

Easy rule: Keep it clean, keep pressure off it, and beware of hairbrushes.

NIPPLES

Sometimes a little support feels a whole lot better.

A clean, fitted cotton shirt or supportive sports bra may help protect a healing nipple piercing from movement, friction, and accidental snagging—especially while sleeping.

Wear whatever feels most comfortable without putting unnecessary pressure on the piercing.

Easy rule: Support is good. Friction and snagging are not.

GENITAL PIERCINGS

First things first: some genital piercings can bleed quite a bit during the first few days. This can be normal, particularly with placements such as Triangles, Prince Alberts, Ampallangs, and Apadravyas. Be prepared and follow any placement-specific instructions from your piercer.

You do not need to clean your piercing every time you urinate.

Sexual activity can generally resume when you feel ready, but healing tissue needs to be treated gently. Wash your hands, avoid unnecessary trauma, and use barriers to limit contact with bodily fluids during healing—even with a long-term partner.

Use clean barriers on toys, a new container of water-based lubricant instead of saliva, and consider an additional saline rinse afterward.

Easy rule: Clean, protected, lubricated & GENTLE. Your fresh piercing is not ready for an Olympic event. 😭

SURFACE ANCHORS

Surface anchors are a little needy. And they stay needy.Even after healing, debris can collect underneath the top, so these piercings benefit from lifelong maintenance. Shower rinses and/or sterile saline can help keep the area clean.Avoid putting makeup directly on or around the anchor, and be especially careful about snagging it on clothing, towels, loofahs, and anything else determined to ruin your day.Surface anchors can also be less permanent than traditional piercings, even when you do everything right. Migration or rejection can still happen.Easy rule: Keep it clean, don't snag it, and remember—surface anchors are a commitment, not a set-it-and-forget-it piercing.