If you have a piercing, you know that if it is not properly cared for, it will have to be removed. But sometimes the question arises: how do you properly maintain a piercing? This question is all the more important because piercings are very popular among young people. In this article, we explain everything about piercings and what you need to know about their maintenance.
First step : choosing the right piercing material
If you have decided to have your belly button, tongue or arch pierced, the first thing to check is the material used for your piercing. Today, piercings are made of materials such as titanium or stainless steel. Stainless steel is the best known, and is valued for its strength and ease of maintenance.
Why choose a biocompatible material?
Biocompatible materials are used because they do not cause allergic reactions or infection. They are therefore more suitable for children and pregnant women, among others.
For navel piercings, titanium is an interesting choice, such as those found on the Tarawa.com website, because it is even more resistant than stainless steel, which is already of high quality. When making your choice, you should absolutely avoid costume jewellery made from low-quality materials. They represent a definite health risk.
Other possible materials for your piercings
In addition to surgical steel and titanium, gold and silver are also good choices for your piercings. Gold is, of course, the material of choice, regardless of the type of jewellery chosen. For silver, 925° silver jewellery is the preferred choice.
Daily care of the piercing
To clean a piercing, use a soap that does not contain any chemical agents. Preferably, opt for a liquid soap without perfume and without surfactants. It is also essential to have perfect hygiene. You can use a clean cotton swab to clean the piercing.
Titanium jewellery can be cleaned with wipes or special solutions. For gold, silver and titanium, a solution of warm water and soap is recommended to clean the piercing. Be careful, you should absolutely avoid alcohol to clean your piercings. Alcohol tends to dry out the skin. Bleeding can also occur.
It is also important not to touch your piercing all the time, because your hands regularly carry bacteria. The hole could then easily become infected. It is best to only touch the jewellery when you take it out to clean it, and after disinfecting your hands.
Signs of infection that should alert you
It is very important not to let your piercing become infected. If it becomes infected, it should be removed immediately. If in doubt, first check that the symptoms are not related to another disease. If this is not the case, the first thing to do is to clean the piercing with a cotton swab and neutral soap. If you use wipes, you must be careful not to use those soaked in alcohol or solvents.
If the infection persists despite regular cleaning, there is an infection. You should then consult a specialist. You should therefore be particularly vigilant if the hole is red, tender and warm to the touch. If you have pain in the piercing, see your doctor. He or she will prescribe antibiotics and give you advice on how to disinfect your piercing.
Removal of the piercing : the precautions to take, in brief
In the early stages, if the piercing is recent, avoid removing your piercing until the healing phase is complete. Bacteria can lodge in your piercing.
Afterwards, you should make sure that your piercing does not show any signs of infection before removing it. If you are unsure, it is advised that you contact the person who gave you the piercing, or your doctor, before removing it. If you do, you could ‘lock’ the infection into the wound, which would close up as it is. If everything looks normal, wash your hands well and carefully remove your piercing. You can then clean the piercing as described above, or with a special antibacterial lotion.
One last piece of advice: remove your piercing if you are involved in sports and if it is likely to be touched… A tear in the skin is never pleasant !
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