Please reach out at misscoffinnails@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
WASH - SALINE - RINSE - DRY
I recommend incorporating the cleaning into your hygiene routine, showering or tooth brushing. Always WASH your hands before touching your piercing. If you're showering spray your piercing either directly with SALINE or use a paper towel/gauze to wet the front and back of your piercing to start loosening up any crusties. Once you've saturated any piercing healing crusties with saline get in the shower or start brushing your teeth.
When you are done showering or brushing take 1-2 minutes to thoroughly RINSE your piercing area directly. You can use your clean hands and run your fingers over it to make sure that there are no cleaning products, piercing healing crust, or any sorts of other residues on your piercing. Now you can thoroughly DRY around your piercing front and back using paper towels, if you use q-tips just be extra cautious to not leave any fibers behind.
Never exceed cleaning 1-2x daily, do not rotate twist or move your jewelry unnecessarily and never use any products such as soap, alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on your piercings.
Click for information on healing oral piercings and troubleshooting!
A compress can help soothe an angry piercing. Store your extra saline spray in the fridge at home, with clean hands spray a paper towel with the cold saline till it's saturated. Relax with the soaked pad on your piercing for 5-10 minutes then rinse with warm water and fully dry. I like to do this before my shower so I can rinse my piercing with warm water at the end of my shower and dry the area with a paper towel when I'm out of the water. You can also do a warm compress, that can reduce inflammation as well. You can prepare the saline soaked pad just like a cold compress but put that in the microwave for a few seconds on a clean plate until it's warm and put that over your piercing for the same 5-10 minutes or so before you rinse and dry thoroughly.
Of course antiinflammatories can help with swelling too. With any of these if you decide to take them never excede the manufacturers instructions. Aspirin, naproxen, ibuprofen and a natural alternative arnica all can reduce some inflammation. If your piercing is on your head you can use a couple of extra pillows to keep your head above your heart while sleeping to reduce swelling naturally. Do not put anything other than saline and clean water on your piercings and never clean your piercings more than 1-2x daily.
My daily routine is how I like to implement the aftercare guidelines established by The Association of Professional Piercers. They are an amazing organization that has compiled the general best practices for healing piercings based on scientific research and numerous piercers experience to create a standard of care for the best chance to heal easily.
For all piercings I use certified titanium ASTM F-136 or gold jewelry from Neometal, Industrial Strength, Body Circle and Junipurr for the components that go into the piercing and for their gorgeous tops and ends. There are many other companies that I adore; BVLA, Tether, Tawapa, Maya, Darling and Body Gems to name a few! All jewelry I choose to use is safe for initial piercings and of verifiable quality.
Piercings go through several phases during the healing process and can take much longer than anticipated to be 100% healed. Even the most simple piercing such as an ear lobe can take 6-9 months or longer to fully heal!
Yes, I do offer walk-ins for piercings, subject to availability. However since I often work at different locations and my schedule isn't always the same I suggest setting up an appointment or messaging me to make sure of my location and availability.
Piercing has and always will be a part of the queer community. As someone that is a member of a few marginalized groups myself I will always make sure my clients are in a safe, trauma infomed space with me. I am a safe space for LGBTQIA+ folks and minorities, however am not a safe space for bigots.