Today, nipple piercing has become a popular trend and is in great demand by many people. Interested in doing it? First, understand that the risk of infection is high, especially if the piercing is not cleaned properly afterward. Therefore, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly before touching your piercing for any reason, and be diligent about cleaning your piercing every time you shower. Also, make sure you follow the instructions in this article for caring for your piercing in the first few weeks.
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Part 1 of 3: Caring for Piercings
Step 1. Wash your hands
Always wash your hands with antibacterial soap before touching your piercing, even if it's completely healed. Piercings will immediately become infected if touched with dirty hands.
- Wash your hands thoroughly with water and antibacterial soap before touching your piercing for any reason.
- In the first few weeks, piercings should only be touched for cleaning!
Step 2. Clean the crust that forms
If the area of the skin around the piercing is crusty, try to clean the crust that forms with your fingers very carefully. It's best to do this process when you shower so that the crust is wet and easier to clean.
- Be careful not to move the earrings too much when the descaling is removed. Move the earring only to push the crust against the surface, but don't twist it.
- Do this procedure slowly and carefully. Cleaning the scale can actually make the skin around the piercing peel and hurt, or even become infected.
Step 3. Make a brine solution
Pour tsp. non-iodized sea salt to 250 ml of warm distilled water. Stir until the salt is dissolved. After that, soak a paper towel in the salt water solution and apply it to your nipple piercing; Let stand until the solution is well absorbed. Do this process every day for 5-10 minutes.
- If you want, you can also lie in bed, then place a cup of saline solution face down over the piercing like a vacuum, and let it sit until all the solution is absorbed by the nipple. However, be careful not to spill the solution while doing this.
- Do this process every day for two weeks after the nipple is pierced. After two weeks, you can start cleaning your piercing as usual when you shower. However, return to this method if your piercing becomes infected or irritated!
- Make sure you only use distilled water because tap water contains impurities that can infect your piercing.
- If you want, you can also soak your piercing in a special saline solution to clean your piercing (not saline solution to clean contact lenses). Generally, you'll find the words "intended to treat external wounds" on the packaging.
- Do not use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or antibiotic ointment.
Step 4. Don't touch the piercing
In a few days or even a few weeks after getting pierced, the nipple will swell and be painful to the touch. To speed up the healing process, make sure the nipple is not touching or rubbing against any object.
- If possible, always wear loose-fitting clothing and avoid clothing that is too tight or in skin-unfriendly fabrics. Don't wear clothes that are too revealing!
- If you need additional protection during the recovery process, try using a nipple pad or nipple cover made especially for nursing mothers.
Part 2 of 3: Keeping Piercing Clean
Step 1. Use a bath soap that is gentle and friendly to the skin
Every shower, use a mild liquid soap to clean the nipple piercing. First, pour a small amount of soap on your finger, then twist the earring (if it's a ring) or move it horizontally (if it's a barbell) to clean the inside of the piercing. After that, rinse the piercing until there is no soap left, as any remaining soap can irritate the piercing.
- Avoid soaps that contain fragrances, dyes, or other ingredients that can irritate your piercing.
- Again, don't clean your piercing with alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or antibiotic ointment.
Step 2. Dry the piercing
After bathing, gently pat the piercing with a paper towel to dry it. Remember, wet and damp piercings are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, especially if you like to wear tight clothes after showering. Make sure the piercing is completely dry before getting dressed!
Always use disposable kitchen towels, instead of towels, to dry your piercing. Towels can be a good home for bacteria, so they shouldn't be used to dry your piercing
Step 3. Consult a doctor for possible infection
If you think your piercing is infected, call your doctor immediately! Be careful, infected nipple piercing can trigger various health problems in your body. Some of the symptoms you should watch out for:
- Green or yellow pus discharge from the piercing
- Swelling that doesn't go away for weeks (or gets better and then comes back)
- Piercing feels very painful or red
- The appearance of a large lump around the nipple or in the breast
Part 3 of 3: Choosing the Right Jewelry
Step 1. Choose ring-shaped earrings
After your piercing, have your piercer wear ring earrings instead of a barbell, especially since the swelling around the piercing will make it difficult to put on the barbell earrings at this point. Plus, ring earrings are also easier to clean because you only have to wind them through the piercing.
After a few months, you can replace them with barbell earrings if you want. However, make sure the piercing is completely dry before doing it
Step 2. Choose jewelry made of surgical steel
Surgical steel is a special type of stainless steel used for biomedical purposes (such as scalpels). If you are going to pierce your nipples for the first time, make sure your piercer only uses sterile jewelry made of surgical steel. Doing so can reduce the risk of infection and speed up the wound drying process. Remember, the nipple is a very sensitive area and should be treated with care.
Jewelry made of other materials has the risk of irritating the piercing and even causing it to become infected
Step 3. Get the opinion of a professional piercer
Make sure you only get pierced by professionals who have a special license. This means that they have gone through a training process with a more professional piercer and received a special certificate at the end of the training process. Generally, you can find people like this at tattoo or piercing outlets whose quality and reputation are trusted.
