Always wash your hands before you clean or touch the piercing, and your partner should do the same. Wash your hands before and after using the bathroom, as this is one instance where it is common to touch the piercing with unwashed hands. Oral contact should be avoided during the healing period. Don't "play" with the piercing, or turn the jewelry through it. The delicate new tissue is easily damaged, so leaving the piercing alone as much as possible will allow the new tissue to heal and toughen.
A healing genital piercing does not mean you cannot have sex, but a “gently at first” approach is suggested. Listen to your body. If something hurts, don't do it. Safe sex is of the utmost importance with genital piercings, as they are considered an open wound, which increases the chance of contracting sexually transmitted diseases in non-monogamous situations. Condoms are recommended, even in monogamous situations during the healing period, to prevent transfer of bacteria into the piercing.
Bleeding from the piercing overnight is common in many genital piercings, as they are especially vascular areas. Wearing underpants lined with absorbent paper towel or a sanitary pad is suggested for the first few nights. A new piercing will often appear red (this is blood flowing to the area to make new tissue), and may discharge a small amount of white or yellow fluid called lymph. Lymph will dry on the outside of the piercing, and will need to be cleaned away periodically as it will harbor bacteria if neglected. Regular showering will remove this dried discharge, and during the day, use a saltwater soak to remove any buildup of discharge. Saltwater soaks are required when the piercing is dirty or has dried discharge, or to soothe the piercing in case of accidental injury or irritation.
Saltwater soak procedure:Mix ¼ tsp sea salt (not table salt) with 8oz. water. Filtered or distilled water is best. The mixture is best applied warm, as this will help dissolve any dried discharge, and encourage blood flow to the area. You can warm the mixture by microwaving it briefly. For piercings where the area can be submerged, the procedure is as follows: half fill a small glass or cup with the saltwater, hold over the piercing, and allow the saltwater to bathe the piercing for no more than five minutes. For piercings that cannot easily be soaked in this manner, saturate some paper towel with the saltwater, and hold it on the piercing like a compress, until the water feels cold. You may then gently clean off the area, and gently pat dry with tissue or paper towel. If soap is used on the area, an unscented or pure glycerin soap is preferable.
Important things to remember:
Do not apply alcohol, peroxide, or other chemicals to the piercing. These will dry the skin, and kill off newly forming tissue, slowing the healing, rather than helping it.
Infection in piercings is actually quite uncommon, but if it happens, it should be taken seriously. If a piercing is in fact infected, the jewelry ought not to be removed, as this will trap the infected matter under the skin. Common signs of infection are a dark yellow or green discharge from the piercing, excessive redness and swelling and pain in the piercing. If you have any problems, please contact us immediately, bearing in mind that only a doctor can diagnose and treat infection.
