Is saline or salt water better for piercings?

Can I mix my own sea salt soak to use as aftercare for my piercings? Many clients ask if they can mix their own sea salt soak to use as aftercare for their piercings. We recommend purchasing sterile saline solution, rather than mixing your own.


Is saline solution better than salt water for piercings?

Homemade saline solution has a higher risk of contamination or having the incorrect ratio of salt and water, which can cause complications during the healing of your fresh piercing. So, we would always recommend getting a sterile saline spray to make sure your piercing has the best possible condition to heal nicely!

Does salt water heal piercings faster?

Sea salt water rinses will speed healing and ease the healing process. Avoid drinking alcohol for the first weeks. Alcohol will increase your swelling and can make your piercing bleed.


Is saline water good for piercings?

Cleaning Solutions

Packaged sterile saline (with no additives, read the label) is a gentle choice for piercing aftercare. This is often labeled as “wound wash saline” and is available on most first aid aisles.

Can I use salt water instead of using saline to clean my piercing?

If you want to use a water/salt mixture to clean your piercings you can, as long as you use sea salt not table salt. If you don't know the difference, it's easy to assume the salt in your condiment cabinet will do the job just fine.


DIY SALT WATER SOLUTION FOR PIERCINGS - EXACT WATER TO SALT RATIO!



What is the best piercing aftercare?

Clean piercing regularly: The piercing should be cleaned 2-4 times a day – We suggest using unscented antibacterial soap, Epson Salt dissolved in warm water, saline solution, or we have several aftercare products available for purchase. (Do NOT use – Neosporin, Vaseline, Alcohol, or Peroxide).

Does salt water clean infected piercings?

First wash your hands with soap and water. Then prepare a saltwater solution of 1 cup (0.24 liters) water with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir until the salt dissolves. Leaving the piercing jewelry in place, soak a cotton ball in the solution and place it on the affected area.

Why you shouldn't use salt water for piercings?

Yes, the ocean is salt water, but it's not sterile, and it could introduce a myriad of various germs to your piercing. In fact, the Wound Care Society warns that salt water contains numerous other particles that could worsen a wound or open your skin.


What should I clean my piercing with?

Clean the piercing with either a saline solution, a fragrance-free antimicrobial soap, or both once or twice per day. Rinse any soap from the piercing. Gently dry the piercing with a clean, disposable paper towel or tissue. Avoid drying with cloth since it may carry germs or catch on the jewelry.

Can I just spray my piercing with saline?

Spray your piercings entrance and exit holes with sterile saline spray 2 to 3 times a day. You can wipe away any crusty discharge from the jewelry with sterile non-woven gauze soaked in saline but do not pick at it.

What helps piercings heal faster?

The general advice is to use saltwater or saline solution for about 5 minutes, at least twice a day. We recommend the Dr. Piercing Aftercare Solution, which comes in swab-form and consists of an isotonic saline solution alongside anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and B-Vitamin ingredients.


How long should I use saline on my piercing?

Ear piercings

Lobes heal quickly and need cleaned daily for an average of 10 days with saline to prevent infection, during the initial healing. Cartilage piercings heal much slower and require less cleaning daily but more care overall.

How many weeks do you sea salt soak a piercing?

1/8 TEASPOON of SEA SALT

Drench a cotton ball in the salt solution and hold it on the piercing for 3-5 minutes. Afterwards, use a Q-tip or another cotton ball to remove any dried matter from around the piercing. Repeat this process 2-3 times a day for the first 2 weeks and then once a day for the following 4 weeks.

Is saline spray just salt water?

Saline solution is a mixture of salt and water. Normal saline solution contains 0.9 percent sodium chloride (salt), which is similar to the sodium concentration in blood and tears. Saline solution is usually called normal saline, but it's sometimes referred to as physiological or isotonic saline.


What to clean piercing with if no saline?

Cleaning Solutions

If sterile saline is not available, a sea salt solution mixture can be a viable alternative. Dissolve 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon (. 75 to 1.42 grams) of non-iodised (iodine-free) sea salt into one cup ( 250 ml) of warm distilled or bottled water.

What can I use to clean my piercing if I don't have sea salt?

  1. MILD LIQUID SOAP While sea salt soaks and/or saline rinses are the preferred aftercare for piercings, soap effectively removes the residue of dirt, skin oils, cosmetics, cigarette smoke, and natural discharge that can sometimes remain after a salt water soak or saline rinse. ...
  2. These are both too harsh for long-term use.


What not to clean a piercing with?

Do not use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. (Both slow the healing of pierced area by drying and killing new healthy cells.) Do not use bacitracin or other ointments. (Ointments attempt to heal the skin & may slow oxygen transport to the tissue).


Should I use Q tips to clean my piercing?

When cleaning a piercing, the most important thing you're doing is soaking and/or irrigating the piercing. Dabbing saline solution on your piercing with Q-tips® or cotton balls does little to help. Plus, you can irritate your piercing with cotton fibers that can get trapped around your piercing.

What do piercers use to clean piercings?

H2Ocean: This sea salt saline solution is often used by piercers to help clean the piercing area. Saline Solution: Less expensive and more readily available than most other products, saline solution is often recommended in soothing and healing a new piercing.

Should I clean the crust off my piercing?

Crusting after body piercing is normal—this might just be the result of your body trying to heal itself. While perfectly normal, these crusties should be cleaned carefully and thoroughly whenever you notice them.


When should you stop cleaning piercings?

We suggest cleaning no more than once a day. On average, most piercings will need to be cleaned over the next 3-4 months (unless otherwise stated by your piercer). It is vital that you do not over-clean the piercing. If it has been longer than four months, do not clean the piercing anymore.

How do you shower with a new piercing?

Showering: Shower like you normally do; the last thing you will do while in the shower is clean your piercing. Lather up some mild, fragrance free, non-antibacterial soap in your hands and gently wash your piercing. You want enough friction to clean the piercing, but not so much that you cause trauma to it.

Which piercings are hardest to heal?

A helix piercing is in the cartilage of the upper ear. While it's not a particularly painful procedure, it has one of the longest healing times, taking 6–12 months to completely heal.


Do piercings ever truly heal?

Most people can tell their piercing has healed when there is no redness, the tissue feels normal in the area of the piercing and the normal healing discharge (crust that gathers on the jewelry) has subsided," he said. "A piercing becoming permanent, where jewelry can be removed for hours or days, is never guaranteed."

How many weeks does it take for a piercing to heal?

What's the healing time? There are different types of tissue in different parts of your ear, so how long it takes to heal depends on your body and the place you've pierced. Earlobes usually take 6-8 weeks. If you pierce the cartilage on the side of your ear, it can take 4 months to a year.