We are suppliers of Body Piercing Jewelry and although we have experienced Body Piercers working with us we do not do body piercing at Pierceoff. On our front page you will find body jewelry which has been organized into body parts to help you decide what type of jewelry will be appropriate for your piercing. It is just a guide, giving you the various options available to you.
For less common piercings please consult your professional piercer.
Please note that generally one needs to be 18 years old to be legally pierced. Some studios will allow some piercings such as ears and navels to be done at 16 years of age. You will need to speak to your piercer; they are governed by the Laws in their particular state.
Some studios may require parental consent, and that doesnt mean a note from your parents or guardian! Your parents or guardian will have to be with you when you go for your piercing.
Please ensure that your piercer is very serious about their Sterilization and Hygiene and ask as many questions as you want before you make up your mind and feel totally comfortable with the integrity of the studio you have chosen. Remember that you are the one being pierced so be sure to do your homework!
SPECIAL CARE NEEDS to be taken of a piercing immediately after it has been carried out and during the whole of the healing period. Within the trade, ideas on how to care for a piercing vary. This information aims to provide a guide to post piercing care based upon generally accepted good practice. A lot of common post-piercing complicatins can be avoided by following a regular care routine.
Before having a piercing you should read this information carefully before choosing a piercing. The information should help you decide if the piercing you are wanting is the right one for your personal circumstances.
Once you have made your choice and have had the piercing carried out, you will then be responsible for the good care of it for some time to come.
Hand washing is probably the single most effective action that you can take to care for your piercing is to wash your hands thoroughly before touching it.
Cleaning
There is much debate in the trade and between medical professionals on how best to care for a piercing. The consensus is broken into two main camps: those that advise the application of a cleaning solution and those that don't. This is simplified into 'Bottled' aftercare and 'Routine' aftercare. With both methods, cleaning of the piercing is advocated. Often a combination of both methods proves satisfactory.
Routine Aftercare
See the range of Aftercare for detailed information
http://www.pierceoff.com.au/Products.aspx?ClsID=214
Keep the piercing wound as dry as possible. When showering (once or twice daily), use an antibacterial soap to clean away any dried and crusted material from the jewellery and the wound.
Other kinds of Aftercare Solutions
There are many kinds of prepared aftercare solutions that are widely available.If you are going to use one of these solutions, it is advisable to carry out a patch test before use. Apply a small amount to a dressing and tape this to the inside crease of the elbow. Check after a few hours for any signs of irritation. If irritation occurs, do not use it. Clean warm tap water may be as useful a solution as any.
Preparations to be Avoided
Generally, solutions not recommended for use with a piercing that is still healing, include peroxide and high content alcohol-based antiseptics. These can be too strong and may cause dryness. Most ointments are not recommended as they can prevent oxygen from reaching the wound, and may possibly lead to complications.
Dressings
The continual wearing of a plaster dressing can help protect the wound from infection by outside bacteria, as well as cushioning the piercing from snagging during rigorous phyusical activities. The down side to dressings is that any bacteria already at the site of the wound will be incubated and grow much more quickly than if it had been left to ventilate naturally.
A Normal New Piercing
There is a difference between caring for a conventional wound and a piercing wound. With a conventional wound, the aim is to remove any foreign objects and then quickly re-seal the skin surface. Body piercing aims to trick the body into accepting, rather than rejection, a piece of metal jewellery. The skin forms a tunnel of flesh called a fistula around the jewellery. This takes time and, whilst the wound remains open, it is at risk from outside infections.
Typically, new piercings are tender, itchy and slightly red, and can remain so for a few weeks. A clear odourless fluid, called plasma, will sometimes discharge from the piercing. Often, when pressure is applied to a piercing from clothing or the jewellery is snagged, a whitish-yellow exudation is secreted from the wound. A crust formed from dried plasma and exudation may attach and tighten around the jewellery as it heals, preventing the jewellery from moving. The exudation should not be confused with a pus-like discharge from an infected piercing.
Swelling
Most piercings will swell to some extent. To allow for this, jewellery inserted into your piercing will be longer than the distance between the piercing holes. Occasionally, however, a piercing may swell more than is normally anticipated, and can become painful, often leading to complications.
Removing Jewellery
Many post-piercing complications can be attributed to the early removal of body jewellery. Even though a piercing may appear to have healed on the outside, the inside of the fistula can take several months to form. Replacing jewellery too early can lead to the unhealed fistual becoming damaged, and to an increased possibility of infection.
Sterilising Jewellery
To minimise the possibility of wound infection, all jewellery should be properly sterilised, using a medical autoclave, before it is fitted into a piercing. This also applies to any newly purchase jewellery. Applying boiled water or the flame from a lighter is not a proper sterilisation process.
Healing Times
The period of initial healing is called the period of epithelisation, and varies between individuals. Each piercing is different and the methods of caring should reflect those differences. The piercing wound will heal first around the outside holes, and then gradually, over several months, the centre of the fistula will form.
Here is a general guide for minimum anticipated healing periods. Piercings can sometimes take much longer to heal, occasionally taking over a year.
Ears - Lobe 2 Months
Ears - Cartilage 4 Months
Nose 4 Months
Eyebrow 4 Months
Cheek 4 Months
Lip 3 Months
Tongue 2 Months
Navel 5 Months
Nipple 4 Months
Genital Piercings 3 Months
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