FAQs

Why only Saline?

Sterile saline is a mixture of water & sodium chloride: Sterile Isotonic @ 9MG/ML it is the same ratio that is naturally found in our bodies and therefore mimics the natural amounts our bodies produce. Neilmed saline is sterile & pre made meaning there is little to no chance of cross contamination.

Making your own salt solution is never sterile nor the right ph or saline % to safely clean a piercing wound. It is often made too harsh.

Sterile saline is readily available and can be found in most pharmacies and online: we highly recommend Neilmed Piercing Mist. This can be purchased in the studio and on our e-commerce store. It is priced at £10

If buying any saline solutions online please ensure you are just buying sterile saline solution with nothing added or preservatives.

The piercing should be cleaned once daily after a shower: this will ensure any debris is softened and easily & gently wiped away with non woven gauze or kitchen roll

Once debis is removed, the area should be patted dry or dried with a clean paper towel/ kitchen roll. Absorbing excess moisture on a healing piercing is a very important part of the aftercare routine to ensure your piercing does not suffer from moisture lumps & bumps

Keeping piercings dry, clean and left alone unless cleaning them is incredibly important


WHY NOT PEROXIDE,TCP,SURGICAL SPIRITS/TEA TREE ETC?

Harsh chemicals will burn the tissue and strip the tissue of healthy bacteria and natural oils. Harsh chemicals & Alcohol should never be used on fresh puncture wounds. the body needs healthy bacteria to facilitate healing. Heavy creams and ointmets can clog up the piercing site allowing bacteria to breed and stop oxygen getting to the piercing site which it needs to facilitate healing.

why cant i adjust or twist the piercing?

This will cause irritation and introduce bacteria to the piercing site. Twisting a piercing will cause trauma to the site and damage the internal fistula causing the piercing to become delayed in its healing.

WHY CANT I SLEEP ON MY FRESH PIERCING?

Pressure from a slept on piercing will cause irritation and delay healing. This may also cause your piercings to heal on an angle. Travel pillows & donut shaped pillows are an excellent way to get comfortable. We recommend visiting us around the 4 - 6 weeks for a check up and downsize to ensure your piercing is healing well and to answer any queries you may have.

WHY CANT I USE HOMEMADE SALT WATER?

The mixture will never be sterile and the ratio will not be the reommended amount. Rock, pink or sea salt is usually bleached or trated with additives which is not healthy for your healing piercing

WHY DO I NEED TO HAVE MY INITIAL JEWELLERY/POST/LABRET DOWNSIZED?

The initial post is designed to accomodate any initial swelling you may experience with a fresh piercing. Once swelling has subsided then the post should be switched out for a shorter one. Downsize times can vary from person to person and are different for each specific piercing: your body piercer will inform you at the time of your appointment when is a recommended time to stop by for a downsize. We usually recommend a check up around the 4-6 week mark. Downsizes help prevent movement and ensures the post isn’t knocked or banged or caught which can cause irritation and slow down healing. If you think your post is too long or too short please pop in and see us. We are always happy to check and change if needed. Once fully healed the post should be shortned to the size which is most comfortable for the anatomy. We charge £10 for our downsize labrets.

Healing Times

  • Lobe: 6-12 weeks

  • Ear Cartilage: 6-12 months

  • Oral Pierings: 6-12 weeks

  • Nostril: 4-6 Months

  • Facial Piericngs: 3-6 Months

  • Nipple: 3 - 6 months

  • Navel: 6-12 Months

    All healing times are an estimated guideline & can vary from client to client. Please ensure to visit us for your recommended jewellery downsize: An estimated time will be given at the time of your piercing appointment.

    If you have any questions or queries please reach out: hello@theowlandthepussycatpiercing.com

Troubleshooting

Most piercings can have a series of flare ups: quite often in cartilage piercings: on the ear and nostril.

Lobe piercings can also suffer from moisture bumps: these are usually lumps & bumps on the exit and entry site of the piercing: ensuring the area is kept dry is incredibly important, always dry hair thoroughly, do not leave wet hair behind the ears, dry the area with kitchen paper after showers or water based activities

Piercing irritation tends to be in the form of a granuloma/irritation bump: this is an unsightly lump of trapped fluid usually found in the entry and exit site of a piercing

Granulomas tend not to be painful unless the area is knocked or banged, or trapped fluid has dried, and formed a crust that is pulling on the piercing site. The causes the piercing fistula to tear, crust is then pulled inside the piercing fistula. Granulomas are usually just unsightly. Never pick or try and pop a granuloma as this usually makes them worse.

The most common causes of granulomas include:

  • Not properly drying your piercing after cleaning

  • A knock or bang

  • sleeping on a piercing

  • picking, touching or twisting a piercing

  • resting headphones and mobile phones on a piercing

  • undercleaning

  • overcleaning or cleaning with the wrong aftercare: teatree, TCP, surgical spirit etc

  • changing jewellery too soon

  • jewllery that is too long/short

  • poor quality jewellery

  • stress, illness, medication, a lifestyle change,

  • face masks, unclean face masks resting on the piercing site causing pressure on the piercing

Granulomas although annoying & unsightly are quite simple to treat and reduce

Heat compressions are an excellent remedy for irritation bumps

This must be done daily so that the fluid gradually is drained out of the Piercing, leaving a dry, empty sack which will flake off naturally. Depending on the size of the granuloma we usually advise a daily heat compression of between 7-21 days.

Helpful Tips:

  • Always ensure your hands are cleaned thoroughly prior to touching your piercing

  • Taking a daily multivitamin which includes Vitamin C & Zinc can help boost your immune system and facilitate healing. Alongside this try and up your daily fluid intake. Drinking plenty of water can do your piercings a world of good. Also ensuring you are having a adequate amount of sleep & maintaining a healthy lifestyle

  • There should always be adequate room on your piercing jewellery throughout the initial healing process. However its really important to pop in for a jewellery downsize once you are healed as longer jewellery in a healed piercing can cause further trapped fluid issues and alter the placement of the piercing fistula.

  • Alternatively if you think your jewellery could be too short, please pop in where we will be more than happy to assist.

How to:

We advise using heated up saline solution or saline wipes:

heat up saline solution on clean cotton pads in a microwave or place saline pads in hot boiled water. Place these on the affected area for around 10-15 minutes

Always ensure that the affected area is dried thoroughly with kitchen roll after compression. Leaving the area wet can cause further issues as any moisture to the area can cause redness, chapped and sore.

Continue daily for the recommended time.

For piercings with excessive trapped fluid which are suffering from a moisture issue a dry heat compression should be used: this can be perfromed by wrapping heat pads, heatable wheat bags or small hot water bottles in a clean cotton towel and applying to the affected area twice daily: please ensure you follow the manufacturers guidelines when heating up pads or water bottles

For more help or advice regarding troublesome piercings please reach out