Download full Soda Pop Aftercare booklet

Aftercare for
Body Piercings

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for choosing Soda Pop Piercing, and congratulations on your new body piercing!

We understand that while the procedure itself may seem like the hardest part, the true challenge lies in the healing process. At Soda Pop, we are committed to your well-being, which is why we have prepared this comprehensive Aftercare and Jewelry User’s Manual. It will serve as your guide to successfully navigate the healing process of your piercing and maintain the beauty of your new jewelry.

OUR APPROACH TO HEALING

At Soda Pop Piercing, we believe in the power of your body’s natural healing abilities. Our philosophy is simple: let your body do its job!

The key to a successful piercing lies in your commitment to an effective aftercare regimen. Neglecting your piercing or engaging in habits that irritate it can hinder the healing process. It is crucial to allow your body to heal undisturbed, enabling its natural healing process to take place.

We want to assure you that chemicals alone will not heal your piercing; it is your body that holds that ability. Therefore, we do not recommend the use of harsh chemicals, soaps, essential oils, or ointments. Based on extensive research and experience, we have found that such strong chemicals can be counterproductive and delay the healing process. Instead, our aftercare approach relies on body-neutral wound wash saline, which has proven to be highly effective.

Additionally, it is important to rinse your piercing with fresh, warm water once daily while you are in the shower. This will help loosen any hard crusty matter that may have formed on the jewelry. After your shower, remember to perform a saline cleaning as described above. And while we completely understand that showers or baths are not a part of everyone’s daily routine, we do want to stress that keeping discharge from building up on your jewelry is very important for the healing of your piercing(s). Do your best to clean the piercing and jewelry, even if you forgo everything else!

SPECIFICS FOR ORAL PIERCINGS

If you have an oral piercing, there are some additional guidelines to consider:

Reduce swelling: Cold temperatures can be soothing for swelling. Drinking ice water can be helpful in this regard.
Sleep with elevation: To further alleviate swelling, consider elevating your head with an extra pillow while sleeping.
Avoid sharing bodily fluids: it is crucial to avoid any activities that could result in someone else’s body fluids coming in contact with your piercing. This includes sharing food or beverages with others.
Rinse your mouth regularly: You should rinse your mouth out with filtered or bottled water on a regular basis to keep the piercing clean and freefrom debris. Rinsing a few times daily with a gentle mouthwash is okay, but resist the urge to overdo it.

PART ONE:

AFTERCARE

The Soda Pop Piercing Simple Cleaning Guide

To ensure the proper care of your piercing, we recommend following these steps 2-3 times per day:

Step One:

Thoroughly wash your hands before touching your piercings.

Step Two:

Using Neilmed Aftercare solution or a generic saline wound wash, gently spray the entrance and exit holes of your piercing

Step Three:

With the help of cotton swabs or non-woven gauze soaked in saline, carefully wipe away any crusty discharge from the jewelry. Use a new swab for each piercing.

Step Four:

Pat the piercing dry with cotton swabs or non-woven gauze.

DOWNSIZING IN 6 - 8 WEEKS

To ensure a comfortable healing process and prevent damage to your piercing channel, initial jewelry is often chosen by your piercer to accommodate swelling. However, once the swelling reduces, wearing excessively long jewelry can cause the piercing to “drift,” altering its angle and placement permanently. To prevent this, we advise scheduling a downsize appointment 6-8 weeks after your initial piercing, particularly for piercings with straight jewelry. Unsure if a downsize is necessary? Contact Soda Pop Piercing for guidance.

Leave Your Jewelry In!

A healed piercing doesn’t necessarily mean a permanent piercing. It is important to leave your jewelry in at all times and consult your piercer before considering any jewelry changes.

Tips And Tricks

Clean bedding for ear and facial piercings: We highly recommend using a clean t-shirt over your pillow, which can be changed regularly until your pillowcase is washed. This practice helps prevent complications.

Ear piercing and sleep: If you have an ear piercing, using a travel pillow can help you avoid direct pressure on the piercing while sleeping.
After bathing: Make sure the piercing area is completely dry after bathing by using clean paper towels, gauze, or air drying.
Reduce swelling: Cold temperatures can be soothing for swelling. Drinking ice water can be helpful in this regard.
Sleep with elevation: To further alleviate swelling, consider elevating your head with an extra pillow while sleeping.
Avoid sharing bodily fluids: it is crucial to avoid any activities that could result in someone else’s body fluids coming in contact with your piercing. This includes sharing food or beverages with others.
Rinse your mouth regularly: You should rinse your mouth out with filtered or bottled water on a regular basis to keep the piercing clean and freefrom debris. Rinsing a few times daily with a gentle mouthwash is okay, but resist the urge to overdo it.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Most issues with piercings are not related to infection. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Soda Pop for free consultations whenever you have the slightest concern about your piercing. We are here to help, but we can only do so if we hear from you. Please contact us!

WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL ASSISTANCE

While infection is rare, it is crucial to seek professional medical assistance at the first sign of infection. Symptoms to watch out for include sudden onset of swelling, excessive bleeding, discharge of yellow, green, or dark-colored fluid. Some redness is normal, but excessive redness and/or red stripes extending from the piercing site indicate serious problems. Additionally, if you experience fever, upset stomach, dizziness, or vomiting, these may be signs of infection. Should any of these symptoms occur, please contact a doctor or medical professional immediately.

BLOOD DONATION INFORMATION

According to the American Red Cross, donating blood after receiving a fresh piercing is acceptable if the instruments used were single-use and disposable. You must wait three months if a piercing was performed using any reusable instrument. At Soda Pop Piercing we exclusively do our procedures with sterile, single use and disposable equipment. So you will be good to donate anytime after your piercing. However laws can vary from state to state so make sure to check with your local health agency prior to donating. We are happy to help you with any paperwork you may need and can send it digitally to you.

WHAT TO AVOID

To ensure the successful healing of your piercing, please avoid the following:

Touching with unwashed hands: It is crucial to refrain from touching your piercing with unwashed hands. Contamination from dirty hands can lead to infections.
Removing jewelry during healing: Unless specifically instructed by a medical professional, do not remove your jewelry during the healing process. Even fully healed piercings may shrink, potentially resulting in the loss of the piercing.
Contact with cosmetics: Avoid allowing makeup, health and beauty products, suntan lotion, or any other cosmetics to come into contact with the piercing site or jewelry.
Harsh chemicals and “natural” aftercare products: We strongly discourage the use of harsh chemicals or “natural” aftercare products such as essential oils or emu oil. We recommend using only 0.9% saline solution for proper aftercare.
Swimming while healing: It is important to refrain from swimming during the initial healing period of your new piercing. Swimming can lead to infections or irritation.
Rotating or twisting jewelry: Avoid rotating, twisting, or turning the jewelry while your piercing is healing. Doing so can cause damage to the piercing channel.
Going to sleep with wet hair: When wet hair lies against your piercing for extended periods, the excess moisture can cause irritation issues.

PART TWO:

JEWELRY

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR PURCHASE OF JEWELRY FROM SODA POP PIERCING!

Our commitment to excellence means that you now possess a piece of jewelry that meets our stringent standards. Here’s what you can expect from your jewelry:

Materials That Meet Association of Professional Piercers Initial Jewelry Standards: Your jewelry has been crafted using safe, implant grade titanium and steel. We prioritize your well-being and have carefully selected additional materials such as 14 karat or higher gold, platinum, niobium, or glass, known for their compatibility with the body. This ensures that your jewelry minimizes the risk of adverse reactions or complications.
Pristine Mirror Finish and Design: Every piece of jewelry from Soda Pop has been polished to perfection, resulting in a pristine, mirror finish. The design of your jewelry has been created by piercers or in collaboration with them, ensuring both comfort and compatibility with your piercing site. We strive to provide you with jewelry that not only looks stunning but also feels comfortable to wear.

Skilled Gemstone Setting: If you have chosen jewelry with jemstones, rest assured that they have been meticulously set by skilled jewelers. The gemstone settings are guaranteed to be free from any manufacturer’s defects, ensuring the durability and longevity of your jewelry.

Stringent Quality Control: At Soda Pop Piercing, we take quality seriously. Our piercers often personally inspect the production facilities of our jewelry manufacturers to ensure that only the highest quality and safest jewelry reaches our valued clients. We prioritize your safety and satisfaction by maintaining strict quality control measures.

JEWELRY MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP

While your Soda Pop Piercing jewelry is of the highest quality, it does require some simple upkeep and maintenance to ensure its longevity. Here are a few key points to remember:

• Keep Ends Securely Attached: While we make every effort to ensure that your jewelry is securely attached during installation, it is your responsibility to keep the ends tightly secured on the shaft. Regularly check your jewelry to ensure that all parts are securely fastened. This will prevent any accidental loosening or detachment of the ends.

• Your Role in Maintenance: As a proud owner of high quality jewelry, you play an essential role in maintaining its integrity. Handle your jewelry with care, avoid excessive pulling or tugging, and follow our provided aftercare instructions to keep it in optimal condition.

By adhering to these simple maintenance practices, you can enjoy your high-end Soda Pop Piercing jewelry for years to come.

USING AN INSERTION TAPER

An insertion taper is a useful tool for guiding jewelry into a piercing. Follow these steps to properly use an insertion taper:

Hand Hygiene: begin by thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water. If available, you can also wear disposable gloves for added cleanliness.
Clean the Insertion Taper: clean the insertion taper itself to ensure it is free from any dirt or contaminants. You can either wash it with soap and water or wipe it thoroughly with 70% isopropyl alcohol.
Clean the Piercing Site: typically, this involves using soap and water, but it is advisable to contact Soda Pop for site-specific cleaning instructions if necessary.
Guiding the Taper: gently guide the thin part of the taper through the channel of the piercing. A lubricant like Surgilube can be helpful. This process should not cause any pain or discomfort. However, if you experience any discomfort during the taper insertion, immediately remove the taper and seek assistance from a piercer.
Following Through With the Jewelry: follow the taper with the jewelry piece. If the jewelry is threaded, screw it onto the taper completely, ensuring a secure fit. If the jewelry is threadless, align it against the taper using the link portion and push it in until it fits snugly.
Ornament Attachment: refer to the instructions provided for threaded or threadless jewelry on the proceeding pages to correctly attach the ornament to your jewelry post. Follow the specific guidelines to ensure a proper and secure fit.

Remember, tapers should only be used on one person. Sharing tapers or body jewelry can pose a risk of infection or disease transfer. Prioritize your health and well-being by avoiding such practices.

Step One: Cleaning the skin, jewelry, and taper.

Step Two: Put on gloves; nitrile is preferred (latex free).

Step Three: Connect your jewelry to the taper by pressure or threading.

Step Four: Gently guide the lubricated taper through the piercing channel - don’t force it!

Insert jewelry

Remove taper

Attach end

Using Tools on Your Jewelry

It’s important to exercise caution when using tools to tighten ends or open rings, as they can potentially damage the jewelry. Whenever possible, consider wrapping tools such as hemostats or ring openers with sterile bandages to minimize metal-on-metal contact, which can result in scratches or other damage. Damaged jewelry may require replacement. If you’re unsure about using tools on your jewelry, it’s recommended to seek an in-person tutorial from the piercing staff at Soda Pop Piercing for safe jewelry insertion and removal techniques.

Gemstone Maintenance

The gemstones sold at Soda Pop are meticulously hand-set by highly skilled jewelers in the body jewelry industry. To protect this investment and maintain the beauty of your gemstones, it’s important to follow proper care practices. Prong-set gemstones can become cloudy if makeup is applied near the gemstone, and healing crusty material can also find its way into prong-set gemstones if proper aftercare is not followed. Many customers enjoy having multiple pieces of jewelry, allowing them to change their jewelry based on their mood and clean their jewelry at home while wearing something else. For cleaning, a small Jewelry Ultrasonic is a great option, but it’s important to note that not all gemstones should be cleaned in an ultrasonic. Before cleaning your own jewelry, please contact your piercer for guidance and recommendations specific to your jewelry.

Anodized Jewelry

Titanium and niobium jewelry can undergo a process called anodization, which changes its color and offers a unique appearance. However, it’s important to understand that anodization may gradually fade over time. The longevity of the color on anodized jewelry can vary depending on factors such as the size and shape of the jewelry and the wearer’s lifestyle.