Nipple piercings always take a long time to heal than the commonly observed body piercings. So, if it’s necessary to take care of the wound, you must scroll ahead. As you go through the blog, you can check out how you can clean the nipple piercings, and what you should follow during the healing process. We would also be discussing the way in which you can change the nipple ring, stretch the nipple piercings, and seek a solution to nipple piercing problems.
Read Also: 13 Considerations For A Nipple Piercing
Contents
What Should You Know Before You Get Nipples Pierced?
When you are well prepared for getting nipple piercings, you should know that the wound takes around 9 to 12 months to heal. In order to avoid the risk of infection, you should avoid piercing the area with a jewelry piece.
If you are women with swollen breasts, then it’s advisable to get the nipples pierced between the menstrual cycles. But, if you’re pregnant, then you should wait for some time to get the nipples pierced. Additionally, you are always prone to a nipple piercing infection if the breasts are developing and seem to be swollen due to milk.
When it comes to choosing a jewelry piece, you should purchase straight or bent barbells. Always check the size of the barbells because longer barbells always get entangled with the apparel. In case the barbells get snagged, it may cause bleeding and entry of bacteria that can affect the immune system.
Nipple Piercing Aftercare – Do’s and Dont’s
Apart from keeping the area clean, it is always better to follow some aftercare instructions.
What Do You need to Follow?
In order to improve the quality of sleep, you should always consume nutritious foodstuffs and drink lots of water. A change in your eating habits can boost the immune system and help the area to heal at a faster rate.
Avoid touching the nipple piercing as much as you can. It’s important to dress carefully because the barbells are likely to tear the fistulas and increase bleeding as well as infection. If irritation is disturbing you, then you should take care of the wound till the issue subsides.
When you are maintaining good hygiene, you should keep the area clean and rinse it three to six times in a day. Think about dabbing the area with a sea salt solution during the initial months of the healing process. Follow the tip continuously till the nipple piercing is completely healed.
What Shouldn’t you Follow?
During the first few weeks, you should not take aspirin, drink excess alcohol or coffee. Such things actually make the blood thin and make it tough to form blood clots.
If you have been smoking frequently, then you should try to quit the bad habit. Nicotine present in cigarettes slows down the healing process and may prolong the time span for the process. Try using nicotine patches, gum, or an E-cigarette so that you would be able to reduce the daily nicotine intake. As you reduce the consumption, you would be able to overcome mood swings and control cravings.
While you are cleaning the nipples, you should not apply cleaning solutions or soap. Cleaning agents that contain alcohol can dry down and lead to cracks and skin infection. But, it’s completely fine if the nipples get wet due to soapy water or when you are enjoying a shower.
Raise your hand if someone is trying to touch the nipples. The germs on the fingers can aggravate the infection and may increase the time for the healing process.
Never twist or slide the nipple rings because the dried lymph can break down and affect the wound. However, if you need to break the lymph, then you can use an aftercare spray for softening them. Once everything is done, you should clean the softened crusties with a tissue or a cotton swab.
Never think about applying a cream or an ointment to the nipple piercings. Such products can clog the fistulas and enhance the infection. If the skin becomes dry, then you can add a little bit of tea tree oil to the sea salt solution and later the follow the instructions. Diluting the solution with the oil is always a safer alternative than applying moisturizer directly the affected area.
Never be hasty in changing the jewelry. After three or six months, you can visit the expert and check out whether it’s safe to change the barbells. If the person suggests you to wait for nine months, then you shouldn’t argue. In case the expert tells you to replace the ring quickly, and then think about a replacement after 12 months. Since the fistulas become strong, it’s is quite easier to change the nipple rings after one year.
Steps for Cleaning the Nipple Piercings
Nipple piercings can always be cleaned with a sea salt solution. Alternatively, you can think about spraying saline so that the dirt is driven away, and the crusties become softer.
For the first few months, you can dab the affected area with a sea salt solution at least twice in a day. If you face any problem later, then you can increase the frequency of soaking the area till the issue subsides.
For a sea salt solution, you need to fill a small container with saline wash, push yourself forward and dip the nipple into the solution. After 5 minutes, you should throw the solution, refill the container with saline wash, and continue soaking the other nipple.
In case you hardly have the time, you can treat the piercings with cotton balls soaked in saline wash. Try using a couple of cotton balls till the area becomes completely wet with the solution.
For preparing the sea salt solution, you would need a cup of sterile water, a quarter teaspoon of sea salt, and two to three drops of tea tree oil. If you can’t source sterile water, then you should fill the container with tap water, boil it for some minutes, and allow it to settle down for some time.
Make sure you don’t use table salt because iodine can actually affect the nipple piercings. If the skin becomes dry, then you can use tea tree oil for moisturizing the area and reducing the skin infection.
In case thick, yellowish pus oozes out from the nipple, then consider using an antiseptic as you proceed with the daily cleaning routine. Antiseptic piercing treatments should be carried out at least once during the day. But, you should treat the area only after sea salt solution soak.
Steps for Changing Nipple Rings
You can always request the expert to replace the barbells when three to nine months pass away. But, if you want to know the exact time, then it depends on the swelling. You may need to leave the set of barbells, but prolonged pressure can lead to tissue damage which results into skin infection.
Soon after 3 months, you can insist for piercing closely-fitting barbells which are less likely to get entangled with clothes. At this instance, you can plan to change the trinket that might irritate the fistulas.
After a year, it’s safe to change the nipple rings and try using circular barbells, straight barbells or something that’s more comfortable. But, make sure you buy the rings of the same width as the earlier ones.
When you are purchasing new rings, you should buy a piercing taper and think about a drop of a water-based lubricant towards the end. Once you insert the ring on ht threaded end, you should push it out and place the new one. This is surely an easy way to replace the rings whenever you are doing the task.
After you boast nipple piercing for at least a year, you can try stretching them by massaging the area with emu oil. This actually makes the skin elastic and helps to insert the nipple rings.
For doing the job in a better way, some people may use a few small weights, two S-hooks, and captive rings. The stretching process might be painful, but weights attached to hooks can help to stretch the rings easily.
Finally, if you observe a hypertrophic scar around the area, you can treat it with jojoba oil or scar therapy gel. Once the affected area is healed, you can massage it with a little bit of oil or silicone gel.
