This guide is based upon the combined recommendations of the Association of Professional Piercers (APP); and Elayne Angel, author of The Piercing Bible and expert in the field of genital piercings.
Now that you’ve got your new genital piercing, it’s up to you to ensure it’s given the absolute best opportunity to heal. Most genital piercings heal relatively quickly when a proper aftercare regime is followed. The steps are simple:
Keep fingers and other potentially contaminated items away from the piercing. The only exception to this will be when you’re checking your threaded ends (with clean or gloved hands) for tightness daily.
Clean the area 3-5 times per day, including after trips to the bathroom. Avoid using soap directly on the piercing itself. Instead, use a saline solution with fine mist to remove any buildup or debris and pat dry with a clean disposable paper product. You may then follow up with a light spray of Briotech (keep scrolling for info and instructions on using Briotech).
BE GENTLE. We recommend avoiding sexual contact altogether while you heal, however, for those that choose to partake, do your best to avoid trauma and ALWAYS use protection (even in monogamous relationships). *No exceptions for oral sexual contact, which should be avoided completely until healed. If your partner also has a genital piercing(s), be wary of incidental snags (ouch!)
Use a new container of water-based lubricant for any sexual activity; NEVER use saliva. Perform a thorough cleanse after each encounter.
Avoid swimming/submerging your piercing in any body of water throughout the entire healing period; this includes pools, hot tubs, lakes, oceans, etc.)
Avoid tight-fitting clothing with hard seams that may rub and cause irritation. Snug, cotton underwear and loose comfortable bottoms are a winning combination!
Some piercings may bleed freely within the initial few days (especially ampallangs, apadravyas, prince alberts, and triangles). Wearing a leak-proof gauze wrap, pad or pantyliner can help prevent seepage through your clothing; and the use of cool compresses can help reduce the bleeding itself.
Avoid activities that could cause pain or irritation to the delicate new healing tissue (i.e. cycling, gymnastics, martial arts or horseback riding).
Leave your initial jewelry in place. If the jewelry itself is causing you discomfort, visit your piercer for help replacing it with a quality, sterile alternative.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! If there are certain activities that you want to try while healing, make sure that you don’t ignore the cues your body gives you. If something causes pain or irritation, it’s probably best to stop until you’ve completed the entire healing process.
If you like, you can perform compresses to help soothe, reduce inflammation, and facilitate healing. Regardless of the type of compress used, ensure that a clean barrier is placed between it and the new piercing in order to avoid bacterial contamination.
Cold Compresses
A cold compress can be performed within the initial 48 hours to help reduce inflammation/bleeding and soothe discomfort. It should be left on the piercing no longer than 10 minutes and not reapplied until at least an hour has passed. Adding a bit of water to a sealable bag containing ice can help it conform to your body.
Warm Compresses
A warm compress should only be used after the initial 48 hours, and only once bleeding has stopped completely. This can help to facilitate healing and may also soothe discomfort. We recommend using a dry or saline-soak non-woven gauze that is warm (not hot) to touch. You can heat dry gauze by placing it into a bowl of hot water while still inside its foil packet. For a wet compress, saturate the gauze pad directly in a fresh warm saline solution. Perform this compress for 10-15 minutes, 2-3 times per day as desired. Do NOT use an electric heating pad.
Briotech Topical Skin Spray
“BRIOHOCL ™ IS A HIGHLY PURIFIED FORMULATION OF HYPOCHLOROUS ACID, WHICH IMMUNE CELLS PRODUCE NATURALLY TO KILL MICROBES.” — NIH, NATIONAL INSITUTES OF HEALTH https://www.brioglobal.com/science
“Briotech’s active ingredient is a mild solution of saline with hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a broad-spectrum antimicrobial that is actually produced by the body as part of the normal response to injury. Briotech works by replicating and supporting this natural immune function. HOCl kills bacteria (including antibiotic resistant “superbug” strains like MRSA and VRE), viruses, and fungi, without harming delicate healing tissue. It even deactivates Bacillus spores in just 30 seconds! (We use these spores to test autoclave sterilizers because they’re so hardy!)
The inactive ingredients in Briotech are simply 99.08% electrolyzed water, and .9% NaCl (also called normal saline, sodium chloride, and isotonic saline), making it environmentally friendly, vegan, natural, hypoallergenic, and free of fragrances, oils, parabens, sulfates, and other irritants.
A remarkable advantage of hypochlorous acid (at this proper concentration and pH) is that it is totally benign, non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-cytotoxic (doesn’t kill cells), unlike many other cleaning products.”
“Gently shake the bottle, apply 1-2 squirts of the mist, and air dry or pat dry with clean, disposable paper products (no rinsing). Recommended use 3-5 times daily“
– www.thepiercingbible.com