Lip Piercing Aftercare

Former Member

Ok im confused and slightly annoyed now as i havent been given 100% accurate instructions on what i can do!

One piercer says i should use mouthwash and brush reguarly along with salt water. Another piercer says dont use them products. Also one website says dont touch the labret for at least 30 days and another site says i can go to a piercers now and get a special glass retainer specially fitted if i like.

What am i allowed to do?

Edited to say: Thanks, sorry i forgot to say thanks in advance

Former Member

My friend has numerous piercings and swears by saltwater. The idea is to aid the healing process and fight infection, so mouth wash and tcp would work, but I say use saltwater, and make sure to twist it in the first few days regularly :thumb:

Former Member

Uh, no...you should touch it as little as possible and ONLY with clean hands. Dont be sitting there twisting and playing with it, thats not a good plan. :no: That site might say dont touch it for 30days, but you are going to have to touch it to clean it. Just make sure your hands are clean and you dont play with it all the time...that will just irritate it.

Mouth wash is a waste of time, you need something more medical. Mouth wash just masks bad breath etc, it doesnt fight germs. Salt water is good to remove any crusty horribleness from the outside of the piercing. Make up a warm saline solution and dip a cotton bud in it. But you should ask your piercer for advice. Ask them how they cleaned their picerings

Check out http://www.tribalectic.com/Aftercare.asp for more information. Its a good site.

Former Member

Originally posted by draven
Mouth wash is a waste of time, you need something more medical. Mouth wash just masks bad breath etc, it doesnt fight germs. Salt water is good to remove any crusty horribleness from the outside of the piercing. Make up a warm saline solution and dip a cotton bud in it. But you should ask your piercer for advice. Ask them how they cleaned their picerings

mouthwashes generally contain alcohol and are WAY too harsh on a healing piercing.

salt water is easier, cheaper and more gentle. Boil a kettle and dissolve a little salt (preferably pure sea-salt types, but your common or garden salt will also do) in it. leave it to cool til you can tolerate it in your mouth (just hotter than lukewarm) and swish round your mouth. do this 3 times a day and it should heal up nicely.

Former Member

Thanks il take a look at that other site.

Just gotta explain to my employer why iv got it now. One day she said i could have it them the next day i cant. silly woman.

Former Member

Originally posted by kaffrin
mouthwashes generally contain alcohol and are WAY too harsh on a healing piercing.

salt water is easier, cheaper and more gentle. Boil a kettle and dissolve a little salt (preferably pure sea-salt types, but your common or garden salt will also do) in it. leave it to cool til you can tolerate it in your mouth (just hotter than lukewarm) and swish round your mouth. do this 3 times a day and it should heal up nicely.

Ooh, glad i just read this, i had no idea what was the best way to make salt water.

Former Member

you need to clean it twice a day
before you go anywhere near it wash your hands thourighly (sp)

before i cleaned mine, i cleaned my teeth to ensure my mouth was clean too, brushing also my tongue and roof of my mouth-everywhere

clean the piercing with saline solution, i found that a pinch of salt in an eggcup of boiling water was about the right concentration.
when cleaning try not to twist it as this will damage the healing tissue
A cotton bud can be used to remove any pus and scabby bits
After, swish saline solution around your mouth so that it gets into the piercing


I used this method, be strict and it should heal well, just dont fiddle with it!

and dont use mouthwash

i also remember sucking on those antibacterial throat sweets which helped with the pain and may have helped my healing, i wont recommend it but it definatly didnt do mine any harm as mine healed very fast.

ETA, oh and buy a new toothbrush

Former Member

Thanks for the replys, it seems to be doing ok so far. Iv been keeping a strict cleaning pattern and the swelling is nearly gone even though there wernt much to begin with.

Iv gotta go back 2moro and get a smaller bar in by the piercer and after that things should be fine and dandy.

Former Member

Got a tongue and belly piercing. Saltwater is THE THING!