i got my lip pierced 6 days ago. where i got it done was totally clean with new needles and... all the good stuff.. I got a centred lip piercing with a ring that has a ball on each end.
the piercing was doing great, minimum swelling, minimum pain, until this morning.. When i woke up, it was red around the inside hole. There is white stuff around it, but not very much. I know that's normal. But the red is what worries me. It doesn't really hurt at all, and it's not itchy or burning like i've heard people describe with an infected piercing.
Could it just be irritated and not infected? I really don't want to take it out after only 6 days. Could i be overcleaning or undercleaning?
I rinse it with sea salt when i wake up and after every meal. I use alcohal free mouthwash when i brush my teeth before bed and in the morning.
I was considering switching jewelery, but I don't have anythng else to put in it and there's no where in my town to buy anything and i can't travel to the piercer just for another ring - it's too far.
What should I do?
Your aftercare is not good for your piercing. Salt water is harsh and it dries out the tissues. Please look in our section called Blackstar Aftercare for the method we use for our clients.
We do not want you to lose your piercing and will work with you to resolve your problems. The jewellery is not too bad depending on the diameter, is the jewellery snug around your lip or is there some gap. If its snug then this may be part of the problem as it may be putting pressure on the lip. The white stuff is from the excessive salt water useage so please stop using it.
The redness is from irritation not infection so please do not worry about that.
Follow our aftercare and you should have a healthy piercing soon.
My body is pretty sensitive to things like this, I can't wear any cheap jewelery in my ears. I actually only bought the ring because the piercer suggested it. i only paid a few bucks for it. I thought maybe i was just having a reaction to it.
Everywhere else i read suggest sea salt. My friend uses contact lense stuff on her lip ring. is that a good idea? I'd never heard of it, but that's what her piercer told her to use.
The ring is 14g, and isn't at all tight. It has swelled a bit since then but the ring still has plenty of room.
Should i just switch my cleaning methods?
I really don't wanna lose it :(
From the pictures that you send, your jewellery is a good diameter, it leaves enough room for the swelling. Though we do not use circular barbells to pierce with your piercing looks good.
The cheap jewellery may be part of your problem, as it may have nickel content and this could be irritating your skin. If possible find out if this is implant grade surgical stainless steel (316L or 316LVM). The 14 gauge is the same gauge that we use for lip piercings so that it not a problem.
Please STOP using the salt water as this is the main reason for the white stuff surrounding the piercing inside. The tissues are delicate and the salt water is harsh and its irritating the tissues. With respect to contact solution... DO NOT USE IT!
Contact solution is made to remove specific proteins from the contact lenses. This is what the product was made for, not cleaning a lip. Your friend's piercer is not professional because to use products like contact solution to clean piercings is irresponsible.
You are now almost two weeks into your piercing aftercare and if you look at our aftercare section, you will notice that your aftercare is just about complete. Aftercare is to kickstar the body to do the healing, the more products you use, the longer it will be before you heal as all this hinders more than assists.
You do not have to use mouthwash anymore, and you just have to use soap and water on your face as you would normally do as if you did not have the piercing. Do not move the ring, leave it alone.
Write back in a couple of weeks as to your progress.
