First remove any dressing that has been applied after an hour or
two.
Do not re-cover the piercing except in exceptional circumstances
i.e. if working in a very dirty/dusty environment.
Only touch your piercing with clean hands and even then as little
as possible during the healing stage. Unless you have just washed your hands with
antibacterial soap they will carry dirt and germs which could infect your piercing, even
if they look clean.
It is very important to clean your piercing daily according to the
instructions given by your piercer. We recommend using a mild salt solution (or sterile
contact lens saline solution) and a clean cotton bud. Always wash your hands first! Gently
clean away any discharge or deposits from around the piercing site. Do not attempt to move
the jewellery for the first few days.
To start with you need to clean the piercing between two and four
times daily depending on how much discharge is being produced. Over cleaning can lead to
dryness and irritation whereas under cleaning will almost certainly lead to infection and
possibly rejection.
When the piercing becomes loose enough on its own for the jewellery
to move you should clean both sides of the piercing and then gently turn the ring through
the piercing and clean the part of the jewellery thats is normally inside. Make sure there
are no deposits on the ring before you attempt to turn it.
If you have a barbell clean one side first and then slide it gently
through the piercing so that you can properly clean the other end of the bar. Now push the
other end back in and clean the first side again.
Be careful of what you wear on, over or near your piercing as
anything that irritates or rubs it will prolong the healing time and increase the
probability of rejection as well as making the healing period
sore. Tight jeans or waist bands and belt buckles are the main culprits of navel piercing
problems.
Stick to the cleaning routine until the piercing is completed
healed i.e. no more discharge and return to it if the piercing should flare up for any
reason in the future.