How to Clean a Nipple Piercing: 10 Steps

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How to Clean a Nipple Piercing: 10 Steps
How to Clean a Nipple Piercing: 10 Steps

Video: How to Clean a Nipple Piercing: 10 Steps

Video: How to Clean a Nipple Piercing: 10 Steps
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Nipple piercings are quite popular these days. As stylish as they are, the risk of infection is quite high, especially if you don't take proper cleaning precautions. Wash your hands whenever you touch the piercing and clean it while showering. Also, for the first few weeks, you need to follow some more specific cleaning instructions.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Taking care of the piercing

Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 1
Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 1

Step 1. Wash your hands

It is important to sanitize your hands with antibacterial soap before touching the piercing, even after it has healed. The easiest way to infect the hole is to touch it with dirty hands.

  • Wash your hands thoroughly and rinse them before touching the piercing for any reason.
  • For the first few weeks after piercing, just touch the piercing to clean it.
Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 2
Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 2

Step 2. Remove the shells that form around the open wound

The ideal is to do this in the bath, moistening the skin first. Use a finger or a cotton swab to clean the spot and tear off the cone.

  • Be careful not to over-twist the ring when removing the shell. If you're not careful, you could end up hurting yourself or tearing your piercing.
  • The process requires great care, as the use of force can end up opening a new wound and causing a skin infection.
Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 3
Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 3

Step 3. Prepare a saline solution

Pour ¼ teaspoon of non-iodized sea salt into a glass of warm distilled water. Dissolve the salt and dampen a paper towel in the solution. Apply the paper over the nipple and hold for five to ten minutes, once a day.

  • Another option is to lie on your back and turn the cup over your nipple, creating a seal and letting the area soak. Be careful not to spill the water.
  • Repeat the procedure daily for two weeks. After this period, do only regular cleaning in the bath, leaving the saline solution for when there is any infection or irritation.
  • Use only distilled water, as piped water contains impurities that can promote infection.
  • Another option would be to use sterile gauze with saline solution for cleaning. Look for these gauzes at a pharmacy.
  • Do not use isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or antibiotic ointments.
Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 4
Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 4

Step 4. Avoid contact with the hole

The skin is likely to be sensitive and swollen within the first few weeks. Speed recovery by not tapping or rubbing anything against the nipple.

  • Wear baggy clothes and avoid tight bras. No tight clothes for now!
  • If you need extra protection, try using a nipple patch, the one used by breastfeeding mothers.

Part 2 of 3: Keeping the piercing clean

Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 5
Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 5

Step 1. Bathe with a mild soap

It is important to clean the piercing during baths with white soap. Massage the product gently with your hands, slowly turning the piercing ring. Rinse the area well when finished, as soap residue can cause irritation.

  • Avoid products with perfumes, dyes and other additives that can irritate the skin in its recovery phase.
  • Do not use isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or antibiotic ointments.
Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 6
Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 6

Step 2. Dry the piercing

Use a paper towel to dry the piercing after showering, patting it lightly. Leaving the area wet can promote the emergence of bacteria, especially when wearing tight clothing. Dry the place well before getting dressed.

Use disposable wipes to dry the piercing, as cloth towels can harbor bacteria and cause infection

Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 7
Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 7

Step 3. See a doctor if you suspect an infection

At the first sign of a problem, seek professional assistance, as an infected nipple can cause a lot of problems for you. Some symptoms to look out for:

  • Green or yellow discharge from the piercing.
  • Swelling that lasts for weeks (or disappears and comes back).
  • Redness or excessive pain.
  • Large lump on breast or around nipple.

Part 3 of 3: Choosing the Right Gem

Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 8
Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 8

Step 1. Start with a hoop

Because a nipple piercing can cause swelling, barbell piercings are often uncomfortable at first. The ring is a better option for the first few weeks of the piercing while the skin heals as it can be rotated.

Change the ring to another type of piercing after a few months, if you like. The important thing is to wait for the hole to fully recover before replacement

Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 9
Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 9

Step 2. Choose a sterilized surgical steel jewelry for the first piercing

This way you will avoid infections and speed up the recovery process. The nipple is a sensitive area that needs special care.

Jewelry made of other materials can irritate the hole and cause infection

Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 10
Clean a Nipple Piercing Step 10

Step 3. Ask the drilling professional for help

The person who is going to pierce your nipple must be a licensed professional, with recognized courses and training. Typically, the process is done at stores specializing in tattooing and body art.

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