Angel Bites

How to care for your Lip piercing:

Oral piercings require very diligent cleaning and care in order to prevent infection. The tongue is a great environment for bacterial growth. Therefore, proper cleaning is absolutely essential. Our cleaning recommendations are as follows:

1) CLEAR Mouthwash ~ Use an alcohol and dye free antibacterial mouth wash such as CLEAR CREST or BIOTIEN. Rinse your mouth concentrating on the tongue for 30-60 seconds with solution. Do not use more than 4-5 times daily and use it over intervals spaced throughout the entire day. Examples of when to rinse include but not limited to, morning, directly after every meal, after drinking any beverage, after cigarettes, or even kissing.

2) Antibacterial Soap ~ You need to clean the outside of piercing twice daily (morning and night) with a mild antibacterial soap such as Dial liquid soap. Avoid soaps with fragrances or moisturizers. This is easiest to perform in the shower where it is simple to rinse effectively. Using a Q-tip will help to get into the hard to reach places. It is recommended that you clean the piercing after washing your hair and the rest of your body.

3. Sea Salt Soaks ~ It has recently been discovered that a piercing will heal faster and with less pain if you soak it with a warm sea salt water solution. Dissolve a pinch (1/4 ) teaspoon) sea salt to one cup (8 oz.) water. (Avoid hot water for the first few days.) If you have high blood pressure or heart problems, you will need to eliminate the sea salt, and use only plain warm water rinses. Rinse mouth briefly (30-45 seconds) and absorb a cotton ball to soak the out side of the piercing for at least 2 minutes with the sea salt solution twice a day.

Things to Avoid:

1. No oral sexual contact including French (wet) kissing or oral sex during the entire initial healing period,(6 to 8 weeks).
2. Avoid chewing on gum, tobacco, fingernails, pencils, sunglasses, etc., during healing. Don't share plates, cups or eating utensils. Reducing smoking or quitting is highly advisable when healing an oral piercing. Smoking increases risks and can lengthen the healing time. Avoid undue stress and recreational drug usage.
3. Stay away from aspirin, large amounts of caffeine, and alcoholic beverages for the first several days. Alcoholic beverages include all beer, wine and hard liquor. These can cause additional swelling, bleeding and discomfort.
4. Do not play with the piercing for the initial healing time beyond the necessary movement for speaking and eating. The mouth with stands a lot of trauma from normal speaking and eating. Try to avoid disturbances such as actively playing with the jewelry, Undue stress on the piercing can cause the formation of unsightly and uncomfortable scar tissue, migration and other complications.
5. Even after healing, excessive play with oral jewelry can result in permanent damage to teeth, gums, and oral structures.

What is normal?

1. Swelling of the area is perfectly normal during the first part of healing an oral piercing. The majority of the swelling usually lasts for only 3-5 days. An over the counter, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such as Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.) taken according to package instructions can reduce discomfort, and it can also help to diminish swelling the first few days. Any new piercing can bleed off and on for a few days. There can also be some bleeding under the surface resulting in temporary bruising or discoloration. This is perfectly normal and not indicative of any complication.
2. The outside of the piercing may become somewhat red or pink during healing and this is normal.
3. Some tenderness or discomfort in the area of a new piercing is not unusual. You may feel aching, pinching, tightness or other unpleasant sensations off and on for several days or longer.
4. Don't be alarmed if you see a clear, white or yellowish secretion coming from the piercing. This is blood plasma, lymph and dead cells which is perfectly normal. All healing piercings secrete, This is not pus, but indicates a healing piercing.
5. Leave your jewelry in at all times. Even healed oral piercings can shrink or close in minutes even after having been there for years!
6. If infection does occur, do not immediately remove the jewelry. When the jewelry is removed the piercing will close very quickly trapping the infection in the body. Leaving the jewelry in until you can see a physician allows for drainage and reduces complications such as an abscess.

If infection does occur, do not immediately remove the jewelry. When the jewelry is removed the piercing will close very quickly trapping the infection in the body. Leaving the jewelry in until you can see a physician allows for drainage and reduces complications such as an abscess.

Healing times

6 months to 1 year

However, if the piercing is healing well you can usually change the jewelry in 6 to 8 weeks as long as you replace the jewelry immediately after removing the original piece. Lubricate any screw as not to scratch the walls of your new piercing.

Helpful Hints

Try to sleep with your head propped up on pillows during the first few nights of healing; keeping your head above your heart will help to avoid much initial overnight swelling.

Check twice daily with clean hands to be sure the threaded ends on your jewelry are on tight.

Replace your toothbrush and make sure to keep it clean so that everything that goes into your mouth is hygienic while you are healing. A sensitive type of toothpaste may be less irritating to your mouth during healing rather than a usual, stronger variety.

Be cautious about opening your mouth wide when you eat, as this can result in the backing of the jewelry catching on your teeth. Take small bites and chew slowly at first.

Get enough sleep and eat a nutritious diet. The healthier your lifestyle, the easier it will be for your piercing to heal.

KEEP IN MIND!

Carry a spare ball in their wallet or purse. This is particularly advisable if you wear non-metallic balls such as acrylic, which is more fragile. If you break or lose a ball, a small piece of clean pencil eraser can be press-fit onto the post as an emergency measure to keep the jewelry from coming out until a replacement can be obtained.

Try to focus on keeping your tongue level in your mouth to avoid biting on the jewelry as you eat. Your mouth is likely to feel uncoordinated at first, but this will pass.

Try eating small bites of solid foods by placing food directly onto the molars with clean fingers or a fork. Food that is already in the back of the mouth doesn't have to get moved there by your tongue.

Gently brush your tongue and jewelry when you are healing. Once healed brush tongue and jewelry thoroughly to keep plaque away.