Frequently Asked Questions
Apr 12, 2023
Answers to your common questions
Q. What are the healing times for body piercings?
A. Each area of the body has it's own unique healing period and process. Oral and oral/facial piercings tend to heal the fastest, while others tend to be a bit slower. Generally it has to do with the blood flow to a particular area and as you may imagine cartilage doesn't have anywhere near the blood flow of a tongue or earlobe. Each body also has it's own healing times which have several factors involved, from overall health to immune response. So your friend may heal faster than you, but just remember it isn't a race. Eating well, exercising and keeping your piercing clean and free from contaminants and knocks is certainly a good way to maximise your body's healing potential.
A general guide for approximate healing times is as follows:
- Earlobe 6-8 weeks
- Cartilage 8 weeks to 6 months
- Lip 6-8 weeks
- Labret 6-8 weeks
- Nostril 8 weeks
- Eyebrow 8 weeks
- Tongue 10-21 days
- Septum 8 weeks
- Navel 8 weeks - 6 months
- Nipple 8 weeks - 6 months
- Genitals 8 weeks
Q. Why are piercing guns inadvisable?
A. Piercing guns tend to inflict blunt force trauma on your body, which increases the chance for infection and a difficult healing process. All piercings should be performed with a hollow , surgical steel bevelled needle. This will also reduce the risk of a 'blowout' which is a volcano like build-up of flesh that may cause scar tissue. Not only this but most guns have plastic parts which cannot be properly sterilised increasing the chances of serious bacterial infection and blood borne diseases.
Q. Who should I trust to do my piercings?
A. The best and safest option for any piercing is to go to a professional body piercer. Professional body piercers have proper training and follow the correct health and safety proceedures. They use single use needles that do not damage tissue and high quality body jewellery designed for this purpose. if you are not sure about the piercer you can always ask to see their certification.
Q. How do I stretch my piercing?
A. Stretching a piercing is a gradual process that will take months and sometimes years depending on how large you wish to stretch. It is important to stretch your piercing gauge gradually, allowing plenty of healing time between sizes (normally around 3-4 weeks). If you stretch too fast you increase the risk of damaging the skin around the piercing which may result in scar tissue. Scar tissue can make it very difficult to change gauge and will look like cracking around the hole.
Tapers are the best and easiest way to stretch without any problems. We have a large range in our Stockland Cairns store. You can also use insertion pins to go up one size at a time. Insertion pins are simply lubricated with savlon, soap or oil and the small end is inserted (the same gauge as your current piercing). When it is almost through you simply put the jewellery on the pin and push it through. The pin will then come out and the jewellery will be through.
Q. What is an Autoclave?
A. Autoclaves are used in medical applications to perform sterilisation at high temperatures and increased pressure. They are primarily used by body piercers to sterilise their equipment and remove all traces of bacteria and are sealed into pouches ready ofr use.
Q. I'm pregnant, do I have to take my navel jewellery out?
A. You will simply have to change your navel jewellery to a PTFE type barbell, which is a biologically inert plastic and it will bend as your stomach grows throughout your pregnancy.
If you have any more questions please give us a call
We are more than happy to answer any of your questions. For more information please look at our body piercing page, contact us on (07) 4033 0900 or email us using the link at the bottom of this page. We also offer a free extra piece of body jewellery with every piercing for when it has healed, so come in and take a look at our range or visit our body jewellery page for some great ideas.