You’ve got a brand-new piercing, and your piercer tells you to clean it with saline, not soap and water. Don’t stress—they know their stuff. Saline solution for piercings is gentler, safer, and just plain better for healing. But what makes it the superior choice over good ol’ soap and water? Let’s break it down.
What Is Saline Solution?
Basically, saline is saltwater. But it’s not the kind you’d find at the beach. It’s a carefully balanced mix designed to match your body’s natural salt levels, which makes it the most effective for healing piercings.
How Does it Work on Piercings?
A new piercing is essentially an intentional wound. Ever heard how saltwater is good for a fresh wound? Same principle applies to piercings. Therefore, saline solutions accelerate healing time for your new piercings. It works through osmosis, pulling water out of your cells so it can leave the body. In the process, any bacteria or debris in your piercing wound get carried out too.
A piercer worth their salt (pun totally intended) will tell you to clean your fresh piercing on the regular. For most piercings, that means 2–3 times a day. And remember: follow your piercer’s aftercare instructions like they’re gospel. But heads up: not all saline solutions are created equal.
What Type of Saline Solution Should You Use on Piercings?
You’ve gotta use the right kind of saline, at the right concentration. It needs to match your body’s natural chemistry to help, not hurt. So you should use what your piercer recommends. Anything else could throw off the healing.
Your Piercer Knows Best
Professional piercers recommend saline specifically made for body piercings, like a wound wash saline. This saline typically contains 0.09% sterile saline only—no fillers, no mystery ingredients, nothing to mess with your healing. How do they know? Try years of experience, client stories, and a whole lot of trial and error. Sticking to their aftercare plan also helps them keep tabs on how you’re healing, spot problems early, and point you in the right direction. Start freelancing your aftercare, and you might make things worse, plus your piercer won’t even know where to start fixing it. Moral of the story? Trust your piercer: they know exactly what they’re talking about!
What About Other Types of Saline Solutions?
While there are tons of saline products out there, not all of them are piercing safe. For example: contact lens solution? Hard no. Just because it says “saline” doesn’t mean it’s made for healing new piercings. What’s made for the eyes should stay in the eye zone. Piercing aftercare needs its own thing.
So, what are the Best Saline Solutions on the Market?
The best saline solution for piercings you can find are the ones that are simply made (like that awesome Simply juice). Here’s what to look for:
- ✌️ Two ingredients: Just 0.9% sodium chloride (a.k.a. salt) and water. That’s it.
- 💦Fine mist application: A gentle, touch-free spray helps avoid irritation and keeps bacteria out.
- 🥇Piercer approved: Look for products recommended by pros and medically safe for use.
- 🚫No extra junk: No dyes, moisturizers, or antibacterials—just a clear, clean solution.
- 🏭Factory-made: Commercial solutions are sterile, pH-balanced, shelf-stable, and go through strict quality checks.
- 💎Made for piercings: Not for eyes, sinuses, or random wounds.
Now, these piercing aftercare solutions? Your piercer would 💯 approve:
- Recovery Sterilized Saline Wash Spray
- Recovery Mouth Rinse
- Tattoo Goo Complete Piercing Aftercare Kit
💡 Pro Tip: While gargling with a regular saltwater rinse is cool, using products specifically made for oral piercings is still your best bet for a healthy and well-healed piercing.
How To Apply Saline Solution to Your Piercing
There’s more than one way to do it—what works best depends on where your piercing is and how easy it is to reach. Here are some tried-and-true methods:
- Saline Bath: Fill a clean container with enough solution to fully cover your piercing. Soak for 2–3 minutes.
- Cotton Swab: Dip in saline and gently dab around your piercing. (No scrubbing!)
- Cotton Ball: Soak, then press it to your piercing for 5–10 minutes.
- Saline Spray: Aim, spritz, and let it air dry.
While a saline spray can be left to air dry, it’s a good idea to occasionally follow up with a saline bath or cotton ball soak in warm water to help loosen and rinse away any buildup.
Can You Make Your Own Saline Solution?
Yep, you can. but you’ve gotta get the measurements just right. To safely make a homemade saline solution, mix 1 teaspoon of non-iodized salt and 2 cups of distilled water. You can grab distilled water at the store, or—if you’re feeling extra adventurous—you can make your own.
How to Make Your Own Distilled Water
You’ll need: a large pot with a lid, a small heat-safe bowl, some ice, a stove, and gloves for safety 😉
- Fill the large pot with water, then place the smaller bowl inside (it should float or sit in the middle without touching the bottom).
- Put the pot on the stove and turn up the heat.
- Once the water starts boiling, flip the lid upside down and place it on the pot.
- Add ice to the top of the upside-down lid.
As the steam rises, it’ll hit the cold lid, condense, and drip into the small bowl and voilà, distilled water. Keep it going until you’ve got the amount you need, then turn off the stove. Then, carefully remove the bowl (use gloves!) and store the distilled water in a sealed container.
However, before you get started, keep these safety tips in mind:
- ⚕️Talk to a doctor first: Homemade is cool in a pinch, but a sterile, store-bought solution is usually the safest bet.
- 👾Beware of bacteria: Your mix won’t last forever. After 24 hours (or when it becomes discolored or cloudy), toss it.
- ☠️Don’t drink it: Seriously. It happens. Just… don’t.
Stick to these rules, and you’ll whip up a safe, homemade saline solution, no problem.
Distilled Versus Tap Water
You might be wondering, “Why can’t I just use tap water?” Well, tap water is full of microbes, minerals, and other hitchhikers that can slow down or even harm your piercing’s healing. Even the cleanest tap water can grow bacteria if it sits around.
Distilled water, on the other hand, is bacteriostatic, meaning there’s nothing living in it to mess with your piercing, good or bad. When you mix distilled water with salt, you’re creating a neutral, interference-free saline that can do its job properly without any extra surprises.
Signs Your Saline Is (or Isn’t) Working
So, you’re using the right saline solution exactly how and when your piercer told you to. Now what? Here’s what you should start noticing less of if you’re on the right track:
- Redness & swelling: After a few days, your piercing should look calmer and less irritated.
- Tenderness: The skin around it should gradually feel less achy.
- Clear fluid or crusties: Your body will produce less lymph (those little dried bits) as healing kicks in.
- Skin health: The area should start to look and feel better overall.
But if you’re still dealing with redness, swelling, green or yellow pus, and persistent pain, an infection could be brewing. Get in touch with your piercer right away—they’ll calmly walk you through what to do next.
The Takeaway
Using saline solution for piercings is simple, safe, and hands-down the best way to help them heal right. Sure, there are a ton of brands and concentrations out there—and yes, you can make your own at home. But honestly, your safest bet is a sterile, commercially made option recommended by your piercer. Anything else? Probably not the best “solution” (pun absolutely intended).🥁
Listen to your piercer’s aftercare instructions and follow them like your piercing depends on it… because, well, it kinda does. Do that, and you’ll be well on your way to a healthy, healed piercing.
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