Note: Our opinions should not be considered medical advice. Please consult your doctor if you have any medical questions or concerns.

Care

Good care is important for beautiful and healthy ears. You will enjoy your new ear holes particularly much if you treat them well and take care of them regularly after piercing. Statistics show that most infections or problems occur after piercing due to improper care or lack thereof. These care instructions will help you support the healing process and avoid complications.

• Only touch the earring or ear with clean hands.
• Clean the ears from the front and back of the ear by applying Studex Ear Care Solution, Antisept or disinfectant to the new hole at least twice a day, without removing the earrings from the ear. Rotate the earrings 2 - 3 times through 180° (half turn) to the left and right. Make sure your hair does not wrap around the pousette (clasp).

What should you avoid?

• Do not unnecessarily remove or touch the earring.
• Do not push the pousette too close to your ear. The pousette should always be at the back of the earring to ensure adequate air circulation. There is a notch for the optimal position of the pousette.

What can YOU do, to improve the healing process?

• Leave initial earrings in the earlobe for at least 6-8 weeks without removing them.
• Be careful to avoid allergic reactions by wearing cheap earrings that are not made of surgical steel or a precious metal like silver or gold.

Beware!

Leave the earring in the ear for 6 weeks uninterrupted. After this period, you may take the earring out and replace it with another earring that should also be worn constantly.

For the first 6 months after putting the earring in, we recommend wearing only light ear studs. The stud should be made of surgical stainless steel or another skin-friendly material.

Inflamed ?

You can prevent infections after piercing earholes if you choose sterile piercing earrings and take care of your earholes regularly. Also make sure not to press the closure of the earrings (butterfly clasp) tighter. Leave the clasp in the notch of the pricker and check the correct position every time you clean the ear. When the clasp is in the notch, enough air can reach the ear hole, which promotes the healing process.

After piercing ear holes, it is hugely important that you follow our aftercare instructions.

If your ear holes are fully healed and you still find it difficult to tolerate new earrings from other manufacturers, you may have an allergic reaction to that material. In this case, we recommend you take off those earrings and use STUDEX Advanced until the infection disappears. After that, you can choose skin-friendly earrings that you know you can tolerate. Always choose materials that are good for you.

Even with ear holes that have healed for a long time and that you have never had any problems with, infection can still occur. This can happen due to small cracks that can be caused, for example, by your earrings getting caught when taking off or putting on clothes. In this case, you can also use STUDEX® Advanced to care for your ears. It is then best to switch to small prick earrings for a while.

A slight swelling and/or redness may occur immediately after piercing the ear hole. This is a normal reaction and should disappear within 48 hours, provided you follow the aftercare instructions correctly.

In case of excessive pain, swelling and/or redness, you should consult a doctor immediately.

Over the next few days, your piercing will be somewhat sensitive and/or sore. After a few days, the worst pain should be gone.

During the healing process, the titanium jewel should not be removed unless there is an allergic reaction. The healing time depends on the piercing and the person. Also, how your general health is plays into this process.

What NOT to do?

• Do NOT clean with alcohol.
• Avoid putting pressure on your new piercing and do not sleep on it. Not even if the piercing feels healed. Putting pressure on your piercing can make it grow crooked and cause irritation bubbles.
• Do not fiddle or twist the jewels
• Do not tape piercings with plasters. These put pressure on the wound and close off the skin. This increases the risk of inflammation.
• Avoid contact with swimming water and do not use a sunbed or sauna for the first 6 weeks. This is to prevent infection.
• Be careful with hair products.

What TO DO.

• Wash your hands before touching your piercing
• Clean the piercing twice a day with a sterile saline solution. Do this by washing your hands with antibacterial soap. Shake the saline solution well and spray the solution on a cotton bud. Pass this swab along the piercing holes.
• Stubborn scabs can be carefully removed with a wet cotton swab. Be careful not to touch the jewel too much.

What to do in case of swelling?

• A piece of jewellery should always have space, even in case of swelling. If the swelling is too great, a longer rod should be placed. Do not do this yourself.
• Come back on time for your downsize (after 6 to 8 weeks).

What about moisture bumps?

If you suffer from a moisture bump near your piercing, it is advisable to take measures for this so that the bump disappears. You can find more info on what you can do here.

How long does healing take?

Cartilage heals more slowly than soft tissue piercings. You should expect a healing period of at least 9 months or even longer.

An oral piercing usually heals a lot faster than any other piercing. however, this does not mean it cannot irritate or inflame.

Immediately after piercing, the pierced area may swell considerably. If the bar is too short, the risk of infection and complications is greater. So keep a close eye on whether there is enough space. Should the piercing become too tight, contact us as soon as possible to have another rod pierced.

Swelling is normal during the first week. The tissue may be slightly bleeding bruised and sensitive. A slight discharge of white-yellow wound fluid is also normal. Healing time varies from piercing to piercing and from person to person and depends on any complications that may arise. Do not remove the piercing during the healing process unless an allergic reaction occurs. This will prevent infection and closure of the hole.

However, for the most successful healing process, it is important to follow the guidelines below.

What NOT to do?

• Wash your hands before touching your piercing.
• Avoid soft drinks, dairy products spicy, overly hot food and drinks due to swelling and risk of infection.
• Verwijder het sieraad nooit zelf. Neem bij extreme roodheid, zwelling, bloeding of uitgroeiverschijnselen contact met ex Altera of de huisarts.
• For lip piercings, avoid cosmetics and beauty products during healing due to risk of infection.
• Do not play with the piercing, try to avoid movement of the gem as much as possible.
• 4 to 8 weeks NOT bathe, swim, go under the sunbed or into the sauna.

What should you do?

• A painkiller can help with pain in the first week.
• Brush teeth regularly and use CHX-based mouthwash if necessary.
• Leave your piercing in place throughout the healing process.
• Be careful while exercising.
• Come back in time for your downsize.

What in case of infection?

In case of infection, it is recommended to rinse your mouth with a mouthwash containing 0.05% to 0.2% chlorhexidine (CHX). If pain, redness, swelling, warmth and possibly wound fluid persist, contact your doctor. Your piercing may need to be removed.

Downsizing

Have the long rod replaced with a shorter one when the swelling has gone down AND the wound has healed. A tongue piercing should not touch your gums when talking or eating. Placing a well-fitting jewellery prevents damage to teeth and gums. For a lip or tongue piercing, it is recommended to have a shorter rod placed after 2 to 3 weeks.

TONGPIERCING

Swelling in a tongue piercing is normal. A tongue can swell thickly very quickly. By evening, the tongue will be at its maximum swelling. After a day or 2, you will still have a thick tongue. The swelling will be gone after about 2 weeks.

The first 2 days you may also have a lisping tongue.

Tips on tongue piercing

• For post-operative pain and swelling from a tongue piercing, ice cubes can bring relief. Let the ice cube melt on the tongue.
• When your tongue is very swollen and hurts a lot, which lasts a long time, it is recommended to go back to the piercer. The piercer will inspect your tongue and may or may not refer you to a doctor.

LIP PIERCING

Tips for a lip piercing

• With a smiley or frowny piercing, it is very important to lift the jewellery while brushing your teeth so that you do not brush hard over it. Take care when biting off hard food (e.g. apples/breads)

Average healing time per piercing:

1. tong: 2- 8 weken
2. tongweb: 2-8 weken
3. smiley/frowney: 2-6 weken
4. labret: 2-3 maanden
5. medusa: 3-6 maanden
6. monroe/madonna: 2-3 maanden

Your just-placed piercing will be sensitive or slightly sore for the next few days. After a few days, the worst pain should be gone. If you continue to experience prolonged pain, consult eX Altera.

During the healing time, the placed titanium jewellery should not be removed unless there is an allergic reaction. The healing time varies per piercing and per person. Your general health and condition play a role in this. We recommend you leave the first piece of jewellery in place for at least 2-4 months.

Nostril piercings heal slower than piercings that are set in somewhat softer tissue (with better blood flow). You should therefore often allow for a healing period of at least 4-9 months.

For the best possible healing, it is advisable to adhere to the following rules:

• Wash your hands before touching your piercing.
• Clean the piercing with a saline solution twice a day. Do this by washing your hands with an antibacterial soap. Shake the saline solution well and spray it on a cotton bud. Run this swab along the piercing holes. Do not rotate the jewellery.
• If you want to wear a septum piercing inside, you need to clean it first. Carefully slide the piece of jewellery backwards over the thickening in your nose. Do not wear the jewellery inside for the entire healing process.
• Take care with make-up and day cream, this should stay 3-5cm away from the hole. Sunscreen and other cosmetic products should also not be applied near the piercing.
• Do not tape the piercing with plasters. A plaster puts pressure on the wound and closes off the skin. This increases the risk of inflammation.
• For the first 6 weeks, avoid contact with swimming water and do not use tanning beds or steam baths/sauna. This is to prevent infection.
• Do not drip wound disinfectant on the wound. This is too violent for the healing tissue and keeps the wound open unnecessarily long.
• A new piercing always swells a little. If your jewellery has become too tight, come and see us. A piece of jewellery should always give the cartilage room to swell, but should also not be so long that you can easily snag it. Always have your piercing changed by the piercer, do not do this yourself.
• We place the nose piercing with a ring or rod. When the current jewellery gives irritation/pressure, it is wise to change it to another jewellery. Always have your piercing changed by the piercer, do not do this yourself. Changing is a fiddly job, and you often create more damage yourself.
• With nostril piercings, you may experience a moisture bump. This is a red blister near the hole of your piercing. A fluid bump is often confused with a cartilage infection. However, an inflammation should be treated differently than just a fluid bump. Are you experiencing excessive swelling, hypersensitivity, extreme redness and pus from the wound? If so, contact your piercer, or GP, right away. In most cases, the jewellery needs to be changed for a longer one, and an antibiotic ointment (e.g. Terramycin) is required. Do not remove the jewellery to prevent encapsulation of an infection.
• If you suffer from a moisture bump on your piercing, it is advisable to take measures against it so that the bump is gone as soon as possible.

Healing times:
Septum 2-4 maanden
Nostril   4-9 maanden

The just-placed piercing will be sensitive or slightly painful for the next few days. After a few days, the worst pain should be gone. During the piercing process, a deep wound is created that needs time to heal. How quickly this wound heals depends on the location of the piercing and the quality of aftercare.

For the best possible healing, it is advisable to adhere to the following rules.

What Is NOTAllowed!

• Touch the piercing with hands as little as possible.
• For the first two months, avoid contact with swimming water and do not use tanning beds or steam baths/sauna. This is to prevent infection.
• Do not drip wound disinfectant on the wound.
• Make sure no cream, body lotion, make-up or other care products get into the wound.
• Do not wear plasters over the piercing to allow the wound to breathe properly. If necessary, please get in touch to ask about options such as work or sports.
• Do not wear tight or dirty clothing over the piercing to avoid friction, irritation and inflammation.
• Never remove the piercing yourself, ask the piercer for help or contact him for appropriate advice. This also applies when caring for it or if you get tired of the piercing again, for example.

What IS Required!

• Wash hands before touching the piercing.
• Clean the piercing with a saline solution twice a day. Do this by washing your hands with an antibacterial soap. Shake the saline solution well and spray it on a cotton bud. Run this swab along the piercing holes. Do not rotate the jewellery but move with the length of the rod.
• Make sure the piercing stays as dry as possible.

You may notice a white or translucent discharge in the first few days after piercing. Don't worry, this is a normal reaction! A green discharge, on the other hand, is not good (pus). White flakes may also appear around the piercing. This too is a normal reaction. It comes from the milk glands in the nipples and can last a lifetime.

Tips on nipple piercings

• While sleeping and exercising, make sure you wear a tight top that does not pinch too much under the breasts because, of course, you still want to maintain good circulation and sleep well.
• Also wear a tighter top/shirt during the day. This ensures that there is as little friction as possible against your piercing and piercings are held firmly against your body, so they do not get caught on something so easily, but also that they do not move too much.
• Also, always make sure the piercing is against something clean. It is an open wound, whether you see it or not (because the holes are usually very small) and you should treat it that way. Libresse micro panty liners offer a solution for this (in the ladies' case). For men, wearing a shirt under your clothes is a good idea. Then make sure you put on a clean shirt every day.
What are symptoms of an inflamed nipple piercing?
• Green pus comes out of the nipple
• Breasts and nipples hurt
• Redness develops around the nipples
• Clear swelling can be seen-and felt

If you experience these symptoms, contact a GP immediately.




NAVELPIERCING

Tips on navelpiercings

• It is also important to keep your navel piercing dry, especially after showering. You can go over your navel piercing with a hair dryer to dry it as non-contact as possible.
• Probeer niet te veel te prutsen met een wattenstaafje.
• We do not recommend swimming with a navel piercing for the first 6 weeks. Stagnant water (with chlorine) is not good for your piercing and the healing process.
• It is best not to wear trousers that come just to your navel, otherwise there will be too much pressure on the jewel. High-waist jeans that come above your navel or low-rise jeans that come below your navel are totally okay though!

Average healing times body piercings:

nipple: 9-12 maanden
navel: 9-12 maanden
eyebrow: 3-6 maanden
bridge: 3-6 maanden
sideburn: 4-9 maanden

Over the next few days, your piercing will be somewhat sensitive and/or sore. After a few days, the worst pain should be gone. If you continue to experience prolonged pain, consult eX Altera.

During the healing period, the placed titanium jewellery may not be removed, unless there is an allergic reaction. The healing time varies per piercing and per person. Your general health and condition play a role in this.

We recommend you leave the first piece of jewellery in place for at least 2-3 months.

Piercings in your earlobe usually heal fairly quickly and easily. Keep in mind a healing time between 2-3 months. Sometimes the healing time can be longer if your hole is already more towards the cartilage edge.

As an aftercare method, we recommend saline solution or using a mild antibacterial soap.

For the best possible healing, it is advisable to adhere to the following rules:

• Wash your hands before touching your piercing
• Avoid pressure on your new piercing and do not sleep on it. Not even if the piercing feels healed. Putting pressure on your piercing can make it grow crooked and cause irritation bubbles.
• Clean the pericing twice a day with a sterile saline solution. Do this by washing your hands with antibacterial soap. Shake the saline solution well and spray the solution on a cotton bud. Pass this swab along the piercing holes.
• Stubborn scabs can be carefully removed with a wet cotton swab. Be careful not to touch the jewel too much.
• Do not fiddle or twist the jewel.
• When shooting earlobe holes with a shooting gun, close the earring with a butterfly backing. Then take great care not to let dirt build up on this backing. Pass it well with a cotton swab with saline solution daily to remove excess wound fluid.
• When shooting earlobe holes with a stud gun; make sure you have enough space left in the jewellery. A shooting earring has two 'positions'. So keep an eye that it is not too tight.
• For the first 2 months, avoid contact with swimming water and do not use a sunbed or steam baths/sauna. This is to prevent infection.
• Do not drip wound disinfection on the wound. This is too violent for the healing tissue and keeps the wound open for an unnecessarily long time.
• In case of inflammation or keloid, we will refer you to your GP. You are always welcome to come to us for advice!

If so, contact your piercer right away. In most cases, the jewellery needs to be changed for a longer one, and antibiotic treatment is sometimes required. Do not remove the jewellery to prevent encapsulation of an infection. A new cartilage piercing often results in a small fluid bump. Very annoying, but fortunately fixable! In most cases, a cartilage lump is a small bacterial infection and can be caused by too much pressure while sleeping, or poor care. Here are tips and tricks to prevent, and remedy, moisture bumps!

• Try not to lie on your piercing while you sleep. Not even if your piercing feels "healed". Your freshly set piercing is very fragile, and cannot take the weight of your head all night. Besides fluid bumps, the pressure can also cause the piercing to grow crooked, and this is very difficult to reverse. Are you a wild sleeper and can't manage not to lie on your piercing? Consider buying a travel pillow, or another pillow with a hole in it. If you can put your ear in the hole of the pillow, there is no pressure on it, and your piercing will be a lot happier!
• Have the jewellery changed to a (different size) rod. A ring can give a lot of pressure when sleeping, and moves a lot more than a rod. So in some cases, it helps to change your jewellery to a bar. If you already have a bar, it might be too long or too short. A piece of jewellery should always have room to swell, but should also not be so long that you can easily snag it. Always have your piercing changed by the piercer, do not do this yourself. Changing is a fiddly job, and you often create more damage yourself.
• Clean it twice a day with saline solution. Saline not only disinfects the wound, it also dries it out. Besides the cleaning spray we sell, you can also try making (sea) salt solution yourself, and soak your ear in it. That way, the lump will dry out even faster. Don't do this more often than once a day, and only if you are suffering from an irritated piercing or a moist bump. Drying out too much can also be counterproductive.
• Try our antibacterial spray. This spray contains a very small percentage of alcohol and chlorhexidine, and is therefore a bit stronger than saline alone.
• Try a Silicone Healing Discs (or: no pull disc). Placing a silicone disc helps distribute the pressure, and is less sharp for the wound. Make sure you keep these discs clean, though, as they leave dirt behind much faster than a standard piercing. So if your piercing is still an open wound, or pus often comes out, a healing disc is not a good plan. Also, make sure that the jewellery, with the discs, still has enough space. So always have the disc placed by your piercer.
• Proper healing always depends on your general health. By drinking enough water and being healthy, your skin will be healthier, and you will heal faster. So take good care of yourself!

If you have had your piercing for a longer time, and continue to be bothered by a lump, it is possible that it has become scar tissue. Should this be the case, in many cases it needs to be removed by your doctor. People with darker skin are more likely to have this so-called keloid. So don't wait too long to treat your cartilage piercing if you notice a lump developing.

A fluid bump is often confused with a cartilage inflammation. However, an inflammation should be treated differently than just a moisture bump. Do you experience excessive swelling, hypersensitivity, extreme redness and pus from the wound?

In principle, the dermal can be placed anywhere. Body parts that can be bumped often, such as arms, wrists and hands, are not recommended. Too much bumping increases the risk of irritation, inflammation and outgrowth. Folds (between the breasts, elbow sockets) are also not suitable because the skin is always in motion there.

The implant quickly grows under the skin. Removal is done via the GP. In case of extreme redness or pain, swelling, bleeding, pus, colour change, outgrowth or rejection symptoms, always contact Ex Altera or your docter.

The piercing should be considered a wound and treated as such.

For the best and fastest possible healing, the following rules should be observed:

• Wash your hands before touching your piercing.
• Wash the dermal 2x daily with an antibacterial spray or saline solution. Then gently pat it dry.
• Do not drip alcohol or Sterilon on the wound.
• Do not smear ointment, Vaseline or Sterilon on the wound.
• Leave a plaster on your dermal 24/7 for the first week after the piercing.
• After the first week, you only need to cover the dermal at night.
• After this, the daily care starts: go under the edges of the piercing with a wet (lint-free) gauze every day to keep it clean.
• After the first 6 weeks, massage the dermal as follows: Place a (clean) finger on the dermal. gently make a circular motion with light pressure. This reduces the formation of scar tissue and ensures that it heals nice and flat against the body. Even after healing, it is advisable to keep doing this regularly. This way, the dermal will remain nice and flat on the skin.
• The healing time is about 8-12 weeks with proper care.
• Give it plenty of rest and avoid bumps. (Be careful with sports.)
• Avoid contact with swimming water and do not bathe or go to the sauna during the healing period.

New earlobe piercings take 4 to 6 weeks to fully heal. Stretched piercings take longer. If you enlarge your earlobes by a full size at once, the minimum healing time is one and a half times the original healing time of your earlobes. After 6 to 8 weeks, small cracks or other irritations caused by stretching should be healed, provided you follow proper aftercare.

• Aftercare

Stretching a piercing requires both preparation and special aftercare. One to two weeks before you start stretching a healed piercing, you can massage your earlobes at least twice a day with oil (e.g. castor) . This promotes the natural elasticity of the skin, making it easier to fit a jewellery in a larger size.

After stretching your earlobes, follow the same aftercare routine as for a fresh piercing. Spray your earlobes twice a day, both front and back, with a saline solution such as Otzi Solution Antibacterienne or Cleany Skin Reinigingsspray.

If the skin around your pierced piercing becomes dry or cracked, you can add Tea Tree Oil to your aftercare routine. Mix 2 to 3 drops of Tea Tree Oil with sea salt solution or add a small drop to a cotton ball soaked with saline. Never apply Tea Tree Oil directly to your earlobes, as it is very potent and should always be diluted with a saline solution or another caring oil.

Problems

1. Stretching too fast and too far can cause microscopic cracks on the inside of your earlobe piercing, also known as the fistula. These tiny cracks make you more susceptible to infection. This is why it is important to stretch slowly and not go up more than one size at a time. If you stretch too aggressively and try to increase several sizes at a time, you can cause larger cracks. In severe cases, these cracks may even require stitches.
2. Another problem that can occur with stretching too fast and too far is a blowout. This is extreme swelling of the fistula, making it look like your piercing has been turned inside out. To treat a blowout, go back to a smaller size piece of jewellery and apply proper aftercare while the tissue recovers. Add Tea Tree Oil to your aftercare routine, as described earlier. Tea Tree Oil has natural antiseptic properties that help prevent infections.