It is a fact that you must take good care of your body piercing so that you can heal comfortably and avoid infections.
If you are not a LITHA follower, you can avail of a variety of antibacterial products to keep your piercing clean and this includes antibacterial products that prevent infection. Let us take a look at the most commonly used products:
• Iodine based antibacterial products like Betadine or Triadine are branded products. But these are not for new piercing, especially those above your neck because the iodine content in it can irritate the piercing.
Surgeons usually use Betadine and other iodine-based antibacterial products before a surgery particularly on skin that is not broken. Since Betadine is for external use only, using it on a fresh piercing can make the skin sensitive to it and cause contact dermatitis.
• There are iodine solutions that could contain citrus acid which can also irritate the new piercing like Hibiclens.
• Professional piercers are recommending liquid soaps that contain Triclosan because it cleans new piercings gently and effectively. But do not use Palmolive dish washing liquid which also contains Triclosan for your piercings! 😉
• Liquid antibacterial soaps like Dial, Nutragina, SoftSoap, Johnson and Johnson products are considered good and do clean the piercing properly. But be cautious about the fragrances or colors used in these products as they might cause skin irritations!
• Clearly Natural soap contains very little iodine and also Provon with Chloroxylenol, which could be more effective than other anti bacterial products.
• If you have an ear, nostril, septum, lip or cheek piercing, then you will need the active ingredient Benzethonium Chloride 0.13% which you can find in a product called Sensitive Ears.
• Some people consider alcohol a good cleaning agent but it causes severe inflammations so avoid alcohol!
• When you use saline soaks, remember to wash it off with plain water.
• Avoid Bactine, which is only for minor injuries, not piercings!
Apart from the above, there are plenty of home remedies that you can make and use. The popular herbs used here are Chamomile, Goldenseal, etc. that are said to be very effective!