Care for a Lip Piercing

Like all other forms of body art, be it piercings, or tattoos, the easy part is enduring it, the hard part is taking care of it until it heals completely. I know what it's like to take care of something so susceptible to an infection, that it requires days or even weeks of constant care and attention. For those who haven't had the experience of going under the needle, so to speak, in getting a tattoo done, or haven't been through a pin-shot wound by a piercing gun, are in for some news. First off, to be able to withstand pain brought on by a piercing/tattoo artist, deserves nothing less than grand kudos. Now your job is to make sure you care enough to have it all taken care of and in shape, during the healing time. So for those of you who want to know exactly how to care for a lip piercing, those details will be revealed to you here.

Types of Lip Piercings

Cultures that fell under the Precolumbian bracket of South America, wore lip piercings called tembeta, and is also a well known tradition among the African tribes, who have more decorative and intriguing looking jewelry covering their lips/faces. Not all piercings have to be adorned on the lip portion of one's mouth, and can be anywhere around the oral region, close enough to the mouth. So before we get into care for a lip piercing, here's your guide to some of the most common, and sort after kinds of body piercing.

Medusa Piercing
This form of upper lip piercing, falls in the space between your nostrils, and your upper lip, where the philtrum dent is. Find out more about the weird and shocking on, facial piercings list.

Snake Bites Piercing
This kind of piercing is done on either side of one's lower lip, at each corner, to look like bites done from a snake. Find out here, about lip piercing cost.

Vertical Labret Piercing
This piercing enters the middle of the lower lip, exits the mouth from within, re-piercing the skin from the inside, and exiting from the inside out of the mouth, on the lower part of the lip line.

Horizontal Labret Piercing
This labret piercing, lies in a straight line across one's lip, entering one part of the lip, and exiting from the other, at the center. This is also done on the chin, in the same manner, much like that of a 'venom bite' piercing. Look here for some ideas on lip piercing jewelry.

Madonna/Monroe Piercing
A Madonna piercing is another name for the Monroe piercing, since both women have beauty spots nestled into one side of the upper lip. A piercing done on either side of the lip on the upper corners, resembles a beauty spot much like that of Madonna and Marilyn.

Spider Bites Piercing
This piercing is like the snake bite and labret combined, where the piercings are placed on either corners of the lower lip line, and one in the center. Sometimes this is done using only two piercings, or lip rings side by side, entering and exiting the lower lip. This can also be done on the tongue for that matter.

Dahlia Piercing
The dahlia piercing is done where the mouth lifts, in a say a smile, where these two points have a piercing each, usually in studs.

Lip Piercing Care Tips

Caring for a lip piercing is not easy, and you need to be extremely careful when handling the healing of your wound around the piercing punctures. It takes a period of about 6 - 10 weeks for lip piercing healing, and if taken care of in the right way, can help steer you away from a lip piercing infection. Experiencing things like bleeding, pain, redness, peeling and so on, is natural during the healing process. Here's how you can use the following lip piercing care, to have yourself showing off that fancy body art - scar and infection free.

1. Use a saline solution, to gently soak your mouth into twice a day.
2. Avoid smoking or drinking / eating at least three hours from when the piercing was inserted.
3. Make sure your mouth is clean after you eat / drink or do something to invite bacteria.
4. Brush teeth regularly.
5. It is advisable to stay away from alcohol or cigarettes, until the wound has healed.
6. Try eating cold foods often, and avoid anything hot / pungent. It will help to reduce the pain and swelling, and quicken healing time.
7. Keep chemicals away from the piercing wound.
8. Make sure your hands are clean before touching the piercing area.
9. Do not attempt to remove the piercing ring / stud, since wounds can close fast. Putting them back on will just worsen the wound.
10. My piercing artist tells me to always turn piercing rings around, or in and out if using a labret sort of piercing, to let it move more freely.
11. Suck on anti inflammatory lozenges, to lessen the chances of an infection, or swelling.
12. If you experience any extreme signs of pain or swelling that doesn't pass for days, then you need to go back to your piercing artist and get it checked out.
13. Avoid wiping your face swiftly with a towel or cloth, since this can snag your piercing.
14. Use anti bacterial cream or soap, and gently dab it around the wound twice a day, to remove any foreign elements stuck around it (do not use anything alcohol based).

With these tips on care for a lip piercing, I'm sure you'll have no trouble at all, if you follow the above mentioned care advice. Should you experience any problems, like I said, please go back to the place you got it done in, and have him/her look it over. Always go to someone you trust, that has a hygienic and safe way of doing piercings. Stay safe.

Nose Piercing Bump Treatment

Today, nose piercing is one of the most popular form of body piercing. It makes a unique style statement that help you to stand out in the crowd. On an average, nose piercing healing is around 2 to 4 months. During this period, bumps may develop at the site of piercing. With proper nose piercing aftercare, the chances of such bumps can be reduced to a great extent. However, sometimes, despite all efforts, they may develop. If you start nose piercing bump treatment early, it ensures faster healing and reduce the chances of further complications.

Causes Behind Nose Piercing Bump

There are a number of factors that can lead to formation of nose piercing bumps. Some of them are as follows:

• Some people have the tendency to touch the newly pierced hole again and again. When it is done with unwashed hands, then dirt and bacteria comes in contact with the area and causes infection. As a result, red, pus-filled bumps may develop after sometime which are very painful.
• Improper piercing technique can be responsible for nose piercing infection. This happens when an inexperienced or non-professional piercer uses unsterilized equipment for piercing the nose.
• Using the wrong type of nose piercing jewelry is one of the main cause of bump formation. If the nose ring is very small, then the hole can get choked easily resulting in hard but painless bump.
• Wearing of a poor quality nose ring or jewelry can be responsible for this kind of problem. Inexpensive nose rings have rough surfaces which get rubbed in against the delicate skin of newly pierced hole, forming bumps.
• If the nose jewelry is changed or removed a number of times when the nostril piercing has not healed properly, then also there is chance of such bumps.

How to Heal Piercing Bumps at Home

When you first discover a bump around the piercing hole of your nose, check out if it looks like a boil or pimple. Such bumps are quite common and can be easily treated at home. Try seal salt treatment on it. First of all, wash your hands properly with antibacterial soap. Then take some soap on a cotton ball and clean up the area surrounding the piercing hole with this cotton. Now, pour some boiling water in a wide bowl and add 2 teaspoons of sea salt in it. When the water is lukewarm, place your nostril into the solution for 5-10 minutes. Finally, rinse off to remove the salt from the area and apply an antibiotic ointment on it. I know it is not very comfortable for you to dip your nostril into water but, trust me, it works wonders on the infection. It dissolves out the pus inside the bump and will provide you much needed relief.

Hot compression with chamomile tea bags is another effective home treatment used for this purpose. Take some warm water and dip a tea bag into it till it becomes warm. Then place the tea bag on the bump for 10 minutes. This should be done twice a day for best results. For faster recovery, you can use both sea salt soak and chamomile tea alternately.

If the bump is hard and refuses to go, then you can use tea tree oil on it. Dilute one drop of tea tree oil with a suitable carrier oil like olive oil. Take this mixture of oils on a cotton bud and apply it on the bump. It should be used twice daily. Tea tree oil has strong antiseptic properties that can fight off the infection really well. However, it may cause skin irritation. So, do not use directly on the skin.

Nose Piercing Bump Treatment

The home treatments discussed in the previous section should show desired results in 3-4 days. If it does not happen, then it could be a serious issue and it requires medical attention. When you visit your doctor, the will first try to treat an infection with oral as well as topical antibiotic medicines. Sometimes, to facilitate draining out of the bump, doctors remove the jewelry and insert a wick into the hole. However, you should not try removal of the jewelry on your own. This can aggravate the infection. You may feel a strong urge to pop of squeeze the bump with your fingers, but you should not do so. For a hard lump, doctors recommend corticosteroid therapy where the bump is softened and flattened with the help of steroid injections and topical creams. Collagen injections, skin resurfacing and dermabrasion are the other techniques that are popularly used to reduce the piercing bump. There is a serious type of dark colored piercing bump known as keloid which are bigger than usual bumps. These bumps cannot be treated with any medicines. It has to be removed surgically.

Hope you have clearly understood about the various methods of nose piercing bump treatment. If you take a few precautionary measures then you can prevent formation of such bumps. You have to keep the pierced area clean. However, too much of cleaning is not good. Make sure your hands are clean before you touch the area. Use jewelry made of pure metals such as gold or titanium on the newly pierced hole.

Belly Button Piercing Infection

A bare belly always looks sensuous. This sensuousness increases when the belly button is pierced and the sparkle on the belly button catches your eye. There are many dangers and risks of belly button piercing. If proper care is not taken after a belly button piercing, it can lead to belly button piercing infection. The steps to prevent the infection are not difficult. Always disinfect the pierced area after swimming, exercising and also after having a bath everyday. Pat dry the area, so that no trace of water remains. When you move the navel ring, do so gently. Do not move the ring to often. If you move the ring often it can aggravate the wound.

Belly Button Piercing Infection: Signs
Belly button piercing infection generally does not go unnoticed. Belly button infections are caused due to bacteria and fungi. If inappropriate methods are used for piercing, or if the hands of the piercer were dirty, or if any kind of pollutant comes in contact with the wound, such as polluted water, it can lead to infectious diseases.

The signs of belly button piercing infection are:

• The first sign of infection is pain.
• The pain can be accompanied by swelling.
• Redness around the piercing is also a symptom of an infection. You must pay heed to this sign as it's one of the primary indications of the start of a very painful infection, which you would have preferred to do without.
• The pierced area can feel hot to touch.
• The wound in its initial stage releases a fluid commonly called puss, this stage is called cellulitis. In the advanced stages of infection the piercing wound begins to bleed along with a yellowish-green discharge. This is a sign of sepsis-septicemia.
• If you do not tend to the infection in time, there is a possibility of the formation of an abscess, etc. An abscess if not treated in time, can also prove to be fatal.
• In some cases the infection can spread to the entire abdomen, at times also leading to abdomen infection and food poisoning.

Belly Button Piercing Infection: Treatment
If your belly button piercing has an infection, do not neglect the symptoms, have yourself examined by a physician immediately. Some of the treatments, which can be used for belly button piercing infection are...

• The first step in the belly button piercing infection treatment is to use alcohol to clean the infection. It acts as a disinfectant.
• The next step in the treatment is to remove the belly ring which you are wearing, however, if there is pus discharge, do not remove the ring. If you remove the ring the pus will not drain out completely, as the hole will get closed and this can lead to the formation of an abscess.
• If there is pus discharge or an abscess formation, oral antibiotics are prescribed. However, in rare cases surgical help might be required to remove the abscess.
• Antiseptic creams which are available over the counter can be used. This line of treatment works only in case of mild infection.
• If the pus is not draining from the wound, use a hot compress, it will help increase blood circulation to the affected area. Before you use the hot compress disinfect the container properly. Dip the compress in a solution of hot water and table-salt. The hot water and table-salt solution will disinfect the compress and will also help in disinfecting the wound.
• Hydrogen peroxide can be used to help drain the pus and clean the infected area, but it should not be used as an after care remedy .
• In case the infection has spread to the entire body through the blood, intravenous antibiotics are required. Do not take the the situation lightly, as this kind of an infection can prove to be fatal.

The saying prevention is better than cure stands true even in the case of body piercings, wherein neglect can result in conditions, like the belly button piercing infection. Therefore, it is better that you take good care after undertaking body piercings, to avoid infection. Remember, following a few simple instructions and directions to keep healthy and maintaining and inculcating the correct habits, can go a long way in preventing a whole lot of discomfort for you.

Fake Piercings

While body piercings are becoming a popular trend the types of body piercing are also increasing. Heard about fake piercings? Well, these basically involve use of fake piercing jewelry which just gives an illusion of piercing, when no hole is made in your skin and no jewelery is inserted. These have become a popular choice of many who do not want to have permanent piercings or who are scared of the alternative. These are easy way to look modish without any pain. What's more, you don't have that free hole, which might look unattractive when you remove the pierced jewelery.

How to Make Fake Piercings?

Fake piercings are easy to make. All you need to do is to get a few materials like craft wire, craft glue, tiny magnets and get started. Yes, of course you can do it yourself. Take a silver craft wire. Make sure that its thickness is same as that of a thin nose ring. Now cut it to have a 1 inch long piece of wire and sand it thoroughly. Sand, especially the sharp ends. Glue one magnet at each end. Bend the wire into a circular shape. Your fake piercing ring is ready to be used. Slightly widen the ring, by pulling apart the ends and wear it. One magnet will stay on outer side and another on inner side. You can have trendy body piercings using this piece. To make it even more trendy, you can twist the wire or add a small bead into it. Try out!

Fake Piercings Jewelry Options

With increasing popularity of fake piercings, the jewelry, an essential of fake piercings has a huge demand. There's a wide range in designs and types available in this body jewelery. From rings to studs, you have a lot of choices. Studs come in various stones and number of colors. While the white stones are most popular, you can go for a colored funky piece as well. These are basically magnetic fake piercings which have one magnet behind the stud and one separate piece of magnet. Fake lip rings, nose rings and earrings are commonly opted pieces. Wearing tongue piercing rings is also a highly popular fashion trend. While some choose to have the simple rings, some opt for the more flashy pieces. These come with beads or stones in between. The twisted rings or broad rings are also bought by many for fake nose or ear piercing.

If you look at the variety available in fake barbells, you are sure to get surprised. Not only colors, but there are a number of shapes in these which look simply awesome when worn. Some have a rounded end and some have a cone shaped pointed end. The press rings without magnets are also used for fake piercings. You have to just wear and press these, that's it! These will look like a pierced jewelery which cannot be identified from a distance. These also come with various designs and with or without studs. You can also opt for the 'U' shaped fake jewelery pieces which are usually used for nose or ear piercing, these stay flush to your skin, but will appear like real piercings. You can also have fake funky earring of medium size, which come in different colors and unique shapes.

If you are wondering where to get fake piercings jewelery, then just check out the various websites, where you can order these. You can also check out nearest shops selling fashion accessories which will definitely have a number of pieces and options in fake piercing jewelery. Let me tell you that the ultimate choice for fake piercings that look real are those pieces with magnets. Get your favorite piece and don that extremely sexy and bold look!

Belly Button Piercing Info

The concept of body piercing has been around since time immemorial. This tribal form of art was popular among the Incas and the Egyptians. In the ancient past, body piercing had nothing to do with fashion. It symbolized loyalty, bravery, royalty, warriors and exceptional beauty.

Times have changed and so is the definition of body piercing. The art of body work has found profound importance in the world of fashion. The piercing is not only restricted to areas like ears but the fashion icons have crossed to the limit of piercing the body parts like belly button, lips, nipples, eyebrows, nostril and the genitals. Let us concentrate on just one part of our body that is erotic and sensuous. Yes, that's the navel. There are various belly button piercing information available in the local newspapers and Internet. If you want to get pierced on this erogenous area of the body, go through this belly button piercing info.

Things to Consider Before Piercing

1. Get a professional to do the job for you: Never ever try to do it yourself. Puncturing your skin with non sterilized needles can cause infections like HIV, tetanus and hepatitis. There are plenty of piercing salons that can do the job effectively. There are professionals who are specialized and trained to work on your body. The piercer should be registered with APP (Association of Professional Piercers).
2. Choose the right jewelry: There is a wide variety of belly jewelry that can be worn in a navel. There are various websites that give belly button piercing info along with their range of jewelry. The jewelry comes in different shape and form: bars, ring and gauge. They are usually made from metals like gold, silver, niobium, titanium and stainless steel. Make sure that you just don't go by the design and the attractiveness of the jewelry. Also pay attention to the size of the metal as it should not be an irritant in your quest to be fashionable. Hypoallergenic jewelry made from surgical grade steel, titanium and 14 or 18 carat gold are best when you are piercing for the first time.

Belly Button Piercing Care

• Use an antibacterial soap to clean your navel area.
• With the help of warm water, remove the crusting material from the belly button piercing area.
• To promote healing, place a cup of salt water on the tender area of the navel for 15 minutes.
• Refrain from tampering with the ring and do not touch the piercing with dirty hands.
• Avoid wearing jeans, pantyhose and belts. Wear only loose fitting clothes that allows your skin to breathe.
• To speed up the process of healing, use lavender and tea tree oil.
• Do not use a public swimming pool until the piercing has healed.
• The healing process usually takes 6 months. If you want to go in for a change in the jewelry, do so only after the belly button has thoroughly healed.

Belly Button Piercing Risks

Belly button piercing procedure is similar to any surgical operation and involves certain risks. You need to be aware of the general risks involved in piercing your body. There are chances of bacterial infections which can cause abscess around the pierced site. If left untreated, it can form septicemia which means infection of the blood. If you pierce in a salon where the hygiene level is low, then there is a risk of infection. Transmittable diseases like hepatitis and HIV can infect your body through unsterilized needles. The normal reactions are bleeding, swelling around the piercing site and scarring.

Now that you have the information on belly button piercing, making a decision is easy. If you decide you do not want to broach the topic of navel piercing, you know what is best for you. But, if you have decided to go for it, be sure to read through the belly button piercing info before running to your nearest piercer.