Serving in Syracuse, NY

Using a fresh cotton swab, dip a small amount of soap onto the cotton swab.  Swab on and around the piercing, let it set for 10 seconds, then rinse really well. Do this in the morning and at night. Maybe mid-day if you're super active or sweaty. Also important, if at any point there is any scabbing on the piercing, use hot water soaked cotton swab to dissolve it away. If there is any stubborn scabbing, you may need to saline soak it for a few minutes to remove it. This is super important because if any of the scabbing gets pushed inside the piercing, it can scratch the inside of the piercing, deposit bacteria that cannot be washed out, and that can lead to infection. Lastly, because microorganisms travel along the surface of the body, it is important to wash your hands if you're going to touch within 8 inches of your piercing.

If you suspect you have an infection, it's helpful to treat it as follows:

Heat a bowl of pre-treated water, fold a paper towel up into a little square, saturate the towel with the warm/hot water and apply to the piercing. Once the towel has cooled, reheat and apply. Do this for 5 minute sessions about 3 times a day. Keep up the hot packing for about 2-3 days after you think the infection is gone. If you can submerge or soak the piercing in sterile saline, this is best. The next best thing is to use pre-treated distilled or bottled water with a small amount of sea salt. If pre-treated  water is unavailable, then boil water on the stove for about 20 minutes, let it cool and use that to soak with. Try to avoid water directly from the tap when using for soaking purposes. Look for sea salt saline recipe instructions found on the "Body Piercing Aftercare Page." If the jewelry is taken out of the piercing before the infection is healed, the holes will seal up, trapping the infection inside, and this could lead to an abscess.