Before piercing

There are several precautions you need to take before having a piercing because not all states regulate these type of saloons. Every piercing shop should have a machine that sterilizes their devices, also called an autoclave. Their devices should be kept in sealed packets. To see if the saloon is safe, check out how clean the shop is. The person doing the piercing should use an antibacterial soap before starting to work.

New, disposable gloves should be used and the instruments should be properly sterilized. The needle also needs to be new and make sure a piercing gun is not used because they are not sterile. After the instruments were used, they will be disposed in a sealed container. Make sure you don't suffer from any allergic reactions to metal before having the piercing done.

Only nontoxic metals should be used for body piercings: titanium, platinum, steel, gold or niobium. Depending on the body part you chose to be pierced, healing can take from a couple of weeks to over a year. Keep the area clean, don't pick at it, clean the area with soap after you have thoroughly washed your hands. If you have a mouth piercing, use an antibacterial mouthwash after eating.

The best solution used for cleaning is the saline solution, with 99% sterile water and 1% pure salt.  Clean your pierce at least twice a day and even more often, if you're sweating. The thing you need to keep in mind is that the piercing should be done by a trained professional and not by you or friend. Make sure it is done in a professional environment and, if you feel something is wrong, seek medical attention.