Lip Piercing Care

That really cool lip piercing won't be very cool if it gets infected, which is why you need the proper lip piercing care. The lip is a popular place to pierce, and the piercings can be rad. They need special care, though, because there is bacteria on your skin and in your mouth that can attack that piercing and make your life difficult.

For lip piercing care you'll need:

• Ibuprofen
• Ice
• New toothbrush
• Mouthwash
• Sea salt
• Antimicrobial soap
• Cotton balls

1. Treat the pain and swelling. Take an anti-inflammatory medication like Ibuprofen if you feel pain. If there is gross swelling, suck on ice chips. Put some ice in a clean washcloth and hold it against your lip to reduce swelling. Keep your head raised whenever possible to further reduce swelling.
2. Wash the outside of the lip piercing with an antimicrobial soap twice a day. Lather the area--it wouldn't hurt to wash your whole face too--with the antimicrobial soap. Rinse it off very well with warm water. Pat the area dry gently with a soft paper towel, don't attack it. It might still be tender. This should be done for at least six weeks or until it is completely healed. You can do it longer, because it can't hurt to wash your face twice a day.
3. Soak the area in a salt water solution twice a day. Prepare a salt water solution by boiling one cup of water on the stove. Dissolve 1/4 tsp. sea salt into it. Dip two large cotton balls in the solution and hold over the lip piercing for about five minutes. Do this twice a day to prevent infection. Rinse your mouth with some of the solution and spit it out.
4. Keep your mouth clean. Brush your teeth with a new toothbrush twice a day. Floss your teeth, too. Avoid too much kissing and oral sex so you don't introduce other germs into your mouth. Waiting a couple weeks is better than the fat lip you will get if the piercing becomes infected.

The main thing to remember is to keep the area clean for proper lip piercing care. Don't touch it, don't play with it with your tongue, don't share drinks or eating utensils with other people. Try to avoid alcohol and tobacco. Don't chew gum. Don't go swimming in some scummy pond. Your lip piercing will probably take about six weeks to heal, so don't try to take the jewelry out before that time, or you might not be able to get it back in.