Saline solution for piercing has a gain a lot of attention in medical field of study. One of the aftercare instructions given to you after getting your body pierced is to soak yourself in saline solution or sea salt water. Piercing is creating an opening in your skin and just like other body wounds, you must care for it and prevent infection from gaining access to it.
Saline solution for piercings is to keep the wound clean and speed up the healing process. However, one thing you should know is that you must be able to do it correctly to avoid increasing your risk of having an infection. Continue reading to find out what saline solution is, its benefits and how to do a sea salt soak for your piercings.
WHAT IS A SALINE SOLUTION?
A saline solution is just a mixture of purified water and salt. The mixture contains 0.9 percent salt (aka sodium chloride). Saline solution is made with the same concentration of sodium like your blood and tears, so it is similar to the fluid found in your body. Saline solution is a gentle but effective option used in removing debris or cleaning part of the body and hydrating it.
In the medical field, saline solution is used for the following:
- Irrigating the bladder
- Relieving and treating sore throat
- Cleaning wounds
- Hydrating the body
- Flushing out the eyes
- Treating sinus infections
- Cleaning out the sinuses.
HOW DOES SALINE SOLUTION WORK ON PIERCINGS?
Saline solution has many benefits on piercings like:
1. Killing Bacteria
One of the risk most people who pierced their skin experience or have is getting infection from the wound from the piercings. The infection can come from the equipment used during piercings, the jewelry or contact with surfaces, clothes or dirty hands. To treat infections, disinfectants are used but most piercers do not recommend disinfectant because of chemicals that may irritate the skin. The best and effective option is saline solution. The salt in saline solution kills bacteria by sucking the water from them.
2. Relieving Inflammation
After getting piercings, you will notice the skin around the pierced area being red and swollen, this is your immune system defending your body against invaders ( which is the jewelry in this case ). To reduce the swelling and redness which obviously comes with pain, saline solution be used on the skin.
3. Rinsing The Area
During the piercing, you will bleed as the pin or jewelry opens your skin. Leaving the blood without cleaning it off will cause crusts on be around the wound and this will be difficult and painful to clean off afterwards. It is better to rinse off the area with saline solution as a means of flushing out the wound and rinsing out blood as well.
4. Saline Solution Is Gentle
Unlike disinfectants that may contain chemicals which may cause irritation of the skin, saline solution is very gentle. It is made with purified water and salt. You can even do your own saline solution at home if you want it to be as gentle as anything without any additional ingredients.
5. They Are Cheap
Saline solution can be gotten from supermarkets and stores available, they are easily accessible and affordable. Even if you do not want to buy from stores, you can easily do your mixture at home using sea salt.
HOW TO MAKE SALINE SOLUTION FOR PIERCINGS AT HOME
It is safer to make saline solution at home provided you wash your hands and use clean container for storing the solution. Make sure you run your containers through dishwasher or soak them in hot water to sterilize them.
You need the following ingredients and tools when making homemade saline solution:
- Distilled water or tap water
- Non-iodized table salt
- A pot with a lid
- A utensil for mixing
- An airtight container for storing the solution ( a jar or bottle is perfect )
- Baking soda ( this is optional but it is recommended wait will help the saline to be less irritating on the skin )
- Microwave safe container or bowl
Some may prefer using sea salt as it contains some elements of minerals like potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Also, a research published in 2012 by ScienceDirect showed that having sea salt bath helps to relieve stress and reduce pain associated with rheumatism. There are different methods you can use when making saline solution.
Some of them are: Microwave Method
- Pour in 2 cups of water into a microwave-safe bowl. It is best to use tap water.
- Add a teaspoon of salt
- Cover the bowl and let the content stay in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Bring out from the microwave and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Pour your saline solution into an airtight container.
- Keep your solution in a refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Throw out the saline solution after 24 hours even if you have not finished using it, this is to avoid bacteria.
Stovetop Method
- Pour 2 cups of water to a clean pot, cover and allow to boil for 15 minutes.
- Bring down from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- Add a teaspoon of salt.
- You can add a pinch of baking soda, this is optional.
- Stir the mixture thoroughly until every ingredients have dissolved.
- Transfer the saline solution to a clean, airtight container.
- Store in a refrigerator for 24 hours and dispose after to avoid bacteria.
- The stovetop method is better than others because the water is boiled for few minutes, this kills germs and bacteria that may be in the water thereby making it pure.
Distilled Water Method
Distilled water is a type of water that has gone through a process known as distillation to remove dirt and impurities. The water is boiled, and the steam is collected after which is allowed to cool and return to water. This is very effective to remove every form of impurities like bacteria, viruses, protozoa like giardia and chemicals like lead and sulfate. Distilled water can be used to make saline solution and they are found in grocery and drugstores near you.
To make saline solution with distilled water:
- Pour in 8 teaspoons of salt to 1-gallon jug of distilled water.
- You can store in the refrigerator for up to a month.
The quantity of salt in the saline solution may seem like it will not be enough but according to the Association of Professional Piercers, a saline solution with much salt will be stronger and very likely to cause irritation on the piercings.
BEST SALINE SOLUTION FOR PIERCINGS
There will be times when you may not bad able to do your own saline solution, you can easily get already made solution from stores around you. However, you should look out for saline solution that will not irritate your skin or cause more damage to your piercings, this is why we have come up with a list of best saline solution for piercings.
1. NeilMed Piercing Aftercare Fine Mist
This product comes with a handy nozzle that make it easy to be used. There are many saline solution from this brand but this one is unique and made with just two ingredients which are pharmaceutical-grade water and sodium chloride. The saline solution comes in a can with a nozzle which means it can be used from any angle.
Many users have testified of the effectiveness of this saline solution coupled with the fact that it has a nozzle which makes it easy to be used on areas that are not easily reached. The spray can last for a longer period of time as well.
2. H2Ocean Piercing Aftercare Spray
This is formulated with ingredients like Purified water, sea salt, lysozyme, sodium benzoate. Sea salt is the best substitute to sodium chloride, in fact, most people prefer using sea salt for baths than sodium chloride because sea salt has natural minerals are not found in the latter. Lysozyme, which is a enzyme found in the body naturally helps to destroy harmful bacteria from piercings and wounds.
H2Ocean is said to heal piercings faster than most saline solution. It can also be used on bumps, keloids, infections and skin irritation. The product comes in a spray can which makes it easy to be used.
3. Steri-Wash Aftercare Piercing Spray
This is mostly used in hospitals and other emergency care centers for wounds and skin burns. The ingredients are only purified water and USP sodium chloride. The product comes with a cap twist that helps to prevent spillage. Steri-Wash is effective and easy to use. One of the benefits of this product is that you can carry it around because of its light weight.
4. After Inked Piercing Aftercare Spray
After Inked company makes after care products for tattoos, piercings, and permanent makeups. Their piercing saline solution is made with water and sodium chloride and can improve the hydration of the skin while reducing inflammation and healing wounds, bumps and infection from piercings. It works very well but users complained that the solution finished after few days of using it. So, you may have to buy more if you really love the product. After Inked saline solution comes in a spray that makes it easy to dispense the contents without spilling.
5. Recovery Piercing Aftercare Spray
This is made with purified water and sodium chloride only. Users have testified of the effectiveness of the solution even in healing infected piercings that were not healing. It can also last for a long time which is why many go for it. The solution comes in a small can that can be carried around in purses and bags.
CONCLUSION
Saline solution for piercings are very useful in preventing infections, reducing inflammation and keeping the pierced area clean. The solution is only made with clean water and sea salt or sodium chloride. You can easily make yours at home or get from stores around you. Online stores like Amazon, Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Kroger and others have unique saline solution for piercings.