PIERCING BASICS
Before you decide on a new piercing, we recommend that you carefully study all the information related to the specific position you want, healing and possible complications during the entire period of wearing the piercing, and information about buying jewelry and its wear (see the bottom of this page).
Each piercing will require you to make certain adjustments in your daily routine and habits, e.g. no more sleeping on your stomach if you pierce your belly button, as this can result in migration or rejection of jewelry. It is necessary to pay some attention to the piercing so that the healing process goes as easily as possible, but be aware of the fact that even with the best care and strict adherence to aftercare instructions, you cannot 100% influence how your body will react to the piercing.
Many people experience minor, common complications during the first few months — such as hypertrophic tissue growth around cartilage piercings. However, a smaller number of people may encounter more serious issues that can develop even months after the piercing is done. Jewelry will always be a foreign object in your body, which means certain problems can occur even after the healing period has ended. For example, you might have a cartilage piercing for three years, but if you accidentally hit it hard, it can cause swelling, bleeding, or jewelry embedding into the tissue.
It is extremely important that you contact us for an examination and consultation as soon as you notice any change in your piercing (e.g. swelling, heavier discharge, increased pain, bleeding, growths, ingrown jewelry into the tissue). Don’t wait for the problem to ‘go away on its own‘ because it happens very rarely. If you procrastinate too much to come for a check-up, the situation can worsen to the point that we have to remove the jewelry and you lose the piercing, or you end up in the ER with the same outcome. Most piercing problems can be solved relatively easily and quickly when the treatment is started on time. The treatment depends on the type of problem, the age of the piercing, the position itself, etc.
Send us pictures of the piercing with a brief description of the problem by e-mail octopuspiercing@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible with further instructions.
Please do not remove your jewelry unless you no longer wish to keep the piercing. When a piercing is inflamed or even mildly irritated, the surrounding tissue begins to close very quickly, in some cases, you may be unable to reinsert the jewelry after just 30 minutes. The hole will close, and you’ll need to allow the tissue to heal completely (which can take several months) before repiercing the area.
If you need to remove metal jewelry for medical examinations (X-ray, MRI) and your piercing has not fully healed yet, schedule an appointment to have a retainer placed – a piece of jewelry made from biocompatible plastic that keeps the piercing channel open. It is invisible on X-rays, non-metallic, MRI-safe, and does not conduct electricity, so it can also be worn during surgeries (depending on the piercing location and type of surgery).
When placing jewelry, the piercer cannot weld it to the body, so there is always a possibility that the attachment from the labret will unscrew and fall out, that the ring will get unfastened, etc. If this happens within the first 14 days of placing the jewelry, the reason may be a placement error (e.g. the piercer did not notice that the thread was not fully tightened) or a factory defect on the jewelry. In this case, please contact us immediately by e-mail at octopuspiercing@gmail.com so that we can book you an appointment for a free new jewelry placement.
Jewelry falling out after the expiration of the 14-day period cannot be accepted as a complaint; the same as, for example, you wouldn’t get a new ring in a jewelry store in case your purchased one falls off and gets lost.
PIERCING HEALING
Different piercing placements have different healing times, for example, a smiley piercing takes about 3-4 weeks to heal, while an industrial piercing can take over a year.
Healing also depends on individual factors:
Skin type
Some people have skin that is more prone to hypertrophic tissue growth or scarring, which can result in a higher likelihood of developing bumps around the piercing. Individuals with oily or acne-prone skin may experience redness, irritation, and prolonged healing times.
Anatomy
Not everyone has identical anatomy, which is why certain piercing placements may not be recommended for some people. The best example of this is a navel piercing, belly buttons come in all shapes, depths, and widths. While it’s technically possible to pierce any navel, not every anatomy will support the jewelry properly. In some cases, the body may reject the piercing quickly, meaning the skin holding the jewelry begins to thin and can tear if the jewelry isn’t removed in time.
For specific anatomies, it’s also important to choose appropriate jewelry, as wearing pieces that are too large or anatomically unsuitable can also lead to rejection.
Habits
If you’re planning to get a navel or cartilage piercing, start getting used to new sleeping positions in advance. Pressure on a fresh piercing can cause various issues, including swelling and jewelry migration (when the piercing heals at an angle).
For example, if you frequently wear a helmet (for sports or motorcycling), consider how that might affect a fresh ear or eyebrow piercing. Similarly, if you enjoy wearing corsets or high-waisted clothing, your new navel piercing won’t appreciate the extra pressure.
Cosmetics
The ingredients in cosmetic products used near your piercing can affect its healing, cause irritation, or accelerate wear on the jewelry itself (for example, some hair products can remove the anodized coating from titanium jewelry, and certain facial cosmetics can cause bezel-set cubic zirconia to darken more quickly, etc.).
PLACEMENT AND JEWELRY CHOICE
Before the piercing itself, the piercer will mark the position on your skin and, if possible, hold the jewelry close to the area so you can see whether the position and chosen jewelry model suit you. Please take a careful look and think it over, as subsequent complaints cannot be accommodated.
If in two days you decide that you wanted that helix three millimeters lower, the only thing we can do is to take out the jewelry, let the tissue recover (a few weeks), leave the jewelry for sterilization (which is paid 15.00 euros) and make an appointment for another piercing (the service is charged according to the regular price list, i.e. you pay for a new piercing).
Keep in mind that the human body is not perfectly symmetrical, which becomes most apparent when piercing areas such as the navel, bridge of the nose, paired nostrils or lips, or both nipples. During placement, stand upright and carefully check the markings your piercer has made. Because of natural body asymmetry, a piercing may appear uneven depending on your posture or viewing angle.
When choosing jewelry, please consider whether the model you’ve picked might catch on clothing, irritate you, or otherwise cause discomfort and whether the selected size suits your preferences. Our piercers will always point out when a specific type of jewelry or size isn’t suitable for the area you want to pierce (for instance, if an attachment is too small or too large).
If you decide not to follow their advice and later find that the jewelry is uncomfortable or aesthetically unsatisfactory, exchanges for a new model or refunds are not possible.
JEWELRY WEAR AND TEAR
Piercing jewelry is unique because it’s worn every day and in all situations — you don’t remove it while sleeping, showering, swimming in the sea or pool, dyeing your hair, and so on. The jewelry is constantly exposed to bodily fluids (saliva, sweat), water (limescale, chlorine), cosmetics, and other substances. Depending on the piercing placement, the jewelry may also be exposed to dust, and over time, a layer of dead skin or mineral buildup (particularly in oral piercings) can form on its surface.
All of the above can lead to jewelry wear and tear. This means that:
- If your jewelry is anodized or has a PVD coating (any color other than classic silver), the color may fade over time, revealing the original silver tone underneath.
- Zirconia stones can darken with wear as dead skin cells, water, and cosmetics build up on their surface
- Certain types of cubic zirconia may fall out of their settings (this most often occurs with cheaper externally threaded jewelry or bezel-set zirconia).
- Acrylic and bioplast jewelry can crack or become damaged, which may lead to piercing irritation.
If you’ve chosen classic, uncolored (silver-tone) titanium or steel jewelry without any gemstones, this type of jewelry is practically indestructible. It won’t change color or tarnish, there are no stones that can fall out, and you can wear it for years with only occasional cleaning and, if needed, polishing to restore its shine.
When choosing jewelry with zircons, as a rule, ‘quality costs’ applies, which means that if you buy a zirconia for 3.00 euros, you cannot expect its production to last the same as zircon from a renowned piercing jewelry manufacturer that costs, for example, 40.00 euros and has a lifetime warranty.
All jewelry we use is made from verified and certified materials, but there is definitely a noticeable difference in quality between standard and branded piercing jewelry. When choosing jewelry, feel free to tell your piercer what you prefer so they can help you find the most suitable option.
At Octopus, we also offer professional jewelry cleaning and polishing services.
If you have a piece of jewelry that has lost its shine or simply needs refreshing, feel free to bring it in for an assessment so we can see what can be done to make it look as good as new.