BODY JEWELLERY CARE

This guide has been written by The International Shop of Mystery to help you to look after your body jewellery. At The International Shop of Mystery we want you to be happy with your purchase, so if you need any additional information please don't hesitate to contact us, and we'll do our best to help!

To take a look at our other guides, which include further information on body jewellery, please click here.

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Cleaning your Body Jewellery

All body jewellery, from any source, must be properly cleaned before use - although all good suppliers keep handling to a minimum, body jewellery is not sterile when it comes out of the packet.

For a new piercing, recently stretched piercing, or any piercing that is not fully healed, body jewellery must be properly and professionally sterilised by autoclaving - your piercer will have an autoclave. Very few fancy body bars are suitable for autoclaving, for example any gems may fall out during the process, titanium can discolour, acrylic and other plastics may melt, and so on. For this reason, plain surgical steel, or sometimes autoclavable bio flex, are usually used in new piercings - make sure the jewellery used in your piercing has been autoclaved and don't change it until your piercing is completely healed.

After your piercing is healed, the need for autoclaving is reduced. Some people prefer to only ever use professionally sterilised jewellery, but this limits your options. If you want to use more delicate, fancy body jewellery, you will need to clean it without autoclaving. Many people like to clean their body jewellery with rubbing alcohol or other alcohol based products, this is especially popular in the US, and using boiling water is another popular form of cleaning, but alcohol or boiling will damage many kinds of body jewellery, including body jewellery made out of any kind of plastic, it may also damage organic, printed or logo bars, or jewellery with gems, and liquids will also damage flashing or light up bars. Using anti-bacterial soap to clean your body jewellery is quick and easy, and is far less likely to damage your jewellery; don't leave your jewellery to soak.

Taking Care of your Body Jewellery

Do not over-tighten or force threaded body jewellery, as you may damage it. Most sellers do not guarantee body jewellery against mis-handling. Do not sleep in ornate or dangle body jewellery, as laying on it may damage it. You should also avoid bathing or showering in fancy body jewellery, especially if you use oils that are likely to damage acrylic, organic, logo, printed and jewelled bars.

If you change your jewellery whilst looking in the bathroom mirror, put the plug in the basin first so you don't lose components down the plug hole. Ball closure rings (bcr) and captive bead rings (cbr) are very fiddly to fit, and if you are not confident then you can buy a tool to open the bcr, or stick to straight or curved barbells - to take a look at my other guides for a guide to body jewellery types, please click here.

Special Care for Tongue Bars and other Oral Body Jewellery

Fancy tongue bars and other oral such as logo, printed, anodised or acrylic may be damaged by activities such as eating certain foods, drinking certain drinks (especially alcohol), smoking, or using mouthwash. This is normal wear and tear, and if you choose to partake in these activities whilst wearing a fancy tongue bar, it is unlikely that your seller will refund you for any damage caused. Some tongue bars are designed to hold tiny chemical glowsticks - do not wear these while eating, drinking or sleeping.

Check your oral body jewellery often for wear and tear - if the thread becomes worn your bar needs replacing, as otherwise it may fall out and be swallowed, inhaled, or cause choking. You should brush tongue bars when you you brush your teeth. Take care not to bite oral jewellery or grind it on your teeth to avoid damage to your body jewellery and/or your teeth.

The above information is a guide only. Always seek advice from your piercer before getting pierced, stretching a piercing, changing your body jewelry, or performing any other action relating to body jewelry or body piercing. This guide is not intended to replace or supersede professional advice.

For a full range of body jewelry in a variety of gauges and sizes, please visit our eBay shop, The International Shop of Mystery. To see our other guides, including more information on body jewelry, please click here.

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