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ShellyD -> RE: nipple piercings (6/6/2007 6:34:05 PM)
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This is in response to a number of posts, some basic wound/piercing info
*A piercing is a wound, the body will repair a wound by growing new skin over the wound. A healed piercing is basically a 'fistula'; an internal tube of skin. The idea is to promote good wound healing techniques.
*In order to heal, the skin cells migrate from the edges of the wound, for this to be successful, a mininum amount of trauma is the ideal. Trauma can come from physical as well as chemical injuries.
*The body protects itself, and to deal with an injury it sends an inflammatory response to the site of injury, it does this by chemical markers. This inflammatory response is; extra fluid goes to the wound carrying the immune (white blood cells) response to heal a wound, breakdown harmful elements and remove them from the body. This is the red flush you see around a new wound and lasts up to a few days.
*If you have clear/yellowish crusties, you have an example of the body in motion, this is a combination of dead cell matter and used white cells. The body cleaning the crap away. If it is dark yellow,green, thick and not clear it is possibly an infection. If pain and heat are also present, seek medical help.
*Now add the concept of osmosis, (think back to high school) the addition of a saline soak to a piercing has an extra drawing action to pull more white cells to the region, as well as breakdown products out of the wound, this also includes the killed bacteria. But remember the chemical trauma? A too strong soultion of saline will kill/retard the healthy developing skin cells. The ideal concentration to the best of my knowlege is a 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt (non iodised, not table salt) to 1 cup (8oz) of cooled boiled water. Be careful with your measurements as a too strong solution will damage/kill the new migrating skin cellls and prolong the healing time.
*Another thing to consider is that as a part of normal healthy state, skin has a number of bacterias and fungi that is a part of the functioning of a pH balance that is a part of the skins protection (ie protects the skin) and wheras you dont want these bacterias colonising a wound, to kill all of them then allows for opportunistic bacteria to enter the body and then all hell breaks loose ( aka 'infection') This is another reason that antibacterial ointments such as neosporin etc are not good for piercings (the other part being the petroleum jelly traps dirt, dead cells etc in the wound area)
*As has already been discussed the metal and the elements in it can also cause this chemical trauma, resulting in an allergic reaction. another example of the body protecting itsself from potential dangers. Begin with reputable jewellry, personal experience has led me to 18 ct gold.
There's probably heaps more I can add, but the rest has mostly been covered in this topic already. I am happy to answer any questions if I can.
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