Corset Piercing - Aftercare & Health Issues
Although corsetry has a long history, the corset
piercing is of contemporary origin, coming into practice with the
establishment of the body piercing industry in the late 1990s. Like
corsetry, it is associated with erotic behavior and aesthetics,
particularly fetish aesthetics. Also paralleling corsets, most
wearers of corset piercings are women.
A corset piercing is a piercing that is pierced multiple times
mostly side to side to look like a corset being laced up the body.
Two rows of bilaterally symmetrical piercings are performed and can
be composed of as few as four piercings (two in each row) or as many
as the length of the area being pierced (usually the back) and the
vertical space between piercings will allow space for. Due to the
difficulty and risks associated with permanently healing single
surface piercings, most corset piercings are intended to be
temporary.
Temporary corset piercings are often performed for aesthetic
reasons, often as part of a fetish event or photo shoot. A body
piercer may also perform a corset piercing to promote his/her
business, to be photographed for a portfolio or to be used for
advertising purposes. They may also be performed as play piercings
as part of BDSM activity. Often temporary corset piercings are worn
laced with ribbon, rope, or chain.
As permanent piercings
It is possible for the multiple surface wounds that constitute a
corset piercing to heal; however, they are unlikely to heal
properly. Permanent corset piercings would consist of multiple
surface piercings, pierced with jewelry designed for the purpose,
and bear all of the healing issues and risks associated with them.
To date, the most successful attempts at permanent corset piercings
have been performed with surface bars, although some success has
been reported using Teflon or Tygon tubing, both of which are
flexible and move with the body.
There have also been experiments in healing corset piercings as
transdermal implants. Due to the tremendous potential for the
healing piercings to be irritated by normal daily life, corset
piercings, even healed ones, require constant vigilance by the
wearer to prevent damage.
Treatment
Just like the rest of the body piercing types, corset piercing takes
some time to heal and it's very important to follow your aftercare
advice by your piercing artist.
Two hours after you’ve had your piercing done the applied ointment
on it will dry up. As soon as this happens, make sure you clean your
hands well with an antibiotic soap and then clean the place with Sea
salt soak. Then use the some ointment every 3 hours a day in the
next 20 days. A high level of hygiene and a great precaution around
the place because otherwise is obligatory, it is possible that you
might get hurt or scratched and suppuration may appear. You must not
remove the piercing during the healing process (until the hole
heals) and, of course, you must not bathe in dirty water. As is the
case with tattoos, the summer period is not recommended because
there is a danger of allergies and infections.
Sea salt soaks are probably the best thing for a healing piercing as
they balance with your body's own PH and wash out the bacteria while
promoting the healing of the skin inside the piercing.
The proper mixture for a traditional sea salt soak is as follows:
1/4 tsp Sea Salt to 1 cup of water.
2 tbsp Sea Salt to a full gallon of water (if you want to pre-mix
and use
whenever needed). To do the soak, you will fill a cup (dixie cups
actually work best so that you do not cross-contaminate because
they're meant for single-use only) and use it like a suction cup
over the piercing (all around) for 5-10 minutes 2-3 times daily.
Antibacterial soap
There were a lot of discussions about the antibacterial soaps in the
past years, and we came to realize that neither Betadine nor
Antibacterial Soap is good for healing a fresh piercing as you're
attempting to heal the skin within the hole and the chemicals are
far too harsh and actually kill off skin cells rather than help with
healing. This kind of soaps are good for your personal hygiene. Wash
your hands every time you change your piercing jeweler.
Do Not use alcohol-that could sting if it gets too close to the new
piercing and is far too harsh for a fresh piercing. And removing the
unattractive coloration isn't just an aesthetic issue. Iodine should
be removed from the skin after the piercing is done to prevent any
irritation.
Jewelry
The jewelers are extremely important especially for the first
piercing. The preferable metal is titanium, as this one is the most
convenient and does not contain toxic substances, which reduces the
chances of allergies, suppuration and infections. Normally, it is
essential that the piercing has the appropriate size for the body
spot where it is going to be placed.
Carefully choose the body jewelry, especially for the first time
piercing. This is most complicated body modification so proper
jewelry is very important. As most suitable jewel material is
titanium. So when you choose your body jewels keep in mind to pick a
titanium jewel. You can talk with your piercing artist about the
body jewels your about to wear in the first two or three weeks,
while the fresh pierced holes are healing. Remember, titanium jewels
are the best.
Also, don't take off any of the piercing jewels (especially in the
first 3 weeks), the pierced holes need to heal fully. It's very
important to eat healthy food and drink a lot of water in order to
keep your immune system the best.
Always wash the hands with antibacterial soap before you touch the
piercing.