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 Topic: ...sea salt soaks... |
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Total Mods: 1 Joined: June/04/2010 Posts: 71 |
   Topic: ...sea salt soaks...Posted: July/05/2010 at 4:02pm |
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I feel out of the loop. But really I am just not grasping the consept.
How are sea salt soaks done?
Is the sea salt and water put in something and held up so the piercing can soak in it or is there another method?
P.S. I don't want any dumb answers such as you soak in sea salt...I understand that part.
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Total Mods: 0 Joined: June/04/2010 Posts: 358 |
Posted: July/05/2010 at 4:15pm |
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Use non iodized non clumping agent salt. I use 1/4 teaspoon to 8 oz of water. Heat the water until it is hot, but not so it will burn you.
Take the SSS mixture and pour it into a smaller cup, so that it fills to almost the top. I use the left over yogurt cups from Walmart, the 6 oz. rectangular ones with rounded edges. You can use dixie cups or paper cups. If the piercing is dunkable, dunk it in the water for 5 to 10 minutes and them rinse off with regular water. If it's for a nipple you can bend yourself into the cup and hold it tightly against your piercing and it should be water tight. If it's a piercing where you can't do either method you can dip a white paper towel (no ink design) into the SSS and hold it against you piercing. The heat will not last very long on it. The best method is to get the piercing emerged or in contact with the SSS mixture directly. Edited by FLPierce - July/05/2010 at 4:18pm |
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Total Mods: 10 Joined: August/02/2007 Posts: 903 |
Posted: July/05/2010 at 6:27pm |
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I'd add that you don't want to just heat the water until hot (but not enough to burn), you want to boil the water (and kill the organisms lurking in it), then let it cool to that point.
I'd also recommend sterile gauze over paper towels if you are unable to soaks so use a compress.
Egg cups are often useful as well.....
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Total Mods: 74 Joined: October/03/2009 Posts: 344 |
Posted: July/05/2010 at 9:42pm |
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Thats why I suggest bottled or distilled water instead of boiling. then they can be done cool or warmed... its really your preference.
Shot glasses that are washed each time are beneficial for the soaks and sterile gauze is only sterile until the package is open, just like a roll of paper towels. So really, either is fine. :) |
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Total Mods: 0 Joined: June/04/2010 Posts: 358 |
Posted: July/05/2010 at 9:50pm |
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I've always heard that the heat is part of the beneficial part of the SSS. |
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Total Mods: 10 Joined: August/02/2007 Posts: 903 |
Posted: July/06/2010 at 12:43am |
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Bottled water can have much higher bacterial counts than tap water, as well as mineral levels which would be disallowed in tap water in many countries.
Plain tap water is safer. For me, i'll boil it first.
And yes, of course gauze is only sterile until the pack is opened, just like a needle is only sterile until the pack is open. Is either fine?
I appreciate the risk of using a 'clean' paper towel aren't huge, but there is a lower risk of cross contamination if using a very recently sterile material which is put straight on the site.
I'll confess to having used both, but gauze has to make more sense.
But +1 for shot glassess, they're handy little blighters!
And my understanding is that warmth can help the with swelling, but the primary action of saline soaks is to irrigate the area and remove debris, which doesn't require heat per se (although it might help).
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Total Mods: 0 Joined: June/04/2010 Posts: 358 |
Posted: July/06/2010 at 12:57am |
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I always thought it affected the capillaries and promoted blood flow which is good for healing, but I don't know for sure. Cold usually reduces swelling better. Edited by FLPierce - July/06/2010 at 1:04am |
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Total Mods: 10 Joined: August/02/2007 Posts: 903 |
Posted: July/06/2010 at 1:15am |
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True about blood flow, yep i forgot to include that.
Not actually sure of the evidence base for it, but common sense suggests it should help.
With the swelling i'd say it's due to the nature of the wound.
A twisted ankle, sure cold, but where you actual want haemoserous fluid in the area to leech out, heat makes sense to reduce swelling.
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Total Mods: 74 Joined: October/03/2009 Posts: 344 |
Posted: July/06/2010 at 10:44am |
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+1 for the boiling then. Well obviously the needle is sterile until its opened. You certainly cannot pierce with it while it is packaged. :D It is recommended that you pat dry a fresh tattoo with a clean paper towel, therefore I use them on my own personal tattoos and piercings... and I recommend them to others. I don't believe there is a right or wrong answer here... only personal preference. The heat can be soothing, but the cold helps with swelling... so again, personal preference. my thing is so long as the ratio of salt to clean water is correct, your cup or compression cloth are clean and you aren't drying it off with a contaminated towel, you are good. :) |
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 Total Mods: 100 Joined: September/23/2007 Location: United States Posts: 2656 |
Posted: July/06/2010 at 1:02pm |
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I don't bother with boiling water. Your piercing comes in contact with so much indirect contamination throughout the day, the small amount of bacteria that's in the water will not cause a problem. Your piercing is exposed in the shower for 5-15 minutes, your clothing carries some bacteria, even your skin is covered in bacteria. As long as your immune system is fairly healthy, these small amounts of bacteria pose little risk. I also don't worry about paper towels. With it being a dry, inanimate object, bacteria won't survive for long on the surface.
I'm a big fan of warm soaks. The warmth increases circulation and dilates the surrounding blood vessels. More oxygen, nutrients, and white blood cells are brought to the area, which will mean faster cell regeneration and more bacteria neutralization. I think the warmth does as much for the piercing as the salt water. |
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