sea salt soaks

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Sunday September 28th, 2008 @ 4:35 AM

Filed under: Piercing

Hi, I have a few questions related to sea salt soaks, which I hope you can help out with.

Lately I’ve been doing sea salt soaks nightly for my piercings, using a cotton ball soaked in the solution (a shot glass being near impossible due to location), and have noticed that my skin around the piercings after the soak becomes a bit irritated, red and mildly rash like (though not painful). Do you know what the reason might be? The solution definitely isn’t too hot, so it’s not that. Also, what’s the proper amount of sea salt per water? I’ve heard 1/4 tsp, and 1/8 tsp per 8oz water, which is correct? Also, what are the bad sides of a too strong solution? And is it necessary to rinse after the soaks? (I always do)

Thanks

The issue with self-made sea salt solutions is that you are unable to perfectly create the right ratio’s, due to the fact you are not measuring by volume,etc.

There are three different types of saline solution:

1) Hypertonic - Too much Salt to Water.
2) Hypotonic - Too much Water to Salt
3) Isotonic - Perfect ratio required

When you have a Hypertonic Solution the extra salt essentially sucks/pulls the inner solution inside the cell membrane out, thus “drying it up”

When you have a Hypotonic Solution its the reversal of Hypertonic, and that the Hypotonic Solution floods into the cell membrane and bursts the cell walls.

When you have Isotonic you have the same ratio outside the cell as it is inside the cell which is usually 0.9%. So if you have that exact ratio made, there will be absolutely no change to the body, there should be no irritation or anything.

This is why many piercers are now (some have been doing it for awhile now too) often suggesting clients either buy at the studio or purchase in stores 0.9% Sterile Saline. Personally I prefer the Wound Wash ones as they enable you to not contaminate the inside of the bottles.

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