Preparing yourself for piercing
Preparing properly for your piercing is vital in order to give your immune system a good chance to heal it. You need to think of a piercing as minor surgery, and treat the whole procedure with care and respect.
For vegetarians
It is advisable to take zinc and calcium supplements for 2 weeks before you come in for a piercing and 4 weeks after. The zinc will help to boost the immune system but you must take it for NO LONGER THAN 6 WEEKS. This is important because zinc can collect in your body and could cause health problems if you have too much. You must take calcium supplements because, whilst you are taking zinc, your body will be less able to absorb calcium.
The night before you have your piercing
You are advised to have an early night. No going out and getting drunk, or staying up 'til all hours surfing the net. You will be more able to deal with any anxiety you may feel if you get plenty of sleep. If you wake up or find it difficult to get to sleep, the old trick of drinking a cup of hot chocolate and listening to some light background music might help. If you feel particularly anxious it may help if you visit your health food shop for some Valerian tablets beforehand. If you take some valerian before going to bed it will help you to relax.
The day of your piercing
When you wake in the morning you should have a good breakfast (a piece of toast is NOT a good breakfast ). Any anaesthetics that may be used are topical local anaesthetics, so you won't feel nauseous ( You will feel nauseous if you don't eat, though ).
Spend the time before your visit doing something that will help you to relax. Don't be tempted to have any "Dutch Courage" before going for your piercing. If the piercer believes that you may have alcohol or drugs in your system he WILL REFUSE TO DO YOUR PIERCING. This isn't just to be awkward. If you have alcohol or drugs in your bloodstream your blood might not clot properly and your immune system will be drastically reduced. You must not smoke cannabis before your piercing as this would make you feel insecure and paranoid. Watch out for COFFEE, too. Caffeinne is just as bad as alcohol at stopping the blood clotting. Don't dose yourself up with painkillers, either. Aspirin is used by some to keep the blood thin in order to avoid heart attacks. The last thing you want to do is to thin your blood and painkillers really aren't neccessary, anyway.
Allow plenty of time for your journey to the piercer. If you arrive out of breath and stressed from your journey it will be much harder to relax. Arriving too soon doesn't help, either. Sitting in a waiting room for half an hour can make you feel very anxious.
An hour before you are due to have your piercing have something to eat. A bag of chips or a sandwich followed by a mars bar or a cake is a good idea. You can always carry on the diet tomorrow. Have a can of full sugar soft drink or a glass of fruit juice as well, and really push the boat out. Remember, though, that coke, pepsi and Dr. Pepper all contain caffiene, which increases the risk of bleeding.
