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SSS (sea salt solutions) are the only LITHA approved method of cleaning your piercing. Sea salt solutions, or saline sprays, should be used in moderation or they can cause dryness which could lead to healing issues. SSS can also help with irritation bumps and general soreness.
What is a SSS?
SSS stands for Sea Salt Solution, but it sometimes also refers to Saline Sprays. A saline spray is a sea salt solution that has been put into a spray bottle and sprays out either a mist or a stream. Sea salt solutions are most often used to remove crusties from a piercing and heal it in general. For a healing piercing, you should spray your piercing at most twice a day or soak it for up to 15 minutes once a day. Any more often will cause the piercing and areas around it to dry out.
What Does a SSS Do For Piercings?
Have you ever had a wound in your mouth and had a doctor tell you to gargle with salt water? This is because salt water helps aid in the healing process. The same is true for soaking your piercings. If you have a persistent irritation bump or general soreness with a healing piercing, saline solutions can help. However because salt causes drying, overuse of sea salt solutions will lead to more issues.
DIY Saline Solution For Piercings
In general, it is safer to buy saline solution for piercings rather than try to make it yourself. If you want to soak your piercings rather than spray them, this may mean spraying directly into a bowl. This may seem wasteful but is safer for you in the long run. You likely already know that you cannot submerge a healing piercing into water. This includes pools, the ocean, or baths. The reason for this is because water (even drinking water) is full of microbes that can give you an infection if it comes in contact with a healing wound. A purchased wound wash will be made of sterile water, so it won’t have any microbes that could cause issues.
SSS Recipe
- 1 cup distilled water
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
That’s it! Make sure you use DI water that won’t cause infection from soaking. Heat the water and then dissolve 1/4 tsp or less into the water (any more salt will surely cause dryness issues). Keep in mind that all pots, bowls, and utensils should be as clean as possible to minimize the chances of infection.
Where to Buy Sea Salt Solution for Piercings?
You can buy sea salt solution from your nearby pharmacy. They are frequently sold in the first aid sections. It may be labelled as ‘wound wash’ or something similar. When purchasing sea salt solution, make sure there are only two ingredients: water and sodium chloride. We recommend Neilmed’s Wound Wash, which can be purchased on Amazon here.
Do You Need to SSS With the LITHA Method?
You don’t need to use salt water soaks or saline sprays to comply with the LITHA method, but you can. The LITHA method states that the only thing you need to do to keep your healing piercings healthy is to quickly rinse them while in the shower. Some people feel the need to “clean” their piercings, so they prefer to use saline sprays. Salt water solutions are also good to mitigate the pain and soreness of a healing piercing, so feel free to use them if you need them.
Conclusion
SSS or Sea Salt Solutions are frequently used to remove crust from piercings and heal them more quickly. They are a safe way to heal piercings and can be used in conjunction with the LITHA method. If you are planning on creating your own sea salt solution, make sure to use distilled water as water from your faucet contains microbes that could cause infection.
