No, you should never use contact solution to clean piercings.
Contact lens solution is designed for cleaning and disinfecting contact lenses and is not suitable for wound care, like cleaning a piercing. It often contains ingredients that can irritate the piercing, delay healing, or even cause an infection.
Here's why you shouldn't use contact solution on piercings:
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Additives: Contact solutions often contain additives like preservatives and cleaning agents that are not safe for open wounds. These can irritate the delicate skin around a piercing.
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Not Sterile: While contact solution disinfects contact lenses, it's not the same as a sterile saline solution specifically made for wound care.
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Incorrect Salinity: The salinity (salt concentration) of contact solution may not be optimal for healing piercings.
What you should use to clean a piercing:
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Sterile Saline Solution: Packaged sterile saline solution (often labeled as "wound wash saline") is the best choice. Make sure it contains only water and sodium chloride (salt) and no additives. You can find this in most first aid aisles.
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Homemade Saline Soak (if necessary): If you cannot find sterile saline, you can make your own by dissolving 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized sea salt into 1 cup (8 oz) of distilled or bottled water. However, sterile saline is always preferable.
In summary, always opt for sterile saline wound wash when cleaning a piercing. Contact lens solution, eye drops, and other saline products should not be used.
