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Ask Elayne Angel
Elayne Angel Author The Piercing Bible— The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing Member of Association of Professional Piercerst.
Hi V.,
I am shocked that piercers are continuing to promote the use of such strong soaps for aftercare, and appalled at how frequently I still hear this truly terrible advice! (To clarify: I blame your mentor—not you. And it is great that you’re asking questions and seeking knowledge.)
Dial® soap has never been an accepted care product among educated professionals in the industry. Unfortunately, this is an indi- cation that your mentor was not keeping up with best practices, so you may be advised to review other aspects of your training as well.
The way you phrased your question brings up some helpful instruction I received early in my career. For one, piercers should never use the word “recommend” in relation to care products because this could be considered providing medical advice without a license. We can legally “suggest” instead, or state something to the effect, “Many piercees find this product works well.” Second, it is important to understand the distinction that soap would be used to help keep an area clean and thereby reduce the risk of infection, but it does not cause healing to take place.
Antimicrobial (also called “antibacterial” or “antiseptic”) soaps like Dial, are very strong, drying, and may kill off delicate new cell growth. Therefore, healing is likely to be delayed—not fostered—by the use of such harsh products. Note also that these cleansers were formulated specifically for hand washing and were never intended for use on open wounds.
In September of 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a rule banning the use of triclosan (the active ingre- dient in liquid Dial) and 18 other chemicals in over-the-counter (OTC) antimicrobial consumer hand soaps and body washes. Manufacturers have until September 2017 to comply by reformulating or removing these products from the market. You can easily recognize and avoid them because soaps that have a “Drug Facts box” on the label contain antimicrobial ingredients.
These soaps were marketed as being more effective at reducing or preventing bacterial infections and illness than regular versions, but data did not bear out these assertions. Companies also failed to demonstrate
that the ingredients are safe for long-term daily use. Worse, it appears that they’ve contributed to creating “superbugs,” bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. There is also evidence that triclosan, triclocarban (the chemical used in bar soaps), and the other banned substances can disrupt thyroid function, cause liver toxicity, and create a host of other health and environmental issues.
These products are all used with water and rinsed off afterward. The FDA ruling does not apply to hand sanitizers or wipes, or antibacterial products used in healthcare settings. In June 2016, the FDA requested additional scientific data from manufacturers to prove that the active ingredients in hand sanitizers are safe and effective, so those are currently under review.
Many companies have replaced the banned chemicals with benzalkonium chloride or benzethonium chloride, (which are common in the liquid “pierced ear care” solutions that are also not suggested), or chloroxylenol (PCMX). The FDA has given companies another year to provide more data on their safety and effectiveness.
PAINMAGAZINE 16
Antibacterial Soaps and the FDA Triclosan Ban
Dear E. Angel,
I am a new piercer and I’m excited about learning new things now that I have finished my apprenticeship. It probably wasn’t the best ever to be honest, but I just found out about your articles in Pain Magazine and your book. I ordered it and can’t wait to get my copy. I’m stoked to ask you a question and I hope that you will answer me:
My mentor swears by Dial soap and says it is important to use it to help heal piercings. But I heard that there is some kind of problem with it? Can you tell me if it is still good, or should we be recommending something else??
Thanks a bunch! V.