Caring For Ear Piercings
Earlobe piercings are the most common type of piercing. Itâs typically a less risky part of your body to get pierced.
What to expect. When you first get your ears pierced you may see some bleeding, bruising, redness, or experience mild soreness. You may also experience itching and see white-yellow fluid ooze from the wound or crust on the jewelry. This is a normal part of the healing process and isnât pus.
Keep The Piercing Clean
Another essential when caring for newly pierced ears is to clean the actual piercing. This needs to be done at least three times a day. To remember, why not do this after youve cleaned your teeth, or after meals?
We recommend you use the saline ear care solution provided by our piercing studio. Dip a cotton swab or pad and lightly clean the area around the front and back of the piercing.
Caring For Pierced Ears
How to care for pierced ears
Although ear piercings are more common and can be less risky than other body piercings, they can still cause complications if not handled safely. For anyone thinking about getting their ears pierced, dermatologists urge people to follow these steps to avoid infection.
Although ear piercings are more common and can be less risky than other body piercings, they can still cause complications if not handled safely. For anyone thinking about getting their ears pierced, dermatologists urge people to follow these steps to avoid infection:
Always wash your hands before touching newly pierced ears.
Leave the earrings in your ears for six weeks or more, even at night. Removing the starter earrings too early may cause the piercings to close.
Regularly wash your ears with soap and water. Carefully do this at least once a day to avoid infection.
Twist the earrings a few times daily. This will help keep the pierced holes open.
Put rubbing alcohol on your ears. Using a cotton ball or pad dipped in rubbing alcohol, gently clean the skin around the piercings twice a day to keep away germs and prevent scabbing. You may also apply a thin coat of petroleum jelly around the opening.
After piercing your ears, keep an eye on them to make sure they dont get sore, red or puffy and that the holes dont ooze yellowish liquid. If any of this occurs and doesnt go away quickly, see a board-certified dermatologist, as you may have an infection.
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Looking For An Aftercare Piercing Cleaning Product
If youre looking for a safe and effective product you can use to clean your piercings, you may want to give Dr. Piercing Aftercare’s medicated swabs a try. These swabs are designed to soothe, clean, and protect your piercing while it heals. Its saline-based. Each pack contains 72 medicated swabs.
At Dr. Piercing Aftercare, we’ve developed convenient medicated swabs that you can use to clean your piercings and keep infection away. We are proud of our products. They are made and tested in a cGMP compliant and FDA-registered facility in America.
We use advanced technology on our swabs for easy application. Each pack contains thirty-six medicated swabs that are proven and tested to promote your body’s natural healing process while preventing infection. Contact us today, or check out our website to learn more about our products.
- Dr. Piercing Aftercare is distributed exclusively by:Broadway Products LLC
What Are Signs You Need To Clean Your Piercing

“Piercings need to be cleaned regularly, regardless of specific signs,” King explains. “Of course evidence of debris, crusting, dirt, and makeup all are clear signs that the area needs to be cleaned, but with regularly cleaning you shouldn’t get to this point.”
Tenderness, pain, itching, and dried blood around the piercing site are additional signs that let you know your piercing needs to be cleaned, Frank says. If you think your piercing is infected, it’s a good idea to see a doctor for their expert advice.
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How To Clean A Tongue Piercing
Tongue piercings are not for the faint of heart, and honestly, kudos to anyone who gets them. The first concern, of course, is how you eat after you get the piercing. But dont worry, you dont have to get on any special soup diet while your piercing heals. You should, however, opt for colder foods and beverages, since they can help keep the swelling down and refrain from eating spicy food. Infinite Body Piercing also urges you to keep the alcoholic beverages at bay while your tongue heals.
To keep your tongue piercing clean, Infinite Body recommends you make a saltwater rinse by mixing ¼ teaspoon of sea salt with one cup of bottled or distilled water. Swish the solution in your mouth for 30 to 60 seconds after every meal. You can also use an alcohol-free mouth rinse such as Colgate Peroxyl Antiseptic Mouth Sore Rinse. You should also consider using a new, soft-bristled toothbrush when you first get the piercing, so you dont introduce new bacteria into the fresh wound.
What Earrings Should You Wear After A Piercing
When you first have your ears pierced, you will be given piercing earrings, which will have to be kept in for a minimum of six weeks . Whilst it may be tempting to wear the earrings youve been promising yourself for ages, its not advisable to wear anything but your piercing earrings until things have healed nicely.
Once the time is up and all is well, you can swap to some gorgeous light stud earrings for around six to twelve months. Keep those stunning drop earrings for a little bit longer if you can.
Are you ready to get your ears pierced, or know someone who is? Why not book an appointment at H.Samuel today? Recently purchased some earrings and want to find out more about how to clean them? Take a look at our earring cleaning guide.
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Tips For Specific Body Piercings
NAVEL
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Avoid having tight clothing rubbing on your piercing.
EAR AND FACIAL PIERCINGS
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Shield piercings from hair spray and styling products.
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Clean your telephone frequently and avoid contact with unclean phones.
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Avoid sleeping with wet hair if you have a new ear piercing. The moisture can lead to complications.
NIPPLE PIERCINGS
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You may want to sleep in a clean, tight fitting shirt or sports bra, especially if you have pets that get on or in your bed.
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Women often find that wearing a bra is far more comfortable than going without during the initial healing time.
GENITAL PIERCINGS
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While sexual contact is not prohibited, it should be gentle and piercings must be protected from other peoples body fluids while they are still healing . A good quality condom or other barrier is vital to prevent infections. Avoid any lubricants that are not water based.
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Soap may not be necessary for some mucous membranes.
How Long Does It Take An Ear Piercing To Heal
Earlobe piercings are the quickest to heal. They typically take about 1 to 2 months to fully heal.
Cartilage piercings elsewhere on your ear will take longer to heal. It may take up to 6 months or even 1 year before a helix or tragus piercing is fully healed.
While your piercing is still healing, dont take your jewelry out for an extended period. Doing so may cause the hole to close.
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Whats The Best Way To Clean A New Piercing
For non-oral piercings, like those on the ear, you want to clean it twice daily with a mild aftercare product like a wound wash sterile saline cleanse, either on a sterile wipe or by soaking. When washing hair, try to keep products out of the piercing and irrigate the piercing afterward thoroughly to wash out any soap residue.
Can You Prevent An Ear Infection
Are all piercings bound to end up getting infected? The answer is no. Look at the causes of infection. As you can see, theyre all preventable. Here are some to help prevent infection.
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Maintaining Healthy Ear Piercings
How You Can Get A Piercing Infection

A piercing is essentially an open wound. An earlobe piercing usually takes six to eight weeks to heal. Cartilage piercings, which take place on the harder part of your ear, generally take longer to heal and can be more prone to infection. There are several ways your ear piercing can get infected.
Any bacteria left to fester can quickly turn into an infection. If you touch your piercing with dirty hands or instruments, you can introduce an infection. If the earrings are on too tightly, not allowing room for the wound to breathe and heal, an infection can develop. A piercing can also get infected if theres too much handling of the piercing or the post of the earring is rough.
An infection can also occur if unsterile instruments were used, if the person piercing your ears didnt use gloves, or if the posts themselves werent sterile.
Its fairly easy to identify an infected ear piercing. Symptoms may include:
- yellow, pus-like discharge
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When Can I Stop Cleaning My Ear Piercing
The general time frame for earlobe piercings to completely heal is about six weeks. Cartilage piercings take a little bit longer, with most estimates coming out to about twelve weeks.
There are a couple of things to consider with these estimates, of course. One thing to remember is that the time frames presented here are defined according to the scenario that you have not had any infections or setbacks during the healing process and that your underlying health is excellent. If infections or bad inflammation occur, healing times can take a little longer, and cleaning infected ear piercings can be a little more involved/painful. Some underlying health conditions may also significantly delay healing.
Its also worth noting that piercing wounds heal from the inside-out, meaning that while your ear may look nice and healed from the outside, it could still be regenerating in the middle. If in doubt, ask your piercer.
How To Care For Newly Pierced Ears
So, youve been admiring some striking Disney earrings, or mystical Harry Potter earrings from afar. Or maybe after months of waiting, youve taken the plunge and had your ears pierced to wear some stunning sapphire blue stud earrings to your wedding anniversary party.
24 February 2020H.Samuel – Editor
Getting your ears pierced can be a fairly daunting experience. Once the anticipation, excitement and anxiety are out the way and your ears are freshly pierced, the journey with your new earrings is by no means over. Sure, youre now donning your stunning new silver studs, but aftercare of a fresh piercing is so important.
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How Should I Clean My Piercing
Pro Tips:
- Do not use cotton swabs/pads, as the fibers can get caught under your jewelry and irritate your piercing. We recommend using non-woven gauze or spraying saline directly onto the front and back of your piercing!
- Exercise during healing is fine listen to your body. We recommend avoiding contact sports that may potentially cause your piercing to get bumped around.
- Make sure your bedding is washed and changed regularly. Wear clean, comfortable, breathable clothing that protects your piercing while you are sleeping.
- Try your best to avoid sleeping directly on your fresh piercing.
Things You Should Know
- Start by cleaning the surrounding skin and your hands with a mild antibacterial soap.
- Apply a simple saline solution with clean, disposable gauze or cotton balls twice a day.
- Gently wiggle the piercing back and forth so the saline solution works its way throughout the entire piercing.
- Keep your piercing as dry as possible in between cleanings as it heals.
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How Long For Pierced Ears To Heal
- Total464
General Care For Body Piercings
- Always wash hands thoroughly before contact with piercing.
- Do not use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
- Do not use bacitracin or other ointments. .
- Use salt soaks for best care/cleaning of ring or stud and loosening dry material on the skin .
- To clean the surrounding skin, use mild antiseptic products such as benzalkonium chloride, . Dilute 50/50 with water, if soap is too harsh.
- Twice a day saturate a cotton swab or Q-Tip with the cleaning solution, apply to the pierced area, let soak for a few minutes.
- Remove any dried matter.
- Rotate the jewelry while the area is wet.
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How To Heal Newly Pierced Ears
The ear piercing process takes only seconds, but newly pierced ears require six to eight weeks of healing time, according to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation 12. Taking proper care of the pierced ears and keeping them clean will speed healing, reduce pain and prevent infection. It is essential that a trained professional pierce your ears in a sterile environment to prevent complications.
Leave the earring in your ear. Removing an earring from a newly pierced ear may cause the hole to close. You can promote healing and prevent or treat an infection while the earring is in your ear.
Replace the earring if it is made of nickel or another cheaper metal. The Nemours Foundation states that these metals are a common source of allergic reaction, and can slow healing in newly pierced ears 2. If you believe this could be an issue, change the earring to one with a gold or hypoallergenic stud. Put the new earring in the hole immediately to prevent it from closing.
Wash your hands with warm water and soap before handling your newly pierced ears or your earrings. Touching your ears with dirty hands can introduce potentially harmful bacteria.
Rotate the earring several times each day for the first few weeks after having your ear pierced. This will prevent your ear from healing tightly closed around the earring.
Tips
Taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication for the first few days after the piercing can reduce discomfort and swelling.
Look Out For Earring Infection

What you certainly dont want is an infection. Sometimes, despite all best intentions, you may have a reaction to your piercing. We suggest you keep a close eye on things for a few weeks, so you can nip any issues in the bud as soon as possible.
If you notice any redness, burning sensation, pain, tender or swollen skin, discharge with an unpleasant odour, or ongoing itching around the piercing, please seek medical advice from your GP straight away.
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Seattle Childrens Urgent Care Locations
If your childs illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.
Minor Infection in Newly Pierced Ear in Last 6 Weeks
Minor Infection in Ear Pierced More Than 6 Weeks Ago and Healed