Know Your Healing Timeline
Depending on which area of your ears youre electing to pierce, the healing timeline will be different. Lobes are typically the quickest to heal, with a recovery time between four and six weeks. Cartilage piercings tend to take slightly longer at eight to twelve weeks due to the difference in composition of the area. Before youre pierced, take time to ask questions about how long your healing process will be so that youre prepared and fully informed.
Cleaning An Ear Piercing: Simply & Effectively
- Written By;Dan Hunter;on October 15, 2018Last Updated: November 28, 2020
- Medically reviewed by Dr. Jennifer T. Haley, M.D., FAAD
Ear piercings are an awesome way to express your personality and sense of style. With the wide variety of piercing types that are available, you have seemingly limitless choices when it comes to what piercings you should get. However, no matter what type of piercing you get, cleaning your ear piercing will be a vital part of the overall healing process.
How Long Do You Have To Clean Your Ear Piercing The Real Answers Here
Ear piercings are very common, with young children and adults having them at one point in their lives. There are many ways you can pierce your ears and show off your personality through the many awesome earrings available. Besides that, they are less risky to have compared to other body piercings.
But if you dont care and clean for your ear piercings well, it can still cause complications. With that said, how long do you have to clean your ear piercing? Read on to find out!
Recommended Reading: How To Teach Yourself American Sign Language
Avoid Rubbing Alcohol And Hydrogen Peroxide
You may consider rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide some of the best cleaning agents for other healing sites, like cuts and scrapes. They do serve to kill bacteria and to prevent infections. However, these products are too harsh for piercing sites. They will kill bacteria, but they will drag out the healing time due to their harsh nature. Salt and saline solutions have the same cleaning properties and are gentle enough to bolster the skin rather than fighting against it.
How To Clean Your Ear Piercing Jewelry
Fortunately, keeping your jewelry clean is much easier than taking care of a new piercing. To sterilize your ear piercing jewelry, simply let it soak in;rubbing alcohol;for several minutes before putting it in your ear.
Alternatively, a quick warm water rinse will also work wonders and keep your;jewelry looking nice and sparkly.
Don’t Miss: How Ent Doctors Remove Ear Wax
How To Care For Ear Piercings
Whether you just got your ears pierced for the first time or you have many holes in each ear, caring for a new piercing is essential. If individuals treat piercings like medical procedures instead of just any other beauty treatment, they can ensure the piercing heals quickly and well. Ear piercings are super common but can have complications if they are not looked after properly for at least the first few weeks. Luckily, aftercare for ear piercings is pretty easy! Get to know some of the best ways to care for ear piercings now.
What To Avoid While Healing An Oral Piercing
-
Touching your piercing, except when you are cleaning it.
-
Oral contact or contact with other peoples body fluids.
-
Sucking thick beverages though straws.
-
Hot, spicy foods and excessive consumption of alcohol, aspirin, and caffeine. Smoking. If you do smoke, rinse with cold bottled water afterwords.
-
Chewing on gum, tobacco, fingernails, and other things that are not food.
-
Playing with your jewelry; it can cause irreversible damage to teeth and gums.
Recommended Reading: Can You Wear A Hearing Aid In Just One Ear
Common Ear Piercing Care Mistakes
Avoid the tragedy of ear piercing horror;stories by steering clear of these;6 ear piercing care mistakes:
1. Dirty Hands
If you touch your new piercing with hands that haven’t recently been washed, germs will transfer and could;lead to an infection. This may sound obvious, but it happens enough that its worth noting.
Always, always, always wash your hands before touching your newly pierced ears.
2. Hair Products
Your hair holds onto anything and everything it encounters throughout the day. It contains the shampoo, conditioner and product from this morning,;plus all;the bacteria and dirt that happened to be floating around in the air you walked through today.
To prevent bacteria from transferring from your hair to your new piercings, try throwing your hair up at night – at least for the first month. Keeping it pulled back and away from your ears will not only reduce the risk of infection, but will also keep it from getting caught on your earrings while you sleep.
3. Wrong Cleaning Solution
Everyone suggests different solutions to use, so its hard to know which is the right choice.
First, use the saline solution your piercer gave;you, every day, twice a day. Apply it to the front and back of the piercing with a clean cotton ball, and then twist the earring a couple times while it is wet.
If that doesnt seem to do the trick, jewelers suggest trying bactine or rubbing alcohol.
4. Premature Earring Removal
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.
Read Also: How To Use Black Seed Oil For Ear Infection
Skin Care Concernshow To Care For And Clean Pierced Ears
Whether its your first time or youve been there and done that, getting your ears pierced is a pretty big deal. The fact is, while your most recent search is likely along the lines of, do piercings hurt, theres more to it than potential discomfort and how great those new earrings are going to look with an updo. Just like tattoos, piercings require their own list of aftercare necessities.
Knowing how to properly care for a piercingincluding how to clean ear piercings and how to treat an infected ear piercingare two of the many essentials you should brush up on prior to making an appointment. What should and shouldn’t you do after getting your ears pierced? Were sharing the 4-1-1 on getting your ears pierced , below.
Wait Before Taking Earrings Out
One of the most important aftercare steps for ear piercings is to wait before taking the earrings out. The earrings for a lobe piercing should be kept in for at least six weeks, and cartilage piercings should be kept in for at least twelve weeks. This includes when you sleep at night, even though it might feel a bit weird! Your body will try to heal the holes in your ears, but keeping earrings in during the healing process ensures the piercings stay open. Even after this minimum period, try not to go more than a day without wearing earrings for a few more months just in case the piercings want to close up.
Recommended Reading: How Much Is Hearing Aid In Nigeria
Spray Your Piercings With A Sea Salt Solution
Soak or spray your new piercings in sea salt and warm distilled water to facilitate healing.
Use a sea salt solution. Mix 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized sea salt with 8 oz warm distilled water. Soak your piercings in the solution, or pour into a clean spray bottle and spray directly onto your piercings for speedy healing.
Keep Your Hands Clean
A simple and easy tip. Before touching your piercing make sure you wash your hands thoroughly. Just normal soap and water is great, and then dry your hands with a clean towel.
Your hands can be a conduit of dirt and bacteria, neglect to wash them before touching your newly pierced ears and you could risk introducing bacteria to the site of the piercing.
Recommended Reading: When You Hear A Ringing In Your Ear
Keep Your Earrings In
After all the excitement of having your ears pierced, youll want to make sure that the piercing heals nicely yet doesnt heal and close over. This means you should keep your earrings in.
In the first six months, we recommend you dont go without your earrings for longer than 24 hours. If the piercing does heal shut, you wont be able to get your earring back in.
How To Keep Your Ear Piercing Open Without Wearing A Pair Of Earrings
Your ear piercing experience is primarily dependent on your piercer. As such, it is crucial to ensure that you opt for a reputable piercer with the skill and experience to pierce your ears properly. Ear holes close particularly fast within the first year of getting the piercing.
If you do not regularly wear an earring, the diameter of the ear hole shrinks significantly and can completely close. For instance, for the first few months, your ear piercing may close up within the first few hours of removing your earrings. If your ear piercing has been in for several years, it may take several weeks or longer before it closes up.
A post shared by BEAUTYEAR on Jun 13, 2019 at 8:00pm PDT
Generally, newly pierced ears require special care and attention for about six to eight weeks after the procedure. However, cartilage ear piercings may take longer to heal as it may take anywhere between three to twelve months to heal completely. Ensure you keep your original earring in for the entire duration and practice other aftercare procedures as advised by your piercer. After the first six to eight weeks, you can remove the earring for cleaning. However, it is best to quickly replace the earring in the new hole for a maximum of one full year to prevent it from closing.
A post shared by BEAUTYEAR on Apr 1, 2019 at 8:25pm PDT
If you opt to use this method, it is advisable to recruit the help of someone else to prevent injuring yourself or cutting the post earring inappropriately.
Recommended Reading: How To Get Hard Wax Out Of Ear
Choose A Reputable Piercing Shop
A good, reputable piercing shop will have ensured that all of their equipment is sterile, and that the environment where the piercing will be done is clean. When you’re getting your ear pierced, check that the person doing it has properly washed their hands;or that they’re wearing gloves prior to them beginning the process. Also, they should apply a special bacteria-killing soap to your ear before they carry out the piercing. Never allow your ears to be pierced in someone’s home .;
Clean Your Piercing 12 To 24 Hours After You Get Pierced
The first time you clean your piercing, it will be about twelve to twenty four hours after you are pierced. Making sure to be deliberate about this first cleaning will set the tone for the cleaning routine that follows. Follow the instructions from your piercer very carefully. Cleaning will become quicker as you familiarize yourself with the particular steps involved.
You May Like: Why Are My Ears Ringing All The Time
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.
Q&a: How To Best Care For A New Ear Piercing
A new ear piercing can be an exciting milestone, regardless of age! Whether its a first piercing or your third or fourth, its important to care for new piercings to help your new ear piercing heal safely. Following are some common questions we hear.
Q: How long does it take for a new ear piercing to heal?
A: The average healing time is 6 weeks for an earlobe piercing and 12 weeks for a cartilage piercing.
Q: How often do I need to clean my newly-pierced ears?
A: We recommend cleansing the front and back of your newly-pierced ears and piercing earrings 3X a day using CLEAN HANDS and a fresh cotton swab soaked in Inverness ear care solution. Gently rotate your earrings after applying ear care solution to prevent the healing tissue from adhering to the post of your piercing earring.
Q: How do I keep my pierced ears from getting infected?
A: In addition to following your aftercare instructions carefully, please remember:
- Keep your piercing clean! ALWAYS wash your hands well with soap and water before touching your new piercing or earrings.
- After swimming or sports, rinse your ears carefully and reapply ear care solution.
Q: Is it OK to change my earrings or take them out during the healing period?
Q: When is it safe to change my earrings?
Watch our video Below or click here for more information on Ear Piercing Aftercare.
Also Check: How Long Do Hearing Aid Batteries 312 Last
What Kids Should Know About Taking Care Of Pierced Ears
Once you get your ears pierced, you have to take care of them. If you don’t, you can get an infection. Following the care directions the piercer gives you can help to avoid infection. The piercer will probably tell you to:
-
Leave the earrings in for six weeks or more, even at night!
-
Carefully wash your ears with soap and water.
-
Twist the earrings to keep the pierced hole open. This should be done a few times a day.
-
Never touch your new pierced ears unless your hands are clean.
-
Put rubbing alcohol on your ears, or use a special cream or ointment to keep away germs.
If your ears get sore, red, or puffy, or if yellowish liquid oozes out of the hole, tell your parents. If it doesn’t go away quickly, your parents should take you to see a doctor. If you have a serious infection or it spreads, you might need to see a skin doctor .
How To Take Care Of Your Ears Post
Youve made the decision to get your ears pierced in one way or another. Maybe youre headed out to decorate your cartilage, lobes, tragus, or another spot. Regardless of where youre piercing, there are several things to keep in mind during your ear piercing and healing process. These important tips will help to minimize the probability of any infections and to help you heal as efficiently as possible.
Also Check: Can You Get Free Hearing Aids On The Nhs
Don’t Use A Piercing Gun
Avoid getting your ears pierced with a piercing gun.
Don’t get your ear pierced with a gun. By doing so, you are quickly forcing a blunt post through your flesh, and this could result in scarring. Make sure your piercer uses a very sharp, hollow needle that is discarded after use. Cartilage piercings should NEVER be pierced with a gun.
Seattle Children’s 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
Don’t Miss: What Medications Can Cause Hearing Loss
Avoid Additional Trauma To The Area
It is imperative to avoid additional trauma to the pierced area to help the ear piercing heal without any issues. You just put a hole through your ears so they will definitely be a little sore. Use special care when playing sports, sleeping, and even getting dressed while the piercings heal. Accidentally tearing an earring out or even bumping your ear hard while it is healing can hurt really badly and even lead to complications with the piercing. Nobody wants an infection or a piercing that closes up! By being a little more gentle with your body than usual, you can avoid major pain.
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.
Read Also: How Much Hearing Loss Is A Disability Canada