Piercing Aftercare: Helping Your New Piercing Heal (2024)

FAQs

Piercing Aftercare: Helping Your New Piercing Heal? ›

To speed things up, clean the piercing every day with mild soapy water. Don't irritate the skin around the piercing and avoid reopening the wound, which could slow down healing time. Give the tissue around the piercing plenty of time to heal before you change the jewelry.

To speed things up, clean the piercing every day with mild soapy water. Don't irritate the skin around the piercing and avoid reopening the wound, which could slow down healing time. Give the tissue around the piercing plenty of time to heal before you change the jewelry.

Simplicity: Both dermatologists we spoke with emphasized that a simple saline solution — no additives, no alcohol, and no antibacterial ointments — is the best product for piercing aftercare. You should even avoid basic wound care staples like rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide.

Using a salt water soak or saline spray twice daily can speed up the healing process, reduce the chances of infections and help soothe an irritated or tender piercing. Use of a warm salt soak can increase circulation at the piercing site and draw out cellular slough and impurities from the piercing.

Piercing aftercare begins the same day as the piercing and should be performed 2-3 times per day. You'll continue this regimen for several weeks-to-months. This timeline is different depending on where in the ear you get pierced; your nurse will give you the specific timeline appropriate for your piercing.

Too much rubbing or friction can irritate your skin and delay healing. Keep the jewelry in place. Most piercings heal within about six weeks. But some might take several months or longer to heal.

The snug piercing is notoriously difficult to heal and requires a very specific type of ear to heal as a sustainable piercing. The snug piercing is located on the vertical ridge of cartilage that sits above the anti-tragus on one's ear.

These are great to keep the new piercing clean." Any crusties, dry skin, or clear to pale yellow seepage that may have accumulated can be delicately wiped away with a wet cotton ball. "Clean the area once a day, using a cotton round or Q-tip dipped in the saline solution to remove crusting," continues Dr. Mian.

moisturize the area (ask your piercer what they recommend- some piercing experts may recommend using diluted tea tree oil or coconut oil).

General Care for Body Piercings

Always wash hands thoroughly before contact with the piercing. Do not use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. (Both slow the healing of pierced areas by drying and killing new healthy cells.)

How do you calm an inflamed piercing? ›

Applying a warm compress to the infected earlobe or cartilage. Cleaning the infected ear piercing with sterile saline. Using antibiotic ointment on the affected area. Taking oral antibiotics for more severe infections.

Instructions. NeilMed and Arm&Hammer Simply Saline Wound Wash is recommended for cleaning your piercing 3-4 times a day for 4-6 months or longer, thoroughly spray both sides of your piercing, and gently push the jewelry back and forth as you continue to spray both sides of the hole to remove residue/build-up.

Using petroleum jelly that comes in a squeeze tube, gently apply a thin coat around each opening. You always want to use a squeeze tube because it will prevent you from transferring any germs that may be in an open jar to your piercings. The petroleum jelly will keep the piercings moist. A moist wound heals faster.

--NEVER use products like alcohol, peroxide, bactine, hibiclens, neosporin, vaseline, etc. These products are not meant for piercings and even says on these bottles "not meant for puncture wounds." --Do not remove your jewelry until it's healed, six months. (unless otherwise stated by your piercer).

A sea salt soak is effective at softening up and gently removing debris that can accumulate, says Faris. It may also relieve inflammation, rinse the area, and flush out the wound as the piercing heals.

Several medical professionals have suggested taking a zinc supplement (60mg for women 120mg for men) unless your doctor advises otherwise discontinue use after four weeks. 3000mg of vitamin C daily in a mineral ascorbate form (not ascorbic acid). Emergen-C is a excellent brand, one packet three times daily.