Remember to stay out of the water until your piercing has been healing for two weeks and always follow the aftercare advice. If you do need to swim in the first two weeks, use a Band-Aid and our spray.
Avoid baths, hot tubs, swimming pools, saunas, lakes, etc. for the first three weeks after being pierced as they contain bacteria which can increase the risk of infection.
It's best to just clean the piercing and jewelry thoroughly without actually moving it. Rinse the piercing and jewelry several times with warm water, ensuring that all soap has been removed.
We don't expect you to stop using hair products during your healing period, but we DO recommend protecting your new piercing from exposure to hair spray and other styling products, including shampoo and conditioner.
Stay out of pools, hot tubs, rivers, lakes and other bodies of water while your piercing is healing. Don't fiddle with your piercings. Don't touch a new piercing or twist the jewelry unless you're cleaning it. Keep clothing away from the piercing, too.
For piercings to heal it is important that the area remains clean and dry. Swimming may surround the opening of the piercing with bacteria. This may cause infection, through the opening in your skin.
It's normal to have some redness, swelling or pain for a couple of days after getting your ears pierced. But your ears should look and feel better each day. If you find that your ears do great and then suddenly start to become red, inflamed or crusty a week or two later, that's usually a sign of infection.
Gently wash your piercings with a mild, fragrance-free soap and water at least once a day. Thoroughly rinse your piercings after washing them. Using petroleum jelly that comes in a squeeze tube, gently apply a thin coat around each opening. Keep an eye on your ears.
The single best thing you can do for your piercing is to keep up a regular regimen of salt water soaks. These flush out the piercing, help to draw out discharge, stimulate blood circulation, and soothe irritations. We strongly suggest soaking your piercing at least twice a day—more often if healing is difficult.
Flip your hair to the opposite side of your head so you can avoid getting an excessive amount of water or any product in the wound. Make sure you stay in this position until you've completely rinsed the product out of your hair before gently patting your ear dry.
Don't eat spicy, salty or acidy foods or liquids while you are healing. Avoid hot drinks such as hot chocolate, coffee, and tea. Eat cold foods and drinks as they lessen swelling. Be extra careful when eating crunchy foods.
Give it a Rest. First things first – do not attempt to clean your piercing right away when you get home. In fact, don't touch your piercing or the area around it for the first 24 hours after you've had your piercing done. The area will still likely be painful, and you need to let the piercing settle down a bit.
Wear a wound sealing bandage over the piercing. Wear waterproof clothing over your belly button or nipple piercings – and a swimming cap to protect your ear piercings – for short periods of time. Limit the time you spend in the water to avoid submerging the piercing for too long.
DO NOT pick the crusties off—that's just introducing your dirty hands to a healing piercing and can increase your risk of infection. The best way to clean them is to soak the piercing in warm saline solution, softening the crusties which then come off easily.
The new piercing will weep lymphatic fluid. It is a clear, yellowish discharge that would come out of any wound. THIS IS NOT A SIGN OF INFECTION AND IS NOT PUS. In actuality, it's a good sign, it shows your body is doing what it should and fighting the good fight.
Trapped moisture around a piercing can cause a buildup of fluid in the piercing channel as well as other complications with healing.
What's the healing time? There are different types of tissue in different parts of your ear, so how long it takes to heal depends on your body and the place you've pierced. Earlobes usually take 6-8 weeks. If you pierce the cartilage on the side of your ear, it can take 4 months to a year.
Sleeping on your healing piercing, especially ear piercings, can cause it to heal angled and crooked. The pressure from laying on it causes the jewelry to become tilted, and VERY irritated. This will do all of what not downsizing your piercing will do. It's the same thing.
In general, tattoos tend to hurt more than piercings because the needles used for tattoos are larger and go deeper into the skin than the needles used for piercings.
There's no reason to rotate your piercing. You could damage the delicate, healing skin by rotating the jewelry. In the past, rotating the jewelry was recommended, but it has been found to cause damage that can lead to infection and scarring. For happy healing, NEVER rotate your body jewelry.