Don't touch a new piercing or twist the jewelry unless you're cleaning it. Keep clothing away from the piercing, too. Excessive rubbing or friction can irritate your skin and delay healing. Keep the jewelry in place.
PLEASE DO NOT MOVE, TWIST OR ROTATE THE JEWELLERY !!! Twisting earrings round 'to stop them sticking' can wind hair into the ear & cause an abscess! Keep the piercing jewellery in ALL the time, 24/7, night and day, for at least 2 MONTHS (8 weeks). It does take at least this long for the piercing to heal properly.
The idea that you should twist your piercings is from the dark ages, and this advice was given because butterfly backed earrings were often much too tight and did not allow room for swelling during the healing process. If you didn't turn the earrings, you ran the risk of your skin growing over the back!
There is an old wives' tale that says you need to twist your piercing to make sure it doesn't get stuck or grow into your body. This is nonsense. Your piercing will not get stuck or grow into your piercing site and twisting it will only disrupt the healing going on inside your skin and introduce bacteria to the site.
Rotate the earring twice daily to prevent it from adhering to your ear. Twist the earring in both directions for a few minutes each time.
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. Always be sure your bedding and the clothes you sleep in are clean.
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.
This is an absolutely normal process of a new piercing and does not necessarily mean there is something wrong with it. It is also normal to experience a whitish to yellowish secretion coming from the piercing. This is called sebum, which is just your body's natural secretion and what creates crust on the jewelry.
Plasma and other juices are being secreted by your body to heal an injury (piercing). These juices dry up and cling to the jewelry and skin. By twisting it you're interrupting the healing process. Which is obviously going to also cause pain.
What happens when you twist your body jewelry in your new piercing? You disturb the piercing channel, ultimately destroying any healing progress. You also invite in bacteria and open the door to possible infection when twisting and turning your body jewelry.
AVOID beer, alcohol, yogurt, cheese and spicy or citrus foods for the first 2 weeks. AFTER 3 WEEKS we recommend that you come back to the studio to purchase a shorter barbell for your new piercing. REMEMBER your new piercing is considered an open wound. Be extremely mindful of any oral contact for 6 weeks.
Your newly pierced ears will heal faster and will be less prone to infection if they are not touched. Rotating will cause irritation or injury of the new piercings. A piercing is essentially a puncture wound that heals around a piece of jewelry.
Signs of an infection
It is important to note that your piercing may be tender or painful for up to 3-5 days after the procedure was performed. This is normal.
Unfortunately, you should be patient when thinking about changing the jewellery in a fresh piercing, as changing the jewellery too early can lead to infection, inflammation and even the piercing closing up.
Rinse with clean water after your salt soak to prevent salt crystals forming, which can cause irritation and slow the healing process. 3) It is normal for dried blood or serous fluid (yellow crust) to form around the edges of your piercing. DO NOT pick it away while it is dry.
In fact, they're a sign that the body is healing itself and on the road to recovery. But, that doesn't mean the area should be neglected. Dry, crusty patches should be cleaned regularly until fully healed—a process that can last anywhere from two to five weeks.
These discharges mixed with dirt from lack of cleaning can also oxidize, leaving a black or grey gunk. This gunk can be pushed out with a clean earring or washed out with warm soap and water. You can enter a clean earring into the hole from the front or back to try and budge the gunk.
Your piercing might be infected if: the area around it is swollen, painful, hot, very red or dark (depending on your skin colour) there's blood or pus coming out of it – pus can be white, green or yellow.
If you don't clean your piercing regularly, you could develop complications like infection, scarring, and inflammation, our experts explain. Additionally, the piercing could potentially take longer to heal. Keep in mind that some types of piercings are more likely to become infected than others.
Leave it alone! Aside from checking and tightening threaded jewelry avoid touching and playing with your piercing, this will reduce the risk of introducing bacteria to the site and hindering the healing process. Be patient! Do not change your body jewelry until the piercing is fully healed.
The first question you're likely to ask when a new piercing becomes unusually painful or swollen is “is my piercing infected?” But more often than not, any discomfort is down to irritation or an allergic reaction rather than an infection. And it's important you know the difference so you can get the treatment you need.