Some prefer to wear a bra to protect and secure their piercing. Others feel a bra is too restrictive, fear snagging their piercing on their bra, or dislike the feeling of wearing a bra with their new jewelry. Others yet skip the bra altogether. We often recommend wearing a sports bra during the healing process.
It's important to keep in mind, however, that nipples can be pretty sensitive during healing. If they rub too much against your clothing or get snagged, it can cause discomfort. To avoid these issues, you should wear a t-shirt or bra that holds the jewelry in place.
Try not to let your nipple ring snag on your clothes, towels, or sheets. This could tear your skin and lead to an infection. You can wear a padded bra, thick sports bra, or cotton T-shirt to protect your newly pierced nipple.
We recommend that people do not sleep on any piercings while they are healing as this could cause stress on the piercing and lead to migration or rejection. However, we do have clients that successfully heal nipple piercings who are stomach sleepers.
“At least go three or four weeks and try to keep it to a minimum,” Thompson explains, “but it's not like you have to go six months.” And obviously, wash your hands before touching your nipples. Does the piercing make your nipple more sensitive? Yes and no.
Nipple piercings take quite a long time to heal, and the healing time varies from person to person. On average, it can take between 4 to 6 months for a nipple piercing to heal. However, it can take as long as 9 to 12 months. It is crucial to keep the piercing clean and comfortable during the healing process.
Can I lose sensation? Your nipples will become more sensitive after being pierced, not less.
A nipple piercing is a self-inflicted wound that starts healing, as soon as it happens. Usually, this wound heals around the jewelry, meaning a successful piercing. The healing process can cause side effects, such as redness, itching, or small amounts of discharge.
Your nipples may bleed for the first week and you can expect them to be incredibly sore. You'll quickly realize how often your nipple lightly brushes random things — because it's going to hurt. It will get crusty and require daily cleaning.
Many people say getting re-pierced is less painful than the first time. Remember fleshy areas such as the lobes are less painful than areas with thicker cartilage like the helix.
Nose piercings are notoriously hard healers, as they are a very sensitive area due to the nerves that run though. They take at least 12 weeks before being able to be changed, and even then, may need more time.
Importance of Care. Although the earlobes, nostrils and belly button are generally safe areas to have pierced, a risk of infection still exists. Properly caring for your piercings drastically reduces the chances that they will become infected.
Helix (and Most Outer Cartilage): 6-12 Months
As a result, these piercings tend to take longer to heal, and Gottschalk estimated about 12 months of healing time for most outer-cartilage piercings to fully heal, helix included.
“After the first few days, it's completely normal to have a little bit of redness, soreness, and swelling. The swelling can last upwards of 10 to 14 days, and you'll get a little bit of clear or white discharge, which will turn into what we call 'crusties.
Clean Your Piercing Regularly
“The key to fast and proper healing is to keep the area clean,” Kim says. For an easy-to-follow cleaning regimen, Doig suggests light irrigation with sterile saline a few times a day—there's no need to follow things up with a cleanser or disinfectant.
Saliva creates a humid environment, thus improving the survival and functioning of inflammatory cells that are crucial for wound healing. In addition, saliva contains several proteins which play a role in the different stages of wound healing.
“If you're very physically active, a navel or belly button piercing might not be a good choice,” Dr. Kronborg said. “All the jostling and trauma increases healing time and the risk of infection.”
Bleeding or clotting disorders or the use of anticoagulant medications – If you have a bleeding or clotting disorder like haemophilia or have been prescribed anticoagulant (anti-clotting) medication, piercings may result in excessive bleeding and may not heal properly.
Because the cartilage is thinner on the upper ear, helix piercings tend to be the least painful cartilage piercing. They measure around a 4-5/10 on the pain scale and take around 3-6 months to fully heal.