Are you thinking about getting a new piercing? We don’t blame you. People who are into body piercings are never content with just one. Professional piercers are amazed that they see the same faces every year. This only validates studies that piercings are addictive.
Even though piercings come with a list of aftercare responsibilities, people don’t seem to mind. However, it only takes a few minor mistakes to discourage someone from getting a new piercing, and that’s usually when they develop an infection.
Infected piercings can be a pain to deal with literally and figuratively. For example, infected ear piercings usually manifest with itching and burning sensation on the piercing site, redness, swelling, tenderness, pain that doesn’t go away, and a yellow pus discharge.
While it’s true that there are cases of infected piercings, it doesn’t mean it happens to everyone. The important thing you can do to avoid such a horrifying experience is to follow the aftercare instructions given by your piercer carefully. When you diligently follow everything written in your aftercare list, you shouldn’t have any reason to worry.
One of the mistakes people make is turning to the Internet for information. Yes, the Internet is brimming with relevant information that may be helpful and useful at times, but it’s also an avenue teeming with misinformation.
If you wind up reading an article that’s plagued with myths and misconceptions, an ear-piercing infection is likely to happen. So let’s check out some of the aftercare mistakes that people thought were the right thing to do. Avoid these mistakes at all costs if you want to save your piercing and keep it infection-free.
Aftercare Piercing Mistakes to Avoid
#1 Handling Piercing Site with Dirty Hands
When handling a new piercing, the number one rule is never to touch it unless you’ve already washed your hands with soap and water. Therefore, make it a habit to wash your hands before touching your ears to avoid infection. When your hands are dirty, you will transfer the bacteria from your hands and introduce them into the open wound. So, as early as now, make it a habit to keep your hands clean.
#2 Using Hair Products
We’re not saying that once you get a piercing, you should ditch all your haircare products. But, we encourage you to be mindful and make sure that the hair products you use are kept away from your piercing, including hair sprays, conditioners, shampoos, serums, oils, etc. Also, after getting out of the shower, we highly recommend that you clean your piercing site right away to prevent irritation and the buildup of the products near the site.
#3 Removing Jewelry Way Too Early
Your new jewelry has just arrived, and you can’t wait to put them on. Hold that thought. Before you do, make sure your piercings have completely healed. Otherwise, you’re just putting yourself at risk of a piercing infection. To ensure that your piercings heal properly, you should wear your piercing earrings during the entire duration of the healing period.
We know how tempting it can be to try your new earrings on, but you have to practice restraint. If you’re getting an earlobe piercing, wait until six weeks before you put your new jewelry on, or if it’s a cartilage piercing, wait until 12 weeks.
When you remove your earrings way too early, you’ll have trouble putting them back on and not to mention the pain you’ll feel while doing so. Not only that, you’ll increase your chances of developing an infection.
#4 Removing Jewelry for a Long Time
Once you’ve completed the healing period, you are now free to change your earrings to the style of your choice. For new piercings, we suggest you go for light studs for at least 24 weeks. After that period, understand that if you remove your jewelry, your piercing can close up. Here are a few guidelines that you should know about:
- Earlobe piercings – during the first six months after the healing period, make sure you don’t remove your earrings for more than 24 hours. Otherwise, there’s a tendency for the piercing may close.
- Cartilage piercings – during the first six months after the healing period of 12 weeks, wear your earrings every day, or else it will close.
#5 Choosing the Wrong Jewelry
You discovered this new shop that sells cheap jewelry, and you decided to give it a try. Well, wrong move. If you’re going to get unique jewelry to avoid buying affordable options. We suggest you choose gold instead, especially during the first year. It’s also essential to prevent other metal types as they may trigger an allergic reaction.
#6 Using The Wrong Cleansing Product
The type of jewelry you choose isn’t the only factor you need to consider when getting a new piercing. You must also find a good cleaning product since you will be cleaning your piercing site three times a day.
Imagine the disaster if you apply the wrong product into an open wound. As much as possible, avoid using hydrogen peroxide and alcohol as these solutions cause the site to dry, ultimately affecting the healing process.
In a nutshell, how you care for your new piercings matters a great deal. If you don’t follow proper aftercare instructions, you’ll inevitably suffer the consequences of an infected piercing, and we’re sure that’s something you’re not going to look forward to.
So if you ever experience signs and symptoms of an infected piercing, make sure you let your piercer know ASAP. Don’t handle it yourself, or you might only aggravate the infection.
What Products Are Safe To Use For New Piercings?
If you’re looking for a safe product to clean your piercings, Dr. Piercing Aftercare can help.
At Dr. Piercing Aftercare, we’ve developed convenient medicated swabs that you can use to clean your piercings and keep infection away. We are proud of our products. They are made and tested in a cGMP compliant and FDA-registered facility in America.
We use advanced technology on our swabs for easy application. Each pack contains thirty-six medicated swabs that are proven and tested to promote your body’s natural healing process while preventing infection. Contact us today, or you can check out our website to learn more about our products.
