Millions of people have their ears pierced every year. Ear piercings are one of the most in-demand piercings today, perhaps because the ear offers so many cool and trendy spots that look amazing when pierced. You can go for a classic and sophisticated look with earlobe piercings or go as far as piercing your cartilage or your tragus for a bolder and fiercer look.
Piercing aficionados are so obsessed with piercings that they can’t help but share countless ideas on what body part to pierce next. This makes people believe that all piercings will turn out beautiful.
They mostly do, but there are also ugly sides to piercings that are rarely discussed. You don’t see famous people showing you their infected piercings. The sad reality of life is that piercing infection can happen, and it can happen to anyone. It can even happen to you.
The good news is that even though the risk of infection is there, you can take specific steps to make sure it doesn’t happen. Let’s start with cleaning your piercings. A surefire way to safeguard your piercings against infection is by cleaning them daily.
Piercing Aftercare Guide
First, make sure you wash your hands with soap and water before handling your piercings. Many people forget to wash their hands, and as a result, they inadvertently introduce bacteria into the fresh piercings. When bacteria get in the open wound, you’re looking into a piercing infection.
Second, as much as you’d like to change your jewelry into something more fashionable, we highly discourage you from doing so. Leave your initial earrings in place for at least six weeks, and that means never taking them out even when you sleep or bathe.
Removing your jewelry too soon can cause irritation, infection, and the holes to close up. It’s best if you wait until your piercings have completely healed before you take them out and replace them with the jewelry of your choice.
Third, avoid putting any products on your piercings such as antibacterial creams, petroleum jelly, ointments, serums, alcohol, etc.
Fourth, professional piercers do not recommend you clean your piercings in bathrooms, especially public restrooms, because these places have high bacterial concentrations that could easily infect your piercings.
Fifth, if you’re going to sleep, don’t lie in the area where your piercings are, especially for long periods. If you do this, your piercing will harbor moisture, inviting bacteria inside and increasing your risk of infection.
Sixth, keep hair products away from your piercing sites, such as hairspray, pomade, soaps, and shampoos to avoid irritation.
Seventh, check for signs of infection. It’s important to mention that during the first few weeks after getting your ears pierced, you will experience swelling, redness, and possibly discomfort. These symptoms should subside as your piercings heal, but if they worsen and the pain intensifies, you should let your piercer know about it.
The most crucial step is to clean your piercings using saline solution and Q-tips or cotton balls. Dip the Q-tip or cotton ball in the saline and soak the piercing. Do this twice a day until the piercings are healed. You can make your saline solution by mixing a teaspoon of table salt in one cup of warm water.
The healing time for ear piercings depends on their location. Some parts of your ear heal faster than others. Furthermore, the healing rate is not the same for everyone.
Some people experience faster wound healing, especially if they diligently follow their piercer’s aftercare instructions. On average, it takes one to two months for ear piercings to heal completely. Cartilage piercings take longer, between 6 months to a year.
Looking For An Aftercare Piercing Cleaning Product?
If you’re looking for a safe and effective product you can use to clean your piercings, you may want to give Dr. Piercing Aftercare's medicated swabs a try. These swabs are designed to soothe, clean, and protect your piercing while it heals. It’s saline-based. Each pack contains 72 medicated swabs.
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 check out our website to learn more about our products.
