Getting your ear pierced can be exciting and a lot of fun, but it also requires extreme care in the initial stages. Taking care of your newly pierced ear is very important to avoid infections and to promote fast healing. In this article, we talk about how to care for new ear piercings, what to do, and what not to do in detail so that you can have a pleasant experience without any complications the next time you get your ears pierced. You can also check out our article about earrings to know more about the accessory.
Piercings can close up or get infected if not taken care of. Before we start to talk about how to care after a piercing it is important to know the different parts where ear piercing is possible to wear an earring.
Here are a few popular spots where ear piercing is done
Earlobe
This is probably the first ever piercing that you will ever get and one the most common ear piercing options for both men and women. The earlobe is at the bottom of the ear. Earlobe piercing heals fast and is easy to clean.
Helix
The second most popular ear-piercing region after the earlobe. The helix is the curvy tissue at the top of the ear, this region is hard compared to the earlobe and takes a considerably long time to heal, and is slightly difficult to keep clean.
Tragus
This region lies just above the earlobe and is the hard part of the ear. This piercing is uncommon and is more difficult to care for.
Now that you know the various areas where ear piercing is possible, the next step is to make sure the following things are taken care of:
- Make sure that the person piercing your ear for your next earring is a certified professional.
- Make sure that the right equipment is used.
- Make sure that the equipment is sterilised.
- Make sure that the workshop is sanitised.
Before getting into the care routine it is best to be aware that piercings take a long time to heal, earlobe piercing takes about 2-3 months to completely heal whereas ear piercings on your helix, and tragus take about 10 months to heal.
It is also good to know that the swelling and redness take a few days to heal and that itching is common during the initial days. Caring for a fresh piercing is not as intimidating as it seems, with a consistent regime that process is very easy and effective in the long run.
Let us now look at a few caring tips for your ear piercings
- Do not scratch the piercing, we know that it's difficult not to scratch the itchy pierced area but scratching makes the itch worse and can cause infections.
- Keep away from open waters like rivers, lakes, and swimming pools.
- Make sure that the area around the ear piercing is always moist, keeping the area of the piercing moist promotes healing.
- Apply petroleum jelly around the pierced area to stop dust particles from entering the point of piercing.
- Do not apply any skincare or hair care products to the areas around the piercing.
- Do visit a dermatologist if you notice your ears getting puffy or a yellow liquid oozes out through your piercing, these symptoms are indicators of infection.
- When there are symptoms of an infection, do not self-medicate.
- Wear earrings that do not move. Movement increases the area of the wound and makes it difficult for the wound to heal.
- Do not fiddle with the earrings. Fiddling again tampers the healing process.
- Make sure you wear the right earrings as it is advised to keep earrings intact for at least six to eight weeks for proper healing.
How to clean piercings
- Always wash your hands before cleaning your ear piercings.
- Always clean the ear piercing with non fragrant and saline solution.
- Do not use alcohol based solutions to clean your piercings.
- Do not wipe your piercings but dab them gently.
- Make sure that you use a dry cloth to dry your piercings and then apply petroleum gel.
- Do not remove your earrings before the piercings heal completely. The piercings will close up if the earrings are removed.
With all the information on how to care for your piercings and a proper idea as to how to keep them clean, you can go get your ear pierced now with full confidence. Make sure that you follow all the guidelines properly to have a pleasant experience so you can wear the earrings you've always wanted. To do that, check out our guide on everything about earrings.
