Traditionally, as Indians, we all get our first piercings when we’re barely a few weeks old. We’ll call this the primary piercing and it’s on the main part of your ear lobe. If you have always worn earrings in your primary piercing, then you’ll already know that most people go through their life with just this one piercing. Typically, even if you go through long periods of not wearing any earrings in your primary piercing, it’ll still be okay. However, the hole size may reduce and in some cases, it may close all together.
You’ll see that any additional piercings you get, they require more care. For new piercings, we recommend that you wear good quality earrings continuously for a few weeks. This is because a new piercing can close even after just a few hours. But why does this happen? Essentially, a piercing is a new artificially created hole created in your body so it steers your immune system in healing and repairing the hole.
Typically, for the first six months of a new piercing, going more than a full day could potentially close your new piercing. Maintaining this consistency through your earrings will ensure that your new piercing is minimally disturbed and therefore remains intact.
Frequently changing your earrings may also cause ear infections depending on the material of the earrings you wear. When earrings aren’t coated in high quality polish that restrains it from reacting to water and other substances like creams and oils you may use, they can create an infection at your new piercing which would not only be painful but also cause your piercing to close.
We also recommend taking care of your new ear piercings depending on which part of the ear it is located at. Some parts of the ear like the cartilage will take longer to heal over others.
Tragus
Tragus is the little tab on cartilage that is located closest to your face. If you’re considering piercing your tragus, then you’ll find that you have to exercise caution while cleaning your ears and when wearing earphones. In fact, for the first weeks it may not be possible to wear any.
Conch Piercing
Getting a piercing in the inner ear is known as a conch piercing. Keep in mind you will not be able to wear rings immediately so you’d have to wait till the piercing heals and then switch it out. Keeping this piercing bare for any amount until it fully heals will cause it to close up.
Helix Piercing
The helix is the upper part of the ear. A helix piercing can take up to six months to fully heal. It is also one of the more common places to get a piercing.
Daith Piercing
A daith piercing is the one that passes through your ear’s inner cartilage fold. It is a piercing that can take three and six months to close.
Industrial Piercing
With an industrial piercing, you have to be mindful of not one but two new piercings. It is also known as a bar piercing as a bar connects a helix piercing to a forward helix piercing through an arrow. This piercing may hurt more and is bigger so the time it would take to heal is also longer. You may find it closing if you take the earrings out when it is under six months.
When you find that your piercing has become smaller, you’ll find that wearing your regular earrings becomes difficult since the hole can no longer accommodate the thickness of the earring. The first instinct in this situation would be to force the earring in, but we would recommend against that. This could cause a tear in your piercing and can further cause an infection.
What Do You Do When A Piercing Closes?
The simplest solution to this is to go back to the place you got it done and get it reopened. You do not require a new piercing immediately as it is merely the skin healing over the piercing. This is the most hassle free and safe option as it would eliminate the chances of infections as in the case if you tried to do it yourself.
In the event that your piercing does close fully and you're not able to wear your earrings, we suggest finding out if you need to wait for a while before you pierce your ear again or you can do it immediately and then going ahead with it.
