1. Don’t Play with, Pull on, or Unnecessarily Touch It

We’re all guilty of fiddling with an earring, but touching a brand new piercing will transfer bacteria, and may even irritate the piercing to the point of discomfort. So resist the temptation to play with your new gadget until all is healed!

2. Be Sure to Rotate the Jewelry a Few Times a Day

You want your piercing to heal, but you don’t want it to completely close! Twisting the earring or piece of jewelry will keep the hole open while allowing the piercing to still heal properly! 2-3 times per day should be sufficient.

3. Avoid over-cleaning, Twice a Day is Usually Sufficient

There are bad bacteria and there are good bacteria. If you are constantly cleaning your piercing, you may be killing off the good bacteria that are protecting you from bad bacteria! You don’t want to have a totally sterile piercing, so keep the cleansing to about twice per day, maybe three times depending on the activities of the day.

4. Don’t Forget to Clean after You Go Swimming

It’s always a good idea to cleanse your piercing after you go swimming or sweat excessively around the area. Dirty water and sweat both can introduce germs and bacteria to the area, and that’s a recipe for infection! Plus swimming pools have chemicals in them that might burn or itch if they sit on the skin too long; so cleansing the piercing is never a bad idea.

5. Don’t Use Something Weird to Clean with

If your aunt Sue suggests using Windex, or you read online that it’s a good idea to soak your piercing with vodka, just don’t. Only use what was provided to you at the time of your piercing, or good ol’ saline. You can’t go wrong with saline! Saturate a cotton ball, and thoroughly cleanse the area. You can also use a q-tip for smaller, harder to reach spots.

6. Avoid Activities That Might Irritate Your Piercing in the Early Stage

Besides the possibility of ripping open your piercing, it’s just plain uncomfortable to have something irritate the area! So avoid activities that might produce too much friction in the area, and wear clothes that won’t rub over your piercing as much if you get a body piercing.

7. Don’t Skip Cleaning Your Piercing

Never skip a day or two of caring for your piercing. It’s unsanitary, and you risk infection! If you care for your piercing correctly, it will heal soon and you’ll be free of pesky cleansing several times a day!

It’s very important to take care of your piercing so you don’t end up with a yucky and painful infection! Have you ever had a piercing that became infected due to improper care? If you’ve had great experiences with body piercings, please share your successful tips! Thanks for reading and have a fabulous day!