The Correct Way to Take Care of a New Piercing ...

Jordin

When you get a new piercing, the first few weeks of caring for it will be critical in whether or not it heals well and heals quickly, or whether you end up with a painful infection and possible a botched piercing that never heals right and leaves a terrible scar! So whether you’re planning to get a belly button ring or another ear piercing, here are some excellent tips for caring for a new piercing.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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Have you actually asked advice from piercers, or did you read the leaflets they give you at the drug store gun piercing booths? Hardly any of this is advice that we, as professional body piercers would give to our clients.

You should not be rotating the jewelry in a new piercing at all only clean with saline or a very gentle unscented soap. And do not swim for minimum 3 weeks with any new piercing.

Sea salt water or saline is the only thing you should be cleaning it with. Don't buy the sprays that are "piercing cleaners", they usually contain alcohol to preserve the shelf life of the product. Sea salt water (1 litre of sterile water to 1 teaspoon of sea salt) is essentially saline, without the added minerals. Sea salt water is often better if you are sensitive to certain minerals.

Reading these comments, I'm surprised to hear that you're not supposed to twist jewelry. I only have a piercing in each earlobe, and when I got it done I was told to twist the stud around just a tad, as I cleaned it.

I didnt knew about the dirty water oh

DONT TWIST WTF WHAT MORON WROTE THIS!!!

Isn't vodka good. It kills germs

NO DO NOT TWIST YOUR PIERCING. You never ever twist/move jewelry in a healing piercing. Twisting/playing with jewelry welcomes unwanted bacteria/crusties, it tears/destroys the fistula, it prolongs healing time, it can cause excess scar tissue, and it increases your chances of infection. Do NOT mess with jewelry.

Also you shouldn't be swimming or in any body of water that will touch your piercing, including baths, for at least 3 months, but ideally 6. Even a tiny splash can cause infections, burning, itching, dryness, etc.

Now I'm not so sure if it was the place that pierced my ears for me or my mom who told me to twist it a bit.

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