How to Look After Newly Pierced Ears

Getting your ears pierced is a new and exciting way of expressing your personal style. Whether you’ve opted for a traditional earlobe piercing or a bold, more adventurous ear piercing, such as in the ear cartilage, there are several general rules when it comes to looking after your newly pierced ears. From keeping the wound clean to allowing for enough healing time, and everything in between, we’re going to be telling you how to look after newly pierced ears in our latest article.

Keep your hands clean

While you shouldn’t keep touching the new piercing, there are some instances where you will need to touch it, such as to keep it clean. If you need to touch the wound, then you should make sure that your hands are clean, even if you only plan on touching the skin around the piercing. Never touch the wound unnecessarily, but if you have to, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before coming into contact with the wound.

Clean your piercings regularly

Follow the aftercare instructions that have been provided to you by the professional piercer when it comes to the cleaning and general aftercare of your new ear piercing. Usually, a sterile saline wound wash is the best possible solution for cleaning a fresh ear piercing. You should gently apply or rinse the saline in accordance with the product instructions and then allow the area to air-dry naturally. Alternatively, you can gently pat the wound with a clean, disposable paper towel. Just as you should keep the piercing clean, it’s not necessary to over-clean it. Excessive cleaning can cause irritation to the skin, slowing the healing process in the process. 

Leave your earrings in for as long as possible

Don’t remove your earrings too soon after they’ve been pierced. If you do it too quickly, then you’ll likely find that the hole begins to close up pretty quickly if it hasn’t had enough healing time. Something else you should be aware of is that healing times can vary depending on the type of piercing and the location of the piercing. So, don’t assume that your earlobe piercing, for instance, will take the same amount of time to heal as a cartilage piercing. If you’re not sure, then ask a professional for their advice. 

Take care when sleeping

Sleeping directly on your new ear piercing can put unnecessary and damaging pressure on the wound, causing irritation in the process. If possible, you should avoid sleeping on the newly pierced side while it heals. This is especially important if you’ve recently had a new cartilage piercing, which can remain sensitive for a prolonged period of time. Something else to do for good measure would be to keep your pillow clean to reduce the amount of dirt and bacteria that your new piercing comes into contact with. 

Be careful with hair & clothing

With new piercings, it’s common for hair and clothing to become trapped, caught or tangled up in the earrings. While you won’t need to worry about damaging the earring, you will need to worry about the piercing wound itself. Catching your earrings can cause damage to the wound. This means it will take longer to heal, and the risk of infection will increase as a result. To prevent this, be careful when getting dressed. Also, put your hair up so it’s away from your face and neck. Finally, be cautious when putting in earphones and putting on hats. 

Avoid swimming while the wound is healing

Swimming, hot tubs and steam rooms should be avoided while the wound is healing. As well as swimming pools, you need to avoid other bodies of water like lakes, rivers, streams, and the sea. Whether you’re swimming in a pool or a lake, you should wait until the healing process has completed. If you’re in any doubt, then ask your professional piercer for specific advice. Guidance will vary based on the location of your piercing and the water-related hobbies you generally enjoy. 

Avoid using harsh products

Fresh ear piercings are easily irritated by strong chemicals and beauty products. As such, you need to avoid applying products around the piercing. Products you need to avoid include hairspray, perfume, makeup, moisturising creams and other strongly fragranced products. 

In addition, avoid harsh cleaning products like rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. Only use them if you’ve been specifically told to do so by a healthcare professional. Often, harsh products can irritate the healing tissue and cause the entire healing process to slow down. 

Don’t keep touching it

You might have washed your hands and kept them clean before coming into contact with your piercing. But repeatedly touching it can cause irritation, which results in discharge, tenderness, redness and, eventually, crusting. This can increase the risk of infection as a result. In addition, if the piercing has crusted over, then don’t be tempted to scratch or pick at it. Essentially, you should refrain from touching it, even if it feels sore or has started weeping. If that’s the case, then you should seek medical advice from your GP as soon as you’re able. 

Little Star Jewellery are pleased to offer a wide selection of earrings for women, children and babies. We also have a stunning collection of men’s jewellery available, with several free personalisation options on offer too, whether you choose jewellery for women, children, men or babies. As such, you’ll always be able to find beautiful, unique pieces of jewellery for your family and friends, no matter the occasion, from us here at Little Star Jewellery. If you’d like further information, get in touch with a member of our friendly, professional team today – we’re always happy to hear from you.