When caring for a new ear piercing, knowing what NOT to do is crucial for safe ear piercing aftercare. Here are some common ear piercing care mistakes to avoid while your piercing heals:
- Dirty Hands
The first rule of ear piercing aftercare is WASH YOUR HANDS. Never touch your new piercing, your ears, or your piercing earring with dirty hands. To avoid infection, keep your hands and anything that touches your new piercing CLEAN.
- Hair Products
We don’t expect you to stop using hair products during your healing period, but we DO recommend protecting your new piercing from exposure to hair spray and other styling products, including shampoo and conditioner. Clean your piercing immediately after showering or styling to avoid irritation and product build up on your starter piercing earrings.
- Using the Wrong Cleansing Solution
Since you will be cleaning your new piercing at least 3X a day, it’s important to use a product created for new piercings. Avoid rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide since they cause drying and chapping and can impede the healing process. We recommend using a product that is specially-formulated to soothe and cleanse new piercings, like Inverness Ear Care Solution.
- Removing Your Starter Piercing Studs Too Early
For proper healing, you need to wear your starter piercing earrings for the ENTIRE healing period – that’s 6 weeks for an earlobe piercing and 12 weeks for cartilage piercings. If you take your earrings out early, it can be difficult and painful to put them back in. Plus doing so increases your risk of developing an infection or having your new piercing hole close.
- Going Without Piercing Earrings Too Soon
At the end of your healing period, you can change your earrings. We recommend sticking with light stud styles for at least 6 months. During the 6 month period AFTER your healing period has ended, it’s important to know that your new piercing can close unless you follow these guidelines:
Earlobe Piercings: for the first 6 months after your 6 week healing period, do not go more than 24H without wearing an earring or your piercing may close.
Cartilage Piercings: for the first 6 months after your 12 week healing period, wear earrings 24/7 or your piercing may close.
Now that you know what NOT to do while your piercing is healing, visit the aftercare page on our website to learn what you should do. If you still have questions about aftercare or the Inverness Ear Piercing System, feel free to contact us. Happy piercing!