A new ear piercing is, plain and simple, an open wound.
Just like an open wound, it is important for you to care for it properly so that it will heal correctly and quickly. When you first get your ears pierced, your piercer will typically give you brief instructions on how to heal your ear piercing. In general, people will stick to these instructions for the first few weeks, and then promptly forget about them as it seems that their piercings have healed. In reality though, just because a piercing looks healed from the outside, or feels like it has healed, does not mean that it actually has. Even when the swelling has calmed down and the pain has mostly gone away, the skin inside the piercing site is still very fragile and can be easily torn and damaged. That is why it is very important to leave your piercing earrings in as long as possible.
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Even after the initial piercing, your piercing sites are still more delicate than other parts of your body. If you go weeks or months without wearing earrings, putting new earrings in can cause trauma to the piercing site and re-open the wound. When that happens, it is best to revisit the proper ear piercing healing instructions so that you do not risk pain or infection.
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At Tini Lux, we do our best to educate you about the types of metals that earrings are made out of, and what the type of metal means for you. And while the type metal that you put into your ear piercing is very important, the proper care and treatment of that open wound is just as, if not more important.
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Here are the best step-by-step instructions for healing your ear piercings that we could find.
These come from The Zen Lady, and they are very thorough and aimed specifically towards people with sensitive ears and metal allergies. We recommend bookmarking this post for anytime your piercings seem sore or irritated.
Step 1.
Disinfect the earrings first by soaking in a small container of isopropyl alcohol, then rinsing with water and drying completely with a clean cloth or paper towel.
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Step 2.
Wash the ear piercing site with a mild soap and dry completely before inserting the earrings. Vaseline or AquaPhor may be used to lubricate and ease insertion of the earrings. Do not push the clutch too tight to the back of the ear. You need to leave enough space so that air can reach the piercing and make it easier to rinse the piercings.
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Step 3.
Rinse the ears twice a day with a salt water solution or sterile saline wound wash during the healing period. This is a mild antiseptic and will help prevent infection. If you are using your own solution, soak a clean soft pad in the salt water solution then drip the solution between the earrings and the ear, front and back to rinse completely. Gently move the earring around so the salt water reaches inside of the piercings. You may find is easier to use the canned sterile saline wound wash with a nozzle to aim the stream to rinse between the earring and the ear. Afterwards, dry the ears thoroughly with a clean soft pad by patting the eras. Keeping the ears dry is important to the healing process, so be sure to dry your ears completely anytime they get wet.
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Step 4.
Do not change out earrings until the piercings are completely healed. For new piercings, that takes 3 months. For old piercings that have developed a metal sensitivity, healing may be complete in as little as a week.
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Step 5.
When all visible inflammation is gone and the ears are no longer tender, the earrings may be removed to clean them. We recommend disinfecting and cleaning titanium earrings using isopropyl alcohol, but remember to rinse with water and dry them before wearing the earrings. Remove and clean the earrings and ears at least once a week once the piercings are healed.
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Step 6.
If there is any tenderness or discomfort at all while taking out or putting in your earrings then your piercings are not yet healed. If trying out heavier titanium post or dangle style earrings causes irritation at this point, then that is another sign that one's earrings are not completely healed yet.
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Step 7.
During the healing period, avoid getting any chemicals on the ears (like hair spray). If this does occur, rinse the ears immediately. Even some shampoos have chemicals which can irritate skin suffering from contact metal allergies.
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In addition to these steps, here are some helpful tips for healing ear piercings suffering from an allergic reaction:
Tip 1.
Keeping the ears dry is important to the healing process. Be sure to completely dry them anytime they get wet.
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Tip 2.
Avoid touching the ears except when cleaning them to avoid introducing bacteria.
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Tip 3.
Healing piercings requires the same procedure as when one got ones ears pierced originally. We recommend using The Starter Studs as healing earrings. The weight of the larger earrings may cause irritation unrelated to a metal allergy reaction until one's piercings are completely healed. For those with sensitive ears, it often takes 3 to 6 months for the piercings to heal completely and grow a new layer of skin inside the piercings. For complete healing to take place, one needs to wear the earrings 24/7 for at least a month. Frequently changing out of the earrings before healing is complete will irritate the insides of the piercings and delay the formation of a layer of skin inside the piercing.
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Tip 4.
Do not apply isopropyl alcohol or hydrogen peroxide directly on the ears. These antiseptics may actually make an allergic reaction worse. Neosporin, Bactroban and cortisone creams may also delay or worsen the reaction. We recommend using Vaseline or Aquaphor to sooth the piercings and aid in inserting the earrings until the allergic reaction has abated. Salt water is a mild antiseptic and ringing the piercings with salt water is the safest way to clean the ears. You can make your own saline solution by mixing approximately 1/2 teaspoon of salt to 4 to 6 ounces of distilled or bottled water. Microwave the solution to help dissolve the salt, then let it cool before applying to the ears. You can also purchase a sterile saline solution at most drug stores.
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If you have any questions about our products, which earrings to purchase first, or the ear piercing healing period, please reach out in info@tinilux.com. We are always happy to answer questions and provide additional insights.
Kathy Emry 4/7/2023
Thanks!….I’m wanting to be able to wear earrings again, after many years of only sporadically wearing them, & injuring/infecting, my ears!…when I receive my tinilux earrings, I will follow these very helpful suggestions!….