Caring For Your New Piercings

Piercings are a fun way to express yourself. There are multiple places you can pierce from your head to your toes, and a nearly limitless selection of accessories to adorn them. But how do you care for your piercings when they’re fresh?

Piercing Playtime

You’re going to touch it. You shouldn’t, and you know you shouldn’t, but that won’t stop you. In fact, you’re probably touching it right now. Especially if it’s a tragus piercing or another in your ear. The temptation to reach up and fiddle with this foreign object in your body is too great to ignore.

Wash Your Hands

Wanna know what else you’ve touched? The door handle, the light switch, the keyboard, the snack you’re munching on, and who knows what else. Now all of the germs from those items are in your unhealed piercing. Isn’t that a fun thought? The simple solution is to resist touching the piercing as much as possible and to only touch it after washing your hands.

Careful when Turning

While we’re at it, don’t twist and turn your piercing when it’s dry. Doing so can irritate the area. (Actually, you don’t need to twist it at all, but let’s be honest, you’re going to anyway.) Your best bet is to do all of your twisting after cleaning it or in the shower when the area’s still damp.

Keep It Tidy

That’s right: you have to clean your piercing. A sharp, metal object was recently inserted through your skin. There’s going to be some aftercare involved. Don’t worry, though. It’s all pretty simple.

Keep A Schedule

The number one difficulty in keeping your piercing clean is remembering to clean it. That’s why it’s key to keep a schedule. If you clean your piercing at the same time every day, it’ll become a habit. Try syncing it up with an existing habit like brushing your teeth or taking a shower.

Use the Right Product

The first place to go for the right cleaning solution is your piercer. If you can trust them to poke a sharp piece of metal through your body, you can trust them to tell you how to keep it clean. They might even have a product for you to take home. Chances are it’ll be either a mild soap or a saline solution. Pro tip: apply this with something like a paper towel rather than a washcloth or cotton ball. The latter options might snag on your piercing. Ouch.

Use the Right Routine

Piercings in different places will heal in different ways. A cartilage piercing, such as a tragus piercing, is going to take longer to heal than a lobe piercing. And that’s just one example. Be aware that the healing time and healing method might vary depending on where you were poked. Ask your piercer what you should expect and tell them about any concerns you have. They are the expert, after all.