Ear Piercing After Care Instructions

To reduce the risk of complications and increase the chance of success, the following ear piercing after care instructions for maintenance and cleaning is recommended for the first 6-8 weeks:

  1. Keep your new piercings clean and dry.
  2. Always wash your hands with soap and water before touching the earrings.
  3. Do not twist or pull the earrings, as this can damage healing skin.
  4. Clean piercings 2-3 times a day. Do NOT remove earrings when cleansing.
    • When showering/washing your hair, use mild, fragrance-free liquid soap and rinse thoroughly with clean water. Gently dry with a Kleenex or Q-tip.
    • Clean the piercing with a sterile saline solution. Spray the front and back of the piercing directly or soak a non-woven gauze in saline and apply to the piercing for 5 minutes. Use a saline soaked Q-tip to clean any buildup or “crusties” that may have collected around jewelry, with minimal jewelry movement. Allow to air dry.
    • Do NOT clean with alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, betadine, or antiseptic solution as this can slow down the healing process. Do not use any essential oils, creams, or ointments.
  1. Make sure that the area around the hole is kept clean, dry, and airy at all times.
  2. Cover your ears when you are applying hair spray, spray perfume, hair dye, etc.
  3. Make sure your bedding is washed and changed regularly. Try to avoid sleeping on ears, and potentially harmful situations such as, wearing headphones, hitting with hairbrushes, snagging on clothing, etc., until healed.
  4. Wait a minimum of 3 weeks to go swimming in chlorinated water. For unchlorinated water, such as lakes or oceans, I recommend waiting at least 6-8 weeks. When you come out of the water, cleanse with liquid soap or with saline wound solution.
  5. After approximately six weeks, you may remove earrings and change to new hypoallergenic earrings, if desired.
    • Wash your hands and ears thoroughly. With one hand take hold of the jewelry part (front) of the earring. With the other hand, wriggle the earring back until you feel it loosened. Carefully remove the earrings and put in new, clean, hypoallergenic earrings (titanium or plastic).
  6. It takes up to a year before the holes are completely healed. Consider the following:
    • Always wear earrings. If you go without, the holes can shrink and/or close completely.
    • Take extra care when changing earrings. The skin that has grown within the holes is still thin and delicate. It can easily tear which may cause an infection. Therefore, always make sure to wash your earrings and hands before the change, and make sure that the area around the holes is kept dry and airy. If you use earrings with earring backs, they should not be pressed tightly against the back of the ear.
    • The risk for developing a contact allergy is at its greatest during the first year. That is why it is extra important to wear safe (hypoallergenic) earrings during this time. We recommend skin friendly jewelry from blomdahlusa.com.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

  1. Redness: It is common for the ear lobe to be red and just a little tender for the first few days after a piercing. But if the redness starts spreading or is not getting better by 48 hours, you need to have the ear evaluated by your primary care physician.
  2. Clear Fluid: It is common for a little clear fluid to leak and crust around the piercing for the first few weeks. This is a sign of the healing process.  If the crust ever becomes painful or if there is white or yellow discharge, you need to have the ear evaluated by your primary care physician.