General Care for Body Piercings
Always wash hands thoroughly before contact with piercing. Do not use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. (Both slow the healing of pierced area by drying and killing new healthy cells.)
Also question is, what can I use to clean my ear piercing?
New Ear Piercing Care:
Use a cotton swab (Q-tip) with salt water to clean the area around the hole twice a day. Some recommend using hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, or antibiotic ointment but salt water disinfects and is less damaging to the skin tissue.
- Applying a warm compress to the infected earlobe or cartilage.
- Rinsing the infected earlobe with sterile saline.
- Using antibiotic ointment on the affected area.
- Taking oral antibiotics for more severe infections.
In this regard, what should you not clean your piercing with?
Avoid cleaning with alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, antibacterial soaps, iodine, or any harsh products, as these can damage cells. Also avoid ointments as they prevent necessary air circulation. Avoid Bactine®, pierced ear care solutions, and other products containing Benzalkonium Chloride (BZK).
Which is better rubbing alcohol or peroxide?
In general, rubbing alcohol is better at killing germs on your hands, as it’s gentler on your skin than hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is most effective when it’s allowed to sit on surfaces for at least 10 minutes at room temperature.
How can I make my piercing heal faster?
USE WARM SEA SALT WATER (SALINE) SOAKS – MORNING AND EVENING
Soaking your piercing with a warm, mild sea salt water solution will not only feel good, it will also help prevent infection, reduce the risk of scarring, and speed the healing of your piercing.
How do you sleep with a newly pierced ear?
If you have a new ear piercing, a thinner travel pillow works great to keep pressure off while you’re sleeping. If you don’t have a travel pillow you can roll a clean cotton T-shirt or sheet up and place it around the ear so that when you lay on your side, there’s no direct pressure on your ear.
What is the best saline solution for piercings?
Do not use table salt, kosher salt, Epsom salts, or iodized sea salts. Non-iodized fine-grain sea salt is best for avoiding additives, as well as its ability to dissolve into a solution. Do not make the solution too salty, as that can be irritating to the piercing and the skin.
How do I know my ear piercing is healed?
Most people can tell their piercing has healed when there is no redness, the tissue feels normal in the area of the piercing and the normal healing discharge (crust that gathers on the jewelry) has subsided,” he said. “A piercing becoming permanent, where jewelry can be removed for hours or days, is never guaranteed.”
Should I take my piercing out if it’s infected?
When to remove a piercing
If a new piercing is infected, it is best not to remove the earring. Removing the piercing can allow the wound to close, trapping the infection within the skin. For this reason, it is advisable not to remove an earring from an infected ear unless advised by a doctor or professional piercer.
What to do when your earrings are infected?
Treating New Pierced Ear Infections (during first 6 weeks):
- Don’t take out the earring! Clean the infected area 3 times a day.
- Wash hands with soap and water before touching the ear or earring.
- Use cotton swab (“Q-Tip”) dipped in pierced ear solution (see #3 below).
- Clean exposed earring (both sides).
Is my piercing infected or irritated?
According to Thompson, the telltale signs of an infection are simple: “The area around the piercing is warm to the touch, you notice extreme redness or red streaks protruding from it, and it has discolored pus, normally with a green or brown tint,” Thompson says.
How can I help my piercing heal?
Follow these simple suggestions to ensure a smooth healing process:
- Maintain a healthy mind and body. Understanding how your body works is important in the successful healing of a new piercing. …
- Get some rest and take it easy. …
- Keep it clean. …
- Consider taking a multivitamin. …
- Get help if something goes wrong.
Should I leave the crust on my piercing?
Crusting after body piercing is perfectly normal—this is just the result of your body trying to heal itself. 1? Dead blood cells and plasma make their way to the surface and then dry when exposed to air. While perfectly normal, these crusties do need to be cleaned carefully and thoroughly whenever you notice them.
