Piercing Virgin

I hope this is the right forum to talk about this!

Anyway, I've been contemplating on getting my earlobes pierced. Even though I'm a full fledged adult in my mid-20s, I've never gotten any piercings done in my life. So, after thinking about it for a really long time (since childhood, lol, but I was never allowed to get any piercings done as a kid), I actually do want to get them done, which has been in my thoughts for the past year already.

What I want to ask is, what are the things I need to know about piercing? Like...how do I look after them properly? What should I do if there's an infection?

Man, I feel like a big baby once again. LOL.

Generally when you go to get a piercing they'll explain this all to you. Cleaning wise, I think you have to clean it once or twice a day with rubbing alcohol. Just dip a q-tip in it and clean around your piercing. I believe you do that for 6 weeks or so after getting it pierced. Also, they'll probably tell you that you can't change piercing for 4-6 weeks to ensure it heals properly and doesn't get infected. Obviously if your piercing does get infected than you should take it out. Reasons could be that you were allergic to the metal or something.

Also, if you get any place pierced OTHER than your earlobe than they should NOT use the gun. Because it could easily shatter the cartilage.

They'll usually use a marker to mark where the piercing will go and let you check to make sure it's even and that's where you want it to go.

Another thing would be to make sure they are using all new sterile needles, meaning they take the needle out of a closed package in front of you.

esha gave some great advice!

another thing i'd mention is to minimise any risk of infection make sure you know that the earrings they pierce you with are gold plated or even solid gold. sterling silver works well too but they can sometimes just be silver plated and have copper inside which might increase the risk of infection. it won't necessarily lead to infection but if you're allergic or sensitive to anything gold is a lot more safe.

yup Lucy and Esha gave good advice - gently twist the earring and rub with rubbing alcohol or methylated spirits every day.

When i got my belly button pierced, they told me to wash it in the shower every day with antibacterial soap. I never had a single problem

Good luck and congratulations on making the plunge! it's scary, but totally worth it!

Thanks very much!

Yeah, I've been contemplating for a really long time, and I think it's about time to take the plunge. I'm planning on 3 piercings initially: 2 on left and 1 on right, but I think I'll start off with 2 first before I start going a bit wilder.

Will have to wait until I get back home first though - I don't want to get them pierced on the mainland (since you never know what happened to the earrings before - the Chinese are really bad when it comes to different people trying on the same earring).

All the other girls have given really good advice. Everthing will be explained to you when you get pierced Just remember don't stress about and stay calm.

When I've been pierced, I've always bought the after-care spray they have to clean my piercings.

i would actually suggest getting surgical steel earings.

surgical steal is the least reactive, and if you have sensative skin like me you will still react to gold

Surgical steel is the way to go. You won't know if you're allergic to a certain metal until you're wearing it. I made the mistake of getting pierced with a metal I was allergic too and had to take the piercing out before it healed. I would say that you shouldn't even get your earlobes pierced with a gun. The gun uses too much force and the studs that they use aren't sharp enough so it tears the skin rather than makes a clean hole. That makes it more prone to infection and has a longer healing time. The people who use the gun at places like Claire's and Piercing Pagoda aren't trained to use it either.

It is more expensive to get it done professionally, but it's quicker and less painful. They stick a needle through very quickly. The gun also can't be cleaned.

The girls gave great advice for everything else, but don't turn the earring. They will tell you to do that if you get it done at some place in a mall. Turning it makes the healing slower as it re-breaks the healing skin. The earring will not get stuck if you don't turn it. Clean it with a very mild soap like Doctor Bronner's and use salt water a couple times a day. As long as you don't touch it when your hands are dirty you'll be fine.

I have pierced my ears as well as my belly button and tongue. They will give you a ton of advice on what to do and what not to do. I have found three very simple ways to get things to heal fast.

Make sure the metal is a good clean one...surgical steel is what I recommend... no cheap metals.

Wash them with baby shampoo. It cleans, it moisturizes, it is gentle. Some of the cleansers and creams they give you are drying or potentially irritating. I have found baby shampoo to be almost universally ok for anyone to use.

Twist them a couple of times a day...very gently and only when you are in the shower with baby shampoo on them.

It is possible to "over-care" (is that a word?!?!) for them. Too much twisting, cleanser, lotion, etc can irritate. HTH, enjoy your pretty new ears

Originally Posted by Southmyrtle89 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The girls gave great advice for everything else, but don't turn the earring. They will tell you to do that if you get it done at some place in a mall. Turning it makes the healing slower as it re-breaks the healing skin. The earring will not get stuck if you don't turn it. Not to be a pest but I feel like I should speak up. In my experience, this is only partially true. We did not twist my daughters earring and it did grow over which resulted in a trip to the doc to have it cut out. Twisting it while dry does rip the healing skin but doing it while it is wet and soapy has been successful for me and my other daughter.

I did all my own piercings and just used shampoo to clean them and never had any problems.

I agree with Dalylah, the piercing would have got stuff if I hadn't turned it. All good piercing places give this advice, not just malls

I got my piercings at piercing places, and they told me to gently move it while in the shower - not just dry!

Ew goodness I'm sorry about your daughters ear! I hope it's all ok now? That sounds really painful...

Originally Posted by Southmyrtle89 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ew goodness I'm sorry about your daughters ear! I hope it's all ok now? That sounds really painful... Yes she is fine now. It healed fast too thankfully.

Good! I'm glad! I had terrible trouble with piercings, though nothing that extreme. My ears kept getting infected every time I got them pierced. About the third time the woman using the gun said, "whoops!" which is NOT what you want to hear believe me! Apparently she pierced it diaganolly and decided the solution was to pierce it twice so I had to let it heal up. Finally I got them done professionally and realized I was allergic to a lot of metals.

(I know this is an old topic, but I thought I would share what I have learned.)

Always get your piercings done with needles. Guns are not okay. They use blunt force to get the earring through. This means that it'll most likely be more painful and take longer to heal than if you got it done with a needle. Not to mention the risk you're taking if you are using a gun on cartilage. Please be careful; your cartilage can shatter. You should also make sure that the place you choose is clean and have sterilised equipment. The piercer should use a new needle each time and wear cloves.

Clean your piercing two times a day with SSS (sea salt soaks)

You need to boil a cup of water and put about 1/8 of a teaspoon of sea salt in it, preferably without iodine as it can sometines dry out your skin. Let it cool a little. Then, soak your piercing in it for about ten minutes. This will draw out any gunk. Be sure to rinse the piercing with water afterwards.

If you get some scarring (not to be mistaken for keloids, you will need a doctor to help you remove those), tea tree oil can help. Dilute with water or almond oil it with if your skin is sensitive, and dap it on the scarring with a q-tip after you have cleaned your piercing - but not directly on the piercing. This stuff can be harsh.

Please do not use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen pyroxide. It's not good for piercings. It can dry out your skin something terrible and delay the healing.

Don't take your piercing out if it is infected. This can trap the infection inside, and you don't want that. Go to the doctor for some antibiotics.

Many people confuse an infection with a piercing that's just irritated. Is it hot to the touch? Inflamed? Does it hurt? Is the pus an odd colour, and does it smell bad? Then it's most likely infected.

If your piercing is just a bit red and oozing lymph, a nice SSS should help you get better. I found that chamomile tea is also good for this purpose. It's nice and soothing. Sure helped me last time I accidently ganked my septumring.

Titanium is generally the best metal to use. Not many is allergic to it.

Phew, I wonder if I got it all covered.

Wow every one has given such good advice I don't know what else I could say, but good luck! And definetly make sure you are getting pierced with clean tools. And I would also reccomend staying away from the piercing guns. Not only can they tromatize the skin causing greater risk of infection, But they can also malfunction and get caught on the ear. This hapend with a gun I was using at an old job. Were lucky our store didn't get sued. Good luck again and have fun!

I've got them done! 2 in left earlobe and 1 in right earlobe.

Okay, am bumping an old thread here, but I feel that I owe everyone here a big thanks for the advice, as well as a rundown on how it went.

I went to a tattoo studio in mid-November to get them done. The piercer used needles and used titanium screw studs and told me to clean them with saline solution. They've been healing okay so far, but it still oozes crust now and again (which I've been told to clean). What's kind of annoying is that I can still feel crust forming at the back, even now, which makes it 3 months after the piercings. Is that normal?

I have taken the titanium out once or twice to wear diamonds to a wedding (which my dad got me as my birthday present and has already checked with the jewellers that they wouldn't cause an allergy reaction). I did make the mistake of taking them out to wear plastics during the Christmas period (because it was the fashion period!) and got my lobes swollen with gross stuff coming out, but putting the titanium back and following the usual cleaning routine helped solved that (thanks to that email I sent to the piercer). Obviously I wear the starter studs everyday so that the holes don't close, but it was pretty exciting to wear nice stuff!

Which brings me to another question: I want to get some nicer earrings for everyday wear some time soon (that I don't need to take out all the time and can sleep in), probably more goth/punk style hoops/rings/studs but won't cause another major big puffy earlobes episode. Any thoughts?

Congrats!

Most people are healed by 3 months. Because you keep taking them out and irritating it, they will take much longer to heal and possibly scar more. You need to keep up the regimen of cleaning and leaving them alone otherwise to completely heal. While you are in the shower and they have softened up, twist them but once you get out leave them alone. Once you are completely healed it will be much less care and you will be able to change them often.

Costume jewelry is usually cute but especially while healing, inadvisable. I recommend sticking with better materials like titanium, platinum or gold as you are less likely to cause skin reactions with those. Nothing "plated" (gold/silver plated). I highly recommend keeping the titanium ones in for now without swapping them. You will heal much faster that way.