New Piercing 101: From Cleaning to Aftercare, Dermatologists Share Their Tips

Congrats on your new piercing! As fun as it is to welcome a new symbol of your self-expression, actually getting the piercing is only half the part. The rest comes down to meticulously caring for it, to ensure that it heals properly and doesn't get infected. Cleaning and caring for your new piercing correctly is the easiest way to ensure that your piercing looks and feels the way exactly that it should.

Despite how casual and common it is for people to get pierced, in essence, each new piercing is essentially a wound. And like the aftermath of any skin trauma, aftercare is extremely important. Slacking off on aftercare is not something you want to do—it not only can prolong discomfort and healing, but it can also prevent your piercing from looking the way you want it to. (While we're at it, you'll also want to avoid potentially harmful products).

Usually, before you leave the piercing or tattoo shop, most piercers will give you aftercare instructions to follow at home. Since they are the experts, when in doubt it's best to listen to their advice and follow it closely until the piercing is completely healed. Even if you forget a step or lose the instructions, you can always reach out to them for a refresher. But if that's not an option, you can also follow the below tips (direct from dermatologists!) to help heal any basic piercing. Read ahead for their reliable guidelines.

How to Clean Your Piercing

You can wash your piercing with either a saline solution or with soap and water. Whichever you choose, you will first want to wash your hands thoroughly. It's important not to introduce any bacteria to the piercing because it's an open wound that is vulnerable to infection. So it's crucial to never touch your piercing or jewelry with dirty hands.

Saline Solution

If you want to go the DIY route, you can whip up your own saline solution by boiling 2 cups of water (covered) for 15 minutes, then allowing it to cool and adding 1 teaspoon of salt. But, you can also buy saline solution from the drugstore or from your piercer– they usually have it on hand for you to purchase after your new piercing appointment.

"Wet a gauze pad with saline solution and hold it on the piercing site for 10-15 minutes. I recommend opting for a sterile saline solution (like what is used for contact lenses)," says dermatologist Hadley King. Just don't squeeze the piercing too tight while you're holding the gauze to it, and make sure to be gentle so that the gauze doesn't get wrapped around the jewelry.

"After allowing the saline to sit for the recommended time, you should apply an ointment like Vaseline Original Healing Petroleum Jelly," says Dr. King. "This helps to seal the healing wound and prevents it from drying out."

Soap and Water

First, saturate a cotton ball with warm water, and gently wipe away any "crusties" that have gathered around the piercing site. If you have a scab, do not pick at it. Then throw the cotton ball away.

Next, apply a generous amount of unscented liquid soap to your fingertip, and apply it to the piercing site and jewelry. Make sure you get the soap everywhere, but rotating your jewelry is not necessary as long as you work the soap around the piercing and jewelry completely. If you do rotate the piercing, this could introduce bacteria from the jewelry into the wound, causing irritation or even infection. "It’s incredibly important to avoid manipulating the area and the jewelry which can cause microtears in the skin and prevent adequate healing," says dermatologist Rachel Nazarian. In other words, it's best to just clean the piercing and jewelry thoroughly without actually moving it.

Rinse the piercing and jewelry several times with warm water, ensuring that all soap has been removed. Dry your piercing with a clean paper towel.

How Often to Clean Your Piercing

"Piercings need to be cleaned regularly 2-3 times per day while healing," says Dr. King. Your best bet is to set an alarm on your phone so remember to clean the site often. Another easy way to work it into your day is by adding cleaning your piercing to your morning and nighttime routines.

Side Effects of Not Cleaning Your Piercing

"Not cleaning the area around a piercing can increase risk of irritation, infection, granuloma formation and scarring," explains Dr. King.

If your piercing does get infected, "most physicians will request the piercing be removed for your own safety and healing," says Dr. Nazarian. "Occasionally, the piercing may be left in, and topical or oral antibiotics will be prescribed for several days."

Most of the time you will be able to tell if your piercing is infected based on how it looks and feels– if it's super red, swollen, or painful for an extended amount of time, those are pretty clear indications that something might not be right. "If you have any concerns regarding the healing of your piercing, make sure to contact your physician immediately. The earlier you treat, the better you will heal," adds Dr. Nazarian.

Acceptable Healing Aids and Products

If you want to take your cleaning routine further than just soap and water, these products can help keep your piercing nice and clean.

• Emu Oil: This oil is full of fatty acids meant to help reduce inflammation and pain. It's relied on by piercers as a universal healing product for new piercings.
• H2Ocean: This sea salt saline solution is often used by piercers to help clean the piercing area. 
• Saline Solution: Less expensive and more readily available than most other products, saline solution is often recommended in soothing and healing a new piercing. It's also an acceptable substitute for sea salt soaks which is when you submerge your piercing into salt water to help clean it.
• Ointments: Ointments are usually the number one most-recommended therapy post-injury and piercing to stimulate wound healing. Just avoid antibacterial products, which are typically unnecessary unless the piercing is infected.

H2Ocean Piercing Aftercare Spray $12.00

Shop

Products Not to Use

• Hydrogen Peroxide - Hydrogen peroxide kills bacteria, but it also kills the white blood cells attempting to heal your piercing. It can cause irritation and lengthen overall healing time.
• Rubbing Alcohol - Alcohol may dry the skin and irritate the raw piercing.
• Glyoxide - This is a product that contains hydrogen peroxide, and it might hinder healing rather than aiding it.
• Ear Care Solution - Solutions that are provided by jewelry boutiques and department store piercers usually contain alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and other harmful chemicals that might aggravate a new piercing.

New piercings and sometimes irritated piercings might benefit from a sea salt soak. This simple remedy is meant to soothe pain and draw out infection. 

Lifestyle Swaps

In addition to making a point to use certain products and avoid others, there are also some other things you can do to guarentee that your new piercing is in the best condition to heal. For instance, try not to keep the area covered for too long of a period. This goes for sleeping as well– try to switch up which side you sleep on if your new piercing is going to be on the pillow for an extended amount of time. Another thing to watch out for is getting cosmetic or hair products on your new piercings. Extra cleansing may be necessary if you're constantly getting makeup, skin, or hair care products on it. And be extra gentle when getting dressed– clothing snags are a sneaky culprit when it comes to interfering with the healing of a new piercing.