How To Clean Your Ear Piercing 2019
Wondering exactly how to clean your new ear piercing?
Maybe you were so excited when you got your piercing that you forgot exactly what your piercer said or maybe what your piercer originally recommended isn’t working for you. Today we’re going to be talking about what to use to clean your new piercing, things to avoid, and what to do if something is still not working for you. Ready.. let’s begin.
Before we get started, I want to mention a few tips for a successful piercing. Yes, what you use to can make all the difference for a successful piercing but also there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to the care for a piercing. You don’t want to wait until there’s already a problem with your piercing to be concerned.
Here are a few reminders before we get started:
Wash you hands before cleaning your ears (Don’t want hot cheetos on piercings do we?)
The only time you should touch your piercing is when your cleaning it. Over touching it and twisting can cause it to swell and be irritated.
Push the earring forward and back to get both the entrance and exit hole.
Keep your ear piercing (lobe) in for a minimum of 4 weeks before changing your piercing.
Do NOT over clean
Clean after using hairspray/other hair items that may touch your ear.
Things to Keep Away from Your Piercings..
Using the following products could potentially be why you are here right now. Here are a few things to stay away from:
Alcohol + Peroxide - When I used to pierce ears and people would come in with a concern, I could always tell when someone was using alcohol or peroxide. Alcohol dries out your ears and peroxide, think about what it does to a cut.. it scabs up and tries to heal it. For a piercing you want to keep your piercing open right? I’ve seen situations where the ear has become red and almost raw. I know people mean well when they try these because they are using what they are comfortable using but for piercings, it makes the healing process a lot longer.
Contact Solution - Some people confuse contact solution with saline solution. The chemicals are not the same. For example, here are the ingredients to renu’s Contact Len’s Solution:
renu Advanced Formula multi-purpose solution is a sterile, isotonic solution that contains poloxamine, poloxamer 181, diglycine, sodium citrate, boric acid, sodium borate, edetate disodium and sodium chloride and preserved with a triple disinfectant system (polyaminopropyl biguanide 0.00005%, polyquaternium 0.00015% and alexidine 0.0002%). (Amazon)
vs
Sterile Saline Solution Ingredients: Sterile 0.9% sodium chloride solution.
Neosporin - Same that was said for alcohol and peroxide, applies to Neosporin. When you apply Neosporin to a cut it’s because you want the wound to close and heal right? For piercings we don’t want this same result. We want to keep our piercings clean and open for a lifetime of earring use.
What to Clean Your Ear Piercings With..
Now that we have that out of the way.. here are a few suggested products to clean your ear piercings with: (Keep in mind that each persons body and lifestyle is different.. what works for some, may not work for others.)
Antiseptic Solution - Most common at Piercing Pagoda and Claires. In my experience piercing ears, most people were okay using this solution. If they weren’t successful using an antiseptic solution, I would recommend H2Ocean (personal favorite). The reason some people aren’t as successful with these antiseptics solutions is because they contain Benzalkonium Chloride, which can be irritating to the skin for some. Also keep in mind these Antiseptic Solutions often have a short shelf life.
DIY Salt Water Solution - Did you know you can make your own solution? The key here is to use filtered water and the CORRECT amount of salt. You can find a video I did to show you how to make your own. Sea salt (non-iodized) is preferred over table salt which often has additives that can be harsh for piercings.
H2Ocean - H2Ocean is purified salt water, put in a can making convenient to use and sterile. H2Ocean contains Lysozyme which helps fights the bad bacteria and also makes H2Ocean unique compared to other solutions. My personal favorite! I used this when I got my nose pierced and got an irritation bump on my nose. You can find it on Amazon here.
Saline Would Spray - Saline Wound Spray is the top aftercare product piercers are suggesting in 2019. It’s actually one of the only products suggested by the Association of Professional Piercers. (To the APP, it’s this or make your own) Why Saline Spray? To flush out all the dirt collected throughout the day and to let your body do the healing. Like H2Ocean, Saline Wound Spray also comes in the form of a can, helping flush out the dirt and any discharge. You can find Saline Would Spray in the first aid aisle in most drug stores or you can find it on Amazon here.
If you are concerned with your piercing, it’s BEST to have a professional piercer look at in person. If you feel like your original piercer led you the wrong way and would like a different person to take a look.. have a reputable piercer that’s a member from the Association of Professional Piercers take a look. Keep in mind that not all piercers are a part of APP. Members of the APP have to meet strict criteria. To find a local piercer that is part of APP, Click Here.
If you are at all concerned with an infection, see a physician.
Check out my video below on How to Clean Your Newly Pierced Ears. For more piercing/jewelry related videos subscribe here.