Ear Piercings: Everything you should know before your appointment

Eat one to two hours earlier.

Painkillers should not be taken beforehand since most are blood-thinning.

Steer clear of piercing guns

You will get a cleaner, more precise piercing with less trauma to the tissue with a specially designed piercing needle than with a gun. 

Using a single-use, sterile needle with a specially designed tip, tissue is cut and moved aside to make room for the jewelry. The piercer's hand is in control and is better positioned to guide the piercing more steadily, resulting in a safer, more precise piercing and less tissue trauma. 

Piercing guns on the other hand, are unregulated, and aren't as precise as needles. A piercing gun is essentially a blunt object that punctures through your ear at high impact. Since the stud used is not as sharp as a needle, it actually displaces your tissue, which increases the likelihood of scarring and makes it nearly impossible to avoid damage. They also puncture perpendicularly, making it difficult to control the angle of the piercing.  On top of that they are much more difficult to sterilize between uses, which could expose you to nasty bacteria. Gross!

There's no denying it, needles are a safer, more accurate way to pierce.

Piercing Jewelry

Piercings should be done with 14k and 18k nickel-free gold, platinum, commercial or medical grade titanium.

Placement & Healing Time

Your ear shape and size will determine how you should build your stack. Start by learning the names of piercing locations. This will be useful when discussing your earring placement plan with your ear piercer. We've created an ear-piercing guide to help you with that.

Spacing  

Angle is everything  

When looking straight in the mirror, you should see the front of your studs and rings straight on, without having to turn your head to the side.

The trick to getting flattering front and back angles is to have your piercer pay attention to how far out of your face your ear sticks out. Pro tip: the closer the ears are to the face, the more the piercings should be strategically positioned forward so that rings and studs point forward. 

Taking the plunge   

Lastly, find an ear piercer you can trust. An experienced professional will have a confident and comfortable demeanor and will be able to answer any questions you have competently. They can also offer suggestions and help you with earring placement. Additionally, they can advise you on aftercare. You can also get a referral from the Association of Professional Piercers.

Care for Your New Piercing: Everything You Need To Know

So you've gotten a new piercing. How should you care for it afterward?

Let's face it, when you go under the piercing needle, you are effectively puncturing a hole in your body. Getting pierced is exciting, but just like tattoos or other body modification, piercings can lead to infections if not taken care of properly. Every body mod requires aftercare, and it's best to listen to the advice of a professional piercer.

Cleaning Instructions

Clean your piercing until it is fully healed, which can take several months depending on the piercing and your own body.

• Be sure to thoroughly wash your hands before handling your piercing. As piercings are open wounds, bacteria can be transferred through dirty hands or fingernails and result in an infection.

• Using sterile non-woven gauze, apply sterile saline to it, and compress it gently for five minutes in the morning and evening.

• If you find that dried matter has accumulated on the piercing, use warm water and a paper towel (or a warm, gentle shower setting) to remove it.

• Moisture can cause irritation. If necessary, dry well with a paper towel or a hairdryer on the cold setting.

Aftercare Precautions 

• Don't touch or rotate jewelry. 

• During your healing time, do not remove your jewelry, as the wound will close immediately.

• Keep it clean, but don't overdo it. Using a sterile saline solution twice a day is usually enough — over-cleaning can cause irritation.

• All soaps, shampoos, and hair products, as well as makeup, should be kept out of the piercing area.

• Steer clear of ointments as well as anything that contains alcohol or peroxide, as these can slow the healing process.

• Avoid sleeping on your piercing. Use a travel pillow to suspend your ear over the hole while you sleep.

• Avoid wearing headphones if they place pressure on the piercing.

• You should be careful when doing any strenuous exercise after a fresh body piercing, and avoid wearing tight clothing.

A little bit of edema (swelling) is normal and expected, as well as tenderness, redness, and itchiness (don't touch it!) However, if you notice excessive swelling, odor coming from the piercing site, or pus, don't ignore it. Contact your piercer for further instructions or you can consult your GP or dermatologist. 

Want to learn more? Check out our notes on what to a curated ear is, how to create your own stack, plus our ear piercing guide for some serious styling inspo.

• What is a Curated Ear?
• Curating the Ultimate Ear Stack
• Ear Piercing Guide 
• Everything you should know before your appointment
• The Curated Ear: Questionnaire 
• Perfecting Your Stack: Jewelry - Coming Soon
• Ear-Piercing Trends Set to Dominate 2022 - Coming Soon

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