Hiya~! 

 Today’s list is on piercings. I currently have five (and want more), and I’d like to share some tips and tricks I’ve discovered for getting them, taking care of them, and all of that lovely stuff! :D

1. CLEAN EM. SERIOUSLY. AT LEAST TWICE A DAY. This is especially important if you have a cartilage piercing. Those take longer to heal and are more finicky, so you are more likely to have complications if you aren’t cleaning them (infections, scarring, bumps). 

2. Make sure you follow your piercer’s aftercare directions. It’s for your own good.

3. Do not use hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol to clean your piercings. This is really bad for them and can dry them out too much. Instead, use some saline (salt water designed to mimic your body fluids). You can buy some, but making your own is much cheaper. Just take a cup of water and stir about 1/2 tsp of sea salt in until it’s dissolved.

4. Learn the differences between an infection, irritation, and a normal healing piercing. Obviously we aren’t all experts, so if you’re REALLY concerned, go see your piercer or a doctor. But there are a few key things to know: 

- Your piercing is likely to be infected if: it’s swollen, abnormally warm to the touch, extra painful, red/purplish, and oozing YELLOWY GREEN or BROWNISH pus. There may also be a visible cyst or a pocket filled with pus. It is worth noting however that sometimes pus isn’t visible until the hole is opened (by turning the ring a bit). When my lobes were infected, they looked fine on the outside, but if I turned the rings a bit they would ooze. Nasty stuff. Generally you aren’t supposed to turn them, but if you’re suspicious, it can’t hurt to check. 

- If your piercing is: swollen, reddish, a little sore (especially when touched), and has a bump or two, but is NOT pussy or warm, it’s likely just irritated. You may have bumped or torn it accidentally at some point, or you might be allergic to the metal. If you’ve torn it a bit, it may bleed a little. 

- If you just got your piercing recently and it’s: bleeding a little, swollen, red, sore, and oozing clear/white/yellow liquid, it’s healing and this is all normal. If, however, you see signs of infection early on, get some help as soon as possible.

5. Bumps on cartilage piercings are not always scarring, keloids, or infection. Sometimes it’s just a little irritated. One thing that I’ve found really helps for bumps and swelling is to do warm saline soaks (fill a small cup with warm saline and dunk your piercing in for about five minutes or so). I often notice a difference the same day. 

6. Cartilage piercings can be really tricky to heal. Some people’s just never heal. Make sure you see a doctor/piercer if you’re concerned and feel you may need to take it out. 

7. On that note, DO NOT remove the jewelry until your body is fully (or mostly) healed. Your piercer will have specific instructions for this (if they’re good). And if you suspect you have an infection, DO NOT take it out. This can trap the infection inside of your body and cause complications, since the jewelry keeps the hole open so it can drain. 

8. In cases where you have to take out jewelry, try not to leave it out for too long if you want to keep the hole, otherwise it may need to be re-pierced. Generally, the longer you’ve had a piercing, the longer it’ll stay open, but this won’t be the same for everyone. 

9. Be gentle with new/infected piercings. Don’t touch it unless you have to, and don’t play with it. Be extra careful with your hair (for ear piercings, especially the helix). You’ll want to put it up when it’s wet because it can put painful pressure on your ear. Also be really careful when brushing/combing--catching a hoop on the tines of a brush is NOT FUN. If you’re getting your hair done professionally, don’t be afraid to mention to the hairdresser that you have a sensitive spot. That way they can avoid accidentally hurting you by bumping it. If you are a side sleeper and you have an ear piercing, get a really big sock and tuck one end into the other to make a donut. Sleep with your ear in the hole. It really helps and is more comfy than a travel pillow!

10. Most infections can be treated at home by doing saline soaks and/or hot compresses (wetting a washcloth and applying it gently to your ear). You can also try silver spray/drops, which is a powerful antibiotic. 

11. However, if you have signs of a blood infection, like: a fever, upset stomach, and red streaks radiating out from the site of infection, see a doctor ASAP. You may need antibiotics.

12. Studs, in some cases, can be less irritating than hoops. If you’re having trouble healing a piercing, try switching to a stud. 

13. Make sure you’re getting pierced with implant-grade metal (titanium, surgical steel, or niobium). Some people are prone to allergic reactions to other metals, especially nickel. 

14. For the love of all that is good and pure, DO NOT PIERCE YOURSELF AT HOME. Please don’t. There are so many things that can go wrong, even if you think you’re doing it right (sterilizing, using an actual kit, etc.). Just because it worked for a Youtuber or your friend doesn’t mean it’ll work for you. Piercers get lots of education on the proper methods of piercing certain spots. There are certain spots on your body where if you pierce it, you can hit a nerve and cause lasting damage or an infection. Please, please don’t. Getting it professionally done may be more expensive, but it’s better than having to pay massive bills for treating a nasty infection or having to deal with permanent nerve damage or scarring.

15. If you have blood sugar issues or fainting, you’ll want to be extra careful about getting a piercing because it can cause your levels to drop drastically really fast. Some piercers will offer you some juice or something to make sure your levels are high enough beforehand, but just to be safe, have something at home before you go. Make sure you let them know if you have any of these issues. It’s also a really bad idea to not eat before you go for this reason as well. 

16. Don’t get a piercing impulsively. Do some research beforehand, and maybe even do a little photo editing to see if you’ll like it. The last thing you want is to spend lots of money to get a piercing only to realize you actually hate it on yourself. A piercing is also a hole, and it will most likely leave a scar of some kind, and some will be more visible than others.

17. At the same time, don’t get a piercing because someone else wants you to, or because everyone else is doing it. Get a piercing because you want to, and you think it’ll look good.

18. Make sure your piercer sterilizes everything properly in front of you. Do your research and make sure that the studio you go to is a good one. This can make a world of difference in terms of healing. 

19. DO NOT get your piercings done with a gun. It causes way more shock to your body’s tissues, and they are very hard to sterilize properly. Trust me, a needle is a lot less traumatic.

20. Pain levels will be different for everyone. Obviously some places will hurt more than others. A general rule of thumb though is that soft tissue (earlobes, septum), will hurt less, and cartilage will hurt more. Healing time also tends to be longer for cartilage piercings. Try not to tense up during the procedure if you can, because this will make the pain hurt more. It’s usually only bad for a second or two though, so don’t worry!

21. If you get something that’s a little out there, some people are going to stare, and some people are not going to like it. Ignore them, and if they stare, just stare back and smile! A piercing is your own special form of self-expression, and no one has any right to judge you for it.

22. Whether or not you get a piercing is up to you, but there are a couple things you need to consider still--where you want to work and (don’t come after me please) if you’re still young, what your parents will think. Some workplaces don’t see specific piercings as professional, and having them could decrease your chances of being hired at a job. It sucks, and it’s not fair, but unfortunately that’s the way the world works at this point. :( 

28. And as for your parents, generally if they don’t want you to get pierced, they are speaking for your own good and they have a legitimate reason for it. Generally for any body mods it’s a good idea to wait until you’re older anyways, because they are often permanent, and what you like and what you think looks good is going to change a lot as you grow up. Your parents are likely worried that you’re going to do something you regret, or that people will judge you because of it. It’s annoying sometimes, but parents often know best (they’re older and more mature), and thinking you know better than them can be really dangerous. It sucks, but it doesn’t hurt to wait until you’re a little older first. Besides that, going behind their backs to do something can really hurt your relationship with them, and tells them that you can’t be trusted.

On the other hand, if you aren’t legally a minor anymore, they don’t have a right to prevent you from getting one. It’s still worth considering the consequences though.