How often should I clean my cartilage piercing?
We recommend using this solution at least three times daily during the initial healing period (6 weeks for an earlobe piercing and 12 weeks for a cartilage piercing). After the healing period has ended, we recommend that you continue using your ear care solution as needed to keep your new piercing and earrings clean.
How long do you have to clean a cartilage piercing?
3 to 6 months
Clean your piercing. Even if your piercing appears healed, you should still clean it every day for at least 3 to 6 months. Before touching your piercing for any reason, including cleaning, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. Dry your hands with a paper towel, then clean your piercing.
How do I know if my cartilage piercing is healing correctly?
Keep an eye out for signs of healing—and know how long you might have to wait. “Ear lobes usually take about two to three months to heal, and cartilage takes about three to 10 months. Once it stops hurting, swelling, and secreting fluid, and any redness disappears, it’s healed,” Smith explains.
Can I put alcohol on my cartilage piercing?
General Care for Body Piercings Always wash hands thoroughly before contact with piercing. Do not use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. (Both slow the healing of pierced area by drying and killing new healthy cells.)
Should I twist my new ear piercing?
Don’t fiddle with your piercings. Don’t touch a new piercing or twist the jewelry unless you’re cleaning it. Keep clothing away from the piercing, too. Excessive rubbing or friction can irritate your skin and delay healing.
How do you clean a cartilage piercing at home?
Use a saline soak: Dissolving 1 teaspoon of table salt into a cup of comfortably hot water produces a saline soak. You can soak your cartilage piercing in saline several times a day. This will soften any crusted material and clean the area. Don’t touch your jewelry.
What should I clean my piercing with?
Clean the piercing with either a saline solution, a fragrance-free antimicrobial soap, or both once or twice per day. Rinse any soap from the piercing. Gently dry the piercing with a clean, disposable paper towel or tissue. Avoid drying with cloth since it may carry germs or catch on the jewelry.
Is salt water good for piercings?
The single best thing you can do for your piercing is to keep up a regular regimen of salt water soaks. These flush out the piercing, help to draw out discharge, stimulate blood circulation, and soothe irritations. We strongly suggest soaking your piercing at least twice a day—more often if healing is difficult.
How do you take care of a cartilage piercing?
You can soak your cartilage piercing in saline several times a day. This will soften any crusted material and clean the area. Don’t touch your jewelry. Touching your new piercing with unwashed hands before it heals is the best way to get an infection.
Should I move my piercing while cleaning it?
–Always wash your hands before touching your piercing, but if you can help it, do not touch it (please refer to the first two rules of piercing). –Never spin the jewelry, move it back and forth, or move it while you’re cleaning it. The jewelry may feel tight or like it’s not moving around and that is OK.
What can go wrong with a cartilage piercing?
Piercing the cartilage can cause significant bleeding and lead to septal hematoma formation that often is accompanied by infection. Other potential complications that may result in cosmetic deformity include perichondritis and necrosis of the cartilaginous nasal wall.
How can I make my cartilage piercing heal faster?
Bathe the area in saline solution at least twice each day and try not to sleep on the pierced ear at night. With cartilage piercings, it’s extra important to avoid baths and swimming, especially during the first few months.
Can I clean my piercing with just hot water?
As Galiano points out, you should avoid using hot water on your piercing, as it can cause inflammation, swelling, and pain. Instead, use warm water. “Letting the warm water in the shower run over the skin will help loosen uncomfortable crusties and gently clean them,” he notes.
What happens if I use table salt to clean my piercing?
This is because table salt, and other salts like kosher salt or Epsom salts contain iodine. This is actually harmful to healing wounds because the extra chemicals in iodine can irritate your piercing and could cause further infection.