What piercings heal the fastest?

Many teenagers are fascinated about getting their body pierced and they adorn them with different types of jewelry. It’s better to know all the risks and awareness before you go an make your appointment. If you are considering to get body piercing done, it’s important to know the all the important information about the body piercing.

Healing Process
It is important to allow the pierced site to heal on its own as puncturing of the skin is similar to a wound and it should be given some time to heal. Many people avoid wearing of the jewelry or they try out different kinds of jewelry before the piercing heals completely and this can lead to infections and allergies. Changing of the jewelry will also interrupt the natural healing process of the pierced site. Healing process of any body piercing is divided into three phases and they are – inflammatory, proliferative and maturation phase.

Inflammatory Phase
The first few days after the piercing is called as the inflammatory phase where changing or playing with the jewelry can cause bleeding from the site. Many people also experience symptoms like pain, swelling and tenderness in and around the area.

Proliferative Phase
This period occurs during the healing period and during this phase the body tries to produce proteins and cells for the site to heal. During this phase the edges and the pierced site get healed. Proliferative phase usually takes a very long time during the healing.

Maturation Phase
This is considered as the last phase for healing where the body tries to produce cells that strengthens the lining around the piercing. During this phase the pierced site discharges a yellow or white discharge around the jewelry initially. This occurs when the sebaceous glands in the body produces this substance in order to moisturize the pierced site.

However, the healing time for any piercing depends on factors like place of the piercing and the procedure. Genitalia piercing is considered to be the fastest healing body piercing which gets healed within 4 weeks. Navel piercing takes a very long time to heal and it may take around a year for the site to heal.

The healing time for nose piercing depends completely on the place.

New Piercing and Showering
In the time shortly after you get a piercing, the area is highly susceptible to irritation and infection. It’s important to take care of your piercing to prevent infection from occurring.

Shower as normal, but avoid using shower products around the area of your piercing because they can cause irritation. Thoroughly rinse all shower products from your body and hair. Apply saline wash carefully to the piercing area. Do not physically agitate the jewelry. Rinse the pierced area gently with lukewarm water and pat it dry softly with a towel.

Antibacterial soap
There were a lot of discussions about the antibacterial soaps in the past years, and we came to realize that neither Betadine nor Antibacterial Soap is good for healing a fresh piercing as you’re attempting to heal the skin within the hole and the chemicals are far too harsh and actually kill off skin cells rather than help with healing. This kind of soaps are good for your personal hygiene. Wash your hands every time you change your piercing jewelers.

Do Not use alcohol-that could sting if it gets too close to the new piercing and is far too harsh for a fresh piercing. And removing the unattractive
coloration isn’t just an aesthetic issue. Iodine should be removed from the skin after the piercing is done to prevent any irritation.

Do not wash the area more than twice a day because excess washing could cause irritation and impede healing.
Do not expose your piercing to bodily fluids.
Avoid removing the jewelry from your piercing for long periods of time because the hole may close.
To minimize healing time, avoid touching your piercing other than when cleaning it.

Remember: The healing time for the ear piercings may range from 4 months to a year and this also depends on the the place of the piercing. Follow proper aftercare tips in order to avoid infections and other risks caused due to the body piercing procedure.

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What to Know About Cartilage Piercings

A cartilage piercing is a type of body modification in which you have a decorative hole in one of the cartilage-filled parts of your body. A piercing of your nose or the stiff upper part of your ears is a cartilage piercing. It’s important to know how to take care of these piercings so they heal correctly. ‌

Cartilage piercings take longer to heal than soft-tissue piercings through your earlobes or eyebrows. They may take anywhere from 4-12 months to fully heal.

These piercings heal from the skin inwards. So you may think your piercing is healed before it actually is.

Impact of Cartilage Piercings on Your Health

Like any piercing, a cartilage piercing needs to be cared for correctly or it can cause health problems. All piercings are technically wounds. They need good wound care to heal without complications.

A well-done cartilage piercing will be slightly sore to the touch at first. It will likely itch and ooze clear or white-yellow fluid that crusts on your jewelry. You may also notice minor bleeding and bruising or redness around the piercing. These are normal and will go away as the cartilage piercing heals.

Infected cartilage piercing. Not every cartilage piercing is done well, unfortunately. Your piercing can get infected if it’s done poorly or with unclean tools.

An infected cartilage piercing may:

Hurt
Ooze a thick or smelly discharge that’s gray, yellow, or green
Feel hot to the touch
Turn bright red or pink
Lead to a fever, chills, and nausea

Talk to your doctor if you have any of these symptoms.

Cartilage piercing bump. Whether or not your cartilage piercing gets infected, you may also develop a keloid in the area. A keloid is a type of raised scar tissue that looks like a bump around the piercing.

Some keloids are caused by infection. Others just happen. A keloid isn’t dangerous, but some people don’t like the way they look. If you get a keloid from one cartilage piercing, you’re more likely to get them on additional piercings.

What to Expect From a Cartilage Piercing

If you decide to get a cartilage piercing, make sure you get it from a trained professional piercer. Professionals know how to sanitize their equipment and give you a piercing that will heal neatly.

Look for a state license or certification when you go to a piercing parlor. This ensures that your piercer knows what they’re doing.

Good hygiene. Your piercer should provide a clean environment and use sterile tools to do your piercing. They should wear a pair of new disposable gloves during your piercing. They should also use each tool only once before sterilizing it.

If you’re not sure whether your piercer is using safe methods, it’s better to go to a different piercer than risk an infection.

It’s fast. The piercing itself will only take a few minutes. Your piercer will swab your skin with alcohol and confirm where you want the piercing. Then they’ll use a sterile needle or piercing gun to make the hole and place your new jewelry. They may have you remain sitting for several minutes to make sure you don’t get dizzy from the piercing.

Once your piercer is confident you’re feeling OK, they’ll give you information on caring for your piercing. Follow their instructions to make sure your new body modification heals correctly. This will also help you avoid infection.

What to expect afterward. Right after your piercing, you might have minor pain, bleeding, or redness. A bit later, you may notice itching and see a clear whitish-yellow fluid that forms a crust around the piercing or on your jewelry. This isn’t pus – it’s just part of your skin’s healing process. This crusting can last for a few weeks.

How to Clean a Cartilage Piercing

Once you’re home, it’s your responsibility to help your piercing heal. One of the most important ways to do that is to regularly clean it to keep germs from getting into it. Here’s how:

Wash your hands before you start.
Clean the piercing with either a sterile saline solution or a fragrance-free antimicrobial soap. Do this once or twice a day. Look for saline solutions whose labels say they’re intended for wound care use. Avoid homemade salt solutions.
Rinse any soap from around the piercing.
Gently dry the area with a clean, disposable paper towel or tissue. Avoid drying with cloth since it may carry germs or catch on the jewelry.

How to Help Your Cartilage Piercing Heal

Here are some other ways to care for your cartilage piercing at home.

Don’t touch your jewelry. Touching your new piercing with unwashed hands before it heals is the best way to get an infection. Avoid touching your piercing unless you’re cleaning it.

Avoid contaminants. To keep your piercing clean throughout the day, steer clear of:

Contact with body fluids, including saliva
Contact with open water, including lakes, rivers, pools, and hot tubs. Showers are better than baths since bathtubs can hold onto bacteria.
Makeup or beauty items, including lotions, sprays, and powders.
Antibacterial ointments, as they can prevent your piercing from getting the air it needs to heal.

Keep phones, headphones, hats, and anything else that touches your piercing clean.

Be careful with hair care. Avoid contact with your piercing while you wash, dry, or style your hair. If you’re having your hair cut or styled, let the barber or stylist know about your piercing.

Tips for sleeping. Avoid lying on your cartilage piercing when you sleep. To make sure you have a clean sleeping surface, put your pillow inside a clean T-shirt before you go to bed. Change the shirt from back to front or outside to inside each day. Switch to a new shirt once you’ve used all the surfaces.

Cartilage Piercing Concerns

Cartilage piercings are riskier than piercings of your skin, such as your earlobe. You may have more bleeding when you get your cartilage pierced.

It’s important to keep these piercings clean since an infection could lead to necrosis, or tissue death, in your cartilage. This is more common in your nose because of the mucus inside, which can attract staphylococcus bacteria.

To prevent these complications, stick to a steady cleaning routine and follow all of your piercer’s instructions. Avoid getting your septum pierced if you have allergies or a cold.

If you decide you don’t want your cartilage piercing, you can take out the jewelry. But this can interfere with the healing process. If you do this, be sure to keep cleaning the piercing daily until it’s fully healed. ‌

Show Sources

American Family Physician : “Complications of Body Piercing.”

‌Cleveland Clinic: “What to Expect When Getting Your Ears Pierced.”

‌Mayo Clinic: “Piercings: How to prevent complications.”

NCSL: “Tattooing and Body Piercing | State Laws, Statutes and Regulations.”

NHS: “Infected piercings.”

‌Riley Children’s Health: “Ear Piercing For Kids: Safety Tips From a Pediatrician.”

‌UC Berkeley: “Body Piercings: Cleaning and Healing.”

‌American Academy of Pediatrics: “Avoiding Infection After Ear Piercing.”

‌Association of Professional Piercers: “Suggested Aftercare For Body Piercings,” “Suggested Aftercare For Oral Piercings,” “Taking Care Of Your New Piercing.”

‌Center for Young Women’s Health: “Body Piercing.”

‌ Pediatrics in Review : “Ear Piercing.”

‌Seattle Children’s Hospital: “Ear Piercing Symptoms.”