Piercing Aftercare: What to Expect & How to Heal Successfully
Getting a new piercing is exciting, but healing takes time and dedication. The time it takes for a piercing to fully heal can vary from person to person, depending on lifestyle, aftercare routine and if there are multiple piercings healing at once. Some piercings heal quickly, while others take longer, and that’s okay! What matters most is keeping your piercing clean and being patient with your body.
**These guidelines are based on our decades of experience as professional piercers, the experiences of others who are respected in the industry, and the advice of medical professionals familiar with piercing care.
The Two Golden Rules of Healing
Resist the urge to touch your piercing— except during cleaning and only with freshly washed hands. This is super challenging, but trust us on this one.
Leave your jewelry in at all times—if removed, new piercings can shrink immediately, making reinsertion painful or impossible. If you have any concerns, we want to help. We offer free consultations at any time during the healing process, you can schedule one here.
Cleaning Etiquette 101
🧼 Step 1: Always wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water.
💦 Step 2: Use a sterile saline to flush the area or gently apply with a non-woven gauze.
🌀 Step 3: Carefully remove buildup around jewelry if needed.
🔧 Step 4: If your jewelry is threaded, check that it’s still tight!
You may be asking yourself, “What is normal during the healing process?” And we’re so glad you asked!
Some tenderness, bruising, redness, and/or swelling—especially early on.
Itching and “crusties”—secretion of a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) is part of the healing process and is to be expected. It is liquid when it leaves the body but dries into “crusties.”
Piercings will go through “ups and downs” while healing—a piercing may seem fine one day and irritated the next. Stay strong and stick with your cleaning routine!
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