Earlobes are one of the most common places to get pierced and is a very popular choice among both men and women, especially in Western culture. This is because earlobe piercings are the most widely accepted form of body modification currently available and is a safe and ordinary procedure worldwide. However, it is important to clean the piercing thoroughly, as with any modification, and upkeep your jewelry’s cleanliness. Proper and consistent aftercare is necessary to ensure the longevity of your piercing!
The Process
Earlobe piercings, when done correctly, should be virtually painless, have a relatively easy aftercare and will experience fewer complications.
A proper piecing should take place in a piercing studio or tattoo shop, where an experienced and professional piercer will safely penetrate your lobes with a piercing needle. This needle has a small opening at the tip. Its purpose is to remove a piece of your lobe and collect the skin, leaving a proper hole in its place. This is vastly different from a piercing gun, which causes blunt-force trauma. The gun method involves jamming a piece of sharp jewelry through your lobe at alarming speeds, which moves the skin rather than removes it. This can easily lead to scarring, excessive bleeding and pain.
However, that does not stop patrons from preferring this method, as it seems faster and less intimidating than visiting a tattoo shop or piercing studio, especially if you’ve never been in one before. Unfortunately, many uncertified shops and mall kiosks offer piercing services to unsuspecting customers who don’t know any better.
The Aftercare
This type of piercing typically takes 6-8 weeks to heal, depending on your ability to follow your piercer’s advice and instructions. Aftercare is extremely important, as it will be the difference between a quick and painless healing process and a nasty, infected earlobe.
- Don’t touch it! – Its exciting to get a new modification but touching it, especially with dirty, unwashed hands, can lead to infection, swelling, oozing and general pain. When this happens, you will be forced to remove the jewelry, let it heal and then re-pierce it all over again. Sleeping directly on your piercing can cause similar complications.
- Saline soaks – Saline can usually be bought from your piercer. However, if you don’t have access to this solution, you can easily mix ¼ teaspoon of non-iodized salt into 1 cup of warm water. Soak a cotton pad with the solution and cleanse your piercing site carefully, making sure never to twist or pull on the jewelry!
Earlobe piercings can be an excellent way to express your individuality and, if done correctly, are one of the easiest piercings to clean and care for!