Your earlobe may also feel warm to the touch. Every time you touch your piercing you can irritate it and make it take so much longer to heal. References Common Ear Piercing Care Mistakes. Take some saltwater and a Q-tips. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. To learn how to maintain healthy ear piercings, scroll down! Make sure you do both sides of the ear and you should do this it at least two times a day so in the morning and before you go to bed. You then put it around the piercing and your ear and get it really wet and you move the jewelry around so the solution gets in the hole. To find earrings, go to a local accessory or jewelry shop. No. As long as the puncture doesn't get infected, you will be fine. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 171,871 times. could i clean my ear piercing hole with baking soda? Is it okay for it to swell or become red after cleaning it? Don’t use table salt, which contains anti-caking ingredients that can cause irritation. Make sure you get the cotton soaked. Mix 1/8 teaspoon (0.6 g) of sea salt with 8 fluid ounces (240 mL) of warm water. Take your earrings out when playing sports or swimming. You may even want to wear your hair pulled back from your piercing for a while. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. You have to be sure that your ears don't get exposed to germs or dirt when cleaning. Apply saltwater on your ear piercing area. You have an infection. I'm 11 years old. The ear piercing process takes only seconds, but newly pierced ears require six to eight weeks of healing time, according to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation 1 2. Try to use a gloves when cleaning your ears to be sanitary. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. 24 years experience Psychiatry. Clean your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap. While you need to be patient and devoted to the task of cleaning your piercing, the process is thankfully quite simple. If you won't be able to wash your hands, you can apply some hand sanitizer to sterilize your fingers before touching your piercing. It's better to keep harsh chemicals away from your ear, and use something gentler. This can lead to the formation of an abscess, which can be serious and painful to care for. Were you so excited you don’t remember what your piercing professional said. Repeat on the back of your ear, using a new cotton swab or ball. Ear piercings are a popular fashion accessory for many men and women. Can I take my earrings out after five weeks of having them done? Never get your cartilage pierced with a piercing gun. Remember to repeat the process once or twice a day so your piercing doesn't get infected. Clean at least once daily. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Cartilage piercings, which take place on the harder part of your ear… Do not twist ear piercings. This article has been viewed 627,956 times. you can also find regular sized (i.e. But you can reopen it up easily! [1] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Dermatology Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists Go to source Carry a bottle of hand sanitizer around. When you begin to wear dangly earrings they are now made very light, you can further protect your ear lobe by using a flat plastic backing. I am getting my ears pierced soon, and this will be very helpful. She is licensed with the County of San Francisco in California. How long do I have to wait to switch the new earrings with old ones? The Real … Gently clean it off with warm water during your normal piercing care routine. Thanks! Protecting Your Ears While Getting Them Pierced, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/4e\/Clean-a-New-Ear-Piercing-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Clean-a-New-Ear-Piercing-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/4e\/Clean-a-New-Ear-Piercing-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid1382240-v4-728px-Clean-a-New-Ear-Piercing-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"