Ear: lobe and cartilage

Specific to the ear

• Do not sleep on it. Pressure during sleep is the most common problem with cartilage piercings; a travel pillow with a hole in the middle helps.
• Keep hair spray, shampoo and hair dye off the area, and mind the jewelry when brushing or towelling your hair.
• Keep phones and earbuds off the healing side. Especially for tragus and conch.
• Change your pillowcase often, or cover it with a clean T-shirt.
• Once the initial swelling has gone down (usually 2–6 weeks) the longer bar should be swapped for a shorter one; left long, it snags and tilts the piercing. Come to the studio for the change.

A small bump next to a cartilage piercing (an irritation bump) is common and is usually caused by pressure or snagging. Do not squeeze it or put creams on it; remove the cause and start bump treatment. Get in touch with us.

Piercing aftercare

• Keep the area away from water for the first 2 days. For the 10 days after that, put a thick layer of vaseline on the entry and exit points before every contact with water.
• After the water, wipe the vaseline away gently with a clean cotton bud, then spray salt water, sea-water spray, sterile saline or a piercing aftercare solution on the entry and exit points.
• From the day it is done, for 10 days, at least 5 times a day, spray saline or piercing solution on the entry and exit points (3 or 4 sprays).
• Home-made saline: add a level teaspoon of salt to a cup of boiled water, boil it, let it cool and pour it into a clean spray bottle.
• Never touch the piercing without disinfecting your hands first. Keep it from knocks, rubbing and being slept on.
• A new piercing should not be moved or taken out for the first 2 months. Do not leave the channel empty for at least 1.5 years; cartilage and mucous tissue close very fast.
• For oral piercings, rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash 3 times a day for a week; with a tongue piercing, eat cold and liquid food for the first week.
• For a fresh piercing, wear titanium or 316L surgical steel of the right standard.

When to see a doctor

If you see spreading redness, increasing heat, throbbing pain, a yellow-green or foul discharge, or you develop a fever, do not remove the jewelry. See a doctor. Taking it out closes the channel and traps the infection inside. If this happens, first send us a photo and tell us what is going on. For more serious cases, please see a doctor as we direct you.

If something does not look right, send us a photo and we will take a look. WhatsApp