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How to Prevent Ear Piercing Infections

For many people, piercings are considered a way to express their individuality, a rite of passage or even a way to honour their cultural beliefs and religious faith. Piercings are a part of their lives and they look forward to undergoing the procedure. 

Although ear piercings are popular and generally safe procedures, they can pose a risk of infection.

At Medical Piercing, we are dedicated to providing safe and sanitary piercings for patients of all ages. For this reason, we wanted to share clear and easy to follow instructions on how to prevent ear piercing infection. 

Preventing Piercing Infections and Complications

Whether you choose to have your piercing done at one of our four medical piercing clinics in Ontario or at another licensed body piercing location, you can rest assured that the following instructions will help you keep your piercings clean and safe from harm. 

But before we look at ways of preventing infection, let’s mention what is normal ear piercing irritation and the symptoms of an actual ear piercing infection.

Normal Ear Piercing Irritation

It is normal that in the days following a new piercing, your skin might feel tender and a little itchy. A slight skin discoloration may also appear, but this should not persist, especially if you have been following the recommended aftercare instructions. 

If discomfort persists, you might be experiencing a piercing infection or an allergic reaction to your earrings. 

How Do You Know You Have a Piercing Infection?

Infection and other complications can occur during a procedure when the piercing is not performed according to sanitary standards or when the piercing is not properly cared for following the procedure.  

Symptoms of infection include: 

  • extreme redness or colour discoloration around the piercing
  • the presence of blood or pus
  • the area surrounding the piercing is swollen, painful or hot to the touch 
  • the patient feels generally unwell (fever, chills, sweats) 

 

Infected piercings can become a serious medical condition if not treated quickly. If you or a loved one is experiencing any of the above mentioned symptoms, seek immediate medical help. 

 

Ways to Prevent Ear Piercing Infections

Protection from Ear Piercing Infection

There are two main things you can do to avoid piercing infection: 

  1. Opt for a piercing method that will not cause unnecessary tissue damage and that will use sterile instruments
  2. Protect your new piercings by keeping them clean and safe from accidental injury or touching

Opting for the right piercing method is definitely a big step in the right direction to a safe and positive piercing experience. However, once the piercing is done, it will be your responsibility to ensure good hygiene of the area surrounding your piercing.

ear piercing care to prevent infection Burlington

6 Tips to Prevent Ear Piercing Infection

Here are 6 tips to keep your new piercings safe and healthy: 

  1. Never touch your ears without first washing your hands with soap and water.
  2. Wash your newly pierced ears (on both sides) thoroughly twice a day. Do not remove the earrings when cleaning.
  3. Make sure that the area around the holes is kept clean, dry and airy at all times.
  4. Cover your ears when applying make up, hair spray, spray perfume, hair-dye, etc.
  5. Take extra care when you are putting on/pulling off clothing over your head, in order to prevent the earrings from getting caught.
  6. Wait at least 2 weeks after piercing before going swimming. When you come out of the water, cleanse with liquid soap or appropriate cleansing swabs.

Need more information regarding our safe medical piercing method that eliminates any chance of your skin coming into contact with unsterilized equipment or material? Contact us today

Over 500,000 Safe Piercings Done! 

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