Q&A for How to Take Care of Pierced Ears

The healing time will depend on the location of your ear piercing. A piercing in your earlobe will take about 6-8 weeks to heal, while a piercing in the cartilage of your upper ear will take anywhere from 3-6 months to heal, depending on how many piercings you're getting.

No. If you want to, you can just clean on top and around them while they're in your ears. There is no need to take them out to clean them, and it is not recommended to take them out during this period.

Nothing will happen. Just make sure you get all of the soap out of the piercing.

Well, generally when someone gets a piercing, it doesn't hurt at first. And it shouldn't. There should only be some minor irritation. After you get them done, if your ears are hurting, clean them. If the problem worsens, go see a doctor. It may be a minor infection. Don't worry, it's nothing serious! When you turn the earrings, they should not be crusty or have a lot of pus around, in them.

Yes, but make sure that they aren't tight. They should be hanging on your head, not clinging to your ears. If you pierced your ears recently, you may also want to wipe down the surface of the headphones with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol. This will help kill any bacteria that may cause infections.

The bacteria on the pillow case can cause an infection to a newly pierced ear. Change your pillow case at least once a week.

You can change your earrings after 6 weeks of getting your ears pierced. If you wish to take your earrings out for longer (ie: a day), then you will need to wait 1 year.

No, you can get rid of the crust by soaking a cotton ball in water and holding it against your new piercing.

Normally, just try to avoid getting hit in the ears. And wash them afterward to remove any dirt and bacteria you picked up while playing.

It may be a minor infection, not necessarily, though. Some crust is normal, if it is clear or pale yellow and odorless--this is just dried blood and plasma that seeps out of a wound while it heals. Redness may just be a sign of a minor irritation. If your piercing feels warm, is swollen or very painful, and/or is red any other time besides the hours after having it it done, it may be infected. Red, brown, green, or bright yellow puss is also a sign of infection, as well as an odor. Do not take out your jewelry or pick at your piercing to remove the crust. Clean around the hole with warm sea salt water.

You can wash your hair as long as you keep shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc. away from your piercing. Clean your ears after you shower to avoid infection.

Ideally, you shouldn't swim. If you're determined to do so, make sure you clean your ears out after you get out of the pool.

It's not bad, but it wastes a lot of solution.

Take one off of another pair of earrings.

Try not to touch your ears when you're working with chemicals, and clean the piercings regularly. If you are worried, you can also wear a hat or shower cap over your head and ears.

Talk to your coach about your new piercings and ask if you may cover them with tape during play or practice. If they refuse, you must decide which you want more - piercings or playing sports.

Yes, this is normal.

No. It shouldn't be bleeding at all, even when you first get it done. Clean your piercing and if the bleeding doesn't stop, you need to see a doctor.

Don't use alcohol to clean your piercing. It can eat away at the good skin cells, and can also make your ear break out. If the piercing place didn't give you a saline solution, I recommend making a saltwater solution using sea salt only. If the piercing place did give you a solution, you can use a q-tip to clean your ear with it.

It really depends on how long it's been since you got the piercing. If you took them out before the healing period was over -- about 6 weeks -- than it's probably not an infection if there is only a tiny bit of bleeding. Don't take earrings out before healing period is over. Get it checked if you've had them in longer.

Yes. However, don't leave it out for long or it will close up.

No, this is normal, it's just from the healing process.

Yes, and you sound like you're taking great care of your piercing!

Yes, you can swim with pierced ears after they are healed. Before they are healed, avoid swimming.

You should go to the doctor. It might be an infection or an allergic reaction to the earing's metal.

Sure! You might not want to wash your hair the first day, though, since some shampoos irritate piercings.

It depends on if you've just pierced your ears recently or it's an old piercing. You should leave the posts in for 6 weeks after you got your ears pierced, or the holes might seal when you take out the posts.

Crust is normal. It just means that your piercing is healing. If the redness continue, see a doctor.

No, otherwise your piercings will close up. Just clean them every day and change them as soon as they've healed.

if you’ve had your ears pierced since you were a baby, and only recently start wearing earrings again, the holes had probably started to close up. You might want to clean the holes with saline solution, but it's nothing to be concerned about.