How Long Until I Can Change My Piercing Jewelry?
Whether you’re excited to rock a new daith stud or labret piercing, changing piercing jewelry can be tricky business! Not only because it can be hard to get those tiny balls on the ends of jewelry, but when do you know how long is long enough to wait before changing the jewelry in a healing piercing?
If you’re struggling with this same query and are hopeful to be rocking some new piercing jewelry soon here is your answer.
Wait Until It’s Healed!
While researching this question there was only one simple and obvious answer. Never change your piercing jewelry before your piercing has fully healed.
A healing piercing is an open wound and should be treated like any other! In the case of the piercing, it is being held open by a sterilized (often) metal bar or ring.
Firstly, when changing the jewelry of a healing piercing you are often reopening the wound and damaging any healing that was in the process of taking place. Leave your healing piercings alone!
Secondly, any piercing will begin to look healed long before it actually is healed. This is because wounds heal from the outside first towards the inside in order to protect the healing wound from bacteria. Some healing piercings even appear healed with a thin skin across the outside layer, but this can be torn easily when changing jewelry. An open wound is susceptible to contamination by bacteria from un-autoclaved jewelry, the hands of the wearer or any other equipment that may be used and will often lead to infection!
On Piercing Allergies
If you’re worried that you may be allergic to the metal of your piercing jewelry and that is why you want to change your jewelry before the piercing is fully healed: go to your piercer immediately!
They will be able to tell immediately if this is the case. If it is indeed the case, they will be able to change the piercing without contaminating the open wound and will be able to change it safely with minimum pain to you and little damage to your healing piercing.
Rules for Changing Piercing Jewelry
Whether or not your piercing is healed or still a fresh wound you still need to follow basic cleanliness when changing your piercing. You never know how long a piercing really takes to heal deep within the wound or if your new piercing may reopen the wound when being inserted.
Always autoclave your jewelry!
There are shops can do this for you when you order jewelry online or you can go down to your local piercing shop and they will be able to clean your jewelry for you. If you buy jewelry from a body piercing studio ask if it has been autoclaved already and if they offer that service.
The process of autoclaving kills all of the bacteria on metal and other high temperature jewelry so that it won’t introduce it into the piercing site.
Wash Your Hands or Use Gloves
Otherwise, always wash your hands before and after touching your jewelry. You might be surprised with how much bacteria your hands hold from touching basic objects! Or go the extra mile and use gloves during the process.
At the end of the day it’s always best to let healing piercings lie!