The art of ear piercing is nothing new. It began as early as the prehistoric era and has evolved with mankind. Each civilization throughout history has shown some evidence of piercing, whether it is the ear piercing of the warrior class or a way to keep demons out of their brains. The piercing of ears means something different in each time period and culture but today, as in decades past, it is another way to express your personal style.

One thing that hasn’t changed throughout history is the pain that comes with the piercing. Luckily today we have the knowledge and the ability to eliminate some of the pain and prevent future infection of piercings. Whether you’re thinking about getting your own ears pierced or your child’s, these techniques for cleaning and maintenance can help prepare you for the responsibility of new piercings.

The Before:

If you’re a parent of a young girl you have probably been the target of many pleas to get her ears pierced. You are concerned if they are ready for the responsibility and if they really want it. A good way to prepare them for the piercing is to challenge them to take care of themselves for a month or so to show you they are responsible enough. For example, bestow them with the responsibility of brushing their own hair and teeth and cleaning their face all on their own. If they play sports, make sure they know they have to wear a headband or a hat to cover and protect the piercing while it heals. Have them practice wearing one of these during their games so they know what it’s going to feel like.

If you’re questioning whether it is the right time for a piercing for yourself, take into account what activities you will be doing in the coming weeks while the piercing heals. For example, if there’s an upcoming event where you don’t want the possibility of having a red irritated ear at, maybe wait until after that event. It is also suggested to keep your hair away from the new piercing. If you’re going to be in a position in the weeks after the piercing where this is not possible, maybe wait until after!

No matter what age you are though, the piercing is going to be uncomfortable. Regular lobe piercings tend to just hurt for a moment where as other piercings, like a cartilage piercing, will hurt more and probably for a longer amount of time. If you or your child are worried about this pain we suggest a numbing cream. A numbing cream can be purchased at your local pharmacy or online and when applied 30-45 minutes before the piercing, can dull the pain. This will be especially helpful for younger girls!

The After:

When you come to get your ears pierced at Squires Fine Jewelers, we will give you full detailed instructions on how exactly you should clean your shiny new piercing and how long you should leave it in, as these vary by piercing, but these general tips apply to everyone!

Some people have more sensitive ears than others. Introducing a piercing to the body can cause new allergies such as a nickel allergy. This means more of a reaction to your new piercing. There are several techniques to allow even people with the most sensitive of ears to successfully have their ears pierced. If you find yourself with this problem, ask us and well show you a pair of earrings in a different material that will work with you!

There is such a thing as over cleaning. Your body is trying to heal naturally, you can derail this process with too much chemicals. A light cleaning twice a day is usually enough to help your body with this process instead of hurting it.

Beware of infections and keloids. Infections develop when a piece of hair wraps around the piercing or a lot of hair product gets into the new hole or anything like this. Infections can be warded off with proper cleaning, but should always be looked out for. Occasionally when a piercing goes south or it is not cared for properly, a small bump will develop called a keloid. It is important that you keep an eye out for keloids and infections so that they can be taken care of as soon as possibly by your doctor or they will become very painful!

Enjoy. Ear piercings are beautiful and are meant to reflect your sense of style. Once completely healed we urge you to have fun with different styles of earrings and enjoy the new outlet for creativity!