Aftercare, Removal & Minor Infection
Aftercare
1. ALWAYS WASH HANDS WITH SOAP AND WATER before attending to piercing(s).
2. Do not swim in a pool or natural bodies of water until 2 weeks after piercing. Avoid immersing lobes in bathtub water for extended time. Then, keep hands away from piercings.
3. Bathe and wash hair as usual. Avoid harsh or strongly scented soap. Rinse well and pat dry/clean with fresh paper towel, tissue or cotton swab. NEVER put a washcloth on ears, as it harbors bacteria and could cause infection.
4. Clean 2 times a day, for 5 days with the provided sterile cleaning swabs (use a separate swab for each piercing) or saline spray. Clean the earring post and skin, starting at the front by gently pushing the earring forward, then back.
5. After 5 days, continue to clean with mild soap and water, then dry as instructed.
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Infection is rare with proper aftercare. Watch for early signs of infection. See Minor Infection below.
1. Some crusting, pink lobes or minor bleeding are not unusual. Do not pick at piercings.
2. NEVER twist earring(s). No need with high-quality medical grade jewelry.
3. Cover ears when applying aerosol products: hairspray, spray colors, perfume, hair dye, etc.
4. Take extra care when putting on or taking off clothing over the head.
5. Try to avoid sleeping on piercings to avoid soreness. Try lying on a bent arm, donut, or airplane pillow for comfort.
6. Change to new earrings in 6-8 weeks. See the JEWELRY link above for earrings for kids to adult.
- For the same quality earrings we use, click Shop Blomdahl 10% OFF with code PEART10.
​ - Adult earrings available at Layered.
- These stores do not sell baby jewelry.
Earring Removal
Watch the earring removal video on the Clinical Piercing website
1. Wash hands and lobes with mild soap and water.
2. With one hand, firmly grasp the front of the earring. With the other, line up the spine of the earring between your thumb and index finger, push back and forth until you feel the back loosen, then discard. Remove the piercing earring.
3.Gently wipe away any residue. There should be nothing or only minor debris. Put in a new earring that has been cleaned with alcohol. We recommend 14 or 18K gold, titanium, sterling silver, surgical steel, rhodium, or platinum. Buy jewelry that is internally threaded (a smooth post), or press-fit. Avoid externally threaded jewelry (ridges are seen) that scrape the delicate piercing tissue. Avoid costume jewelry or plated jewelry in the first year.
4. THE RULE: Until 1 year has passed since piercing, when you remove an earring, put in another shortly after. DO NOT go without an earring overnight or for more than an hour. The healing process is ongoing, and the piercing may close without constant earring wear.
Minor Infection
These instructions are not official medical advice.
By law, Clinical Piercing does not provide
post-piercing medical treatment.
Contact your provider for medical concerns and treatment
after ear piercing.
Excessive redness, swelling, pain or burning, hot to the touch are early infection signs. Some tenderness and itching is expected during healing. Draining pus and/or active bleeding are late signs of infection. Start treating immediately.
1. DO NOT remove jewelry, to avoid trapping infection inside the piercing. DO NOT use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or tea tree oil. These products damage tissue and impede healing. You may apply antibiotic ointment, following the instructions on the label.
2. FOR NO MORE THAN 48 HOURS: Use the sterile saline spray or purchase a sterile saline wound wash. Thoroughly wet a cotton ball with saline and apply to soak the piercing with solution for 10 minutes, 3 times a day. Gently dry with clean paper towel or tissue.
3. SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION if symptoms do not improve or worsen with 2 days of home care, if the earring becomes embedded in the lobe, the infection begins to spread beyond the earlobe, there is fever (over 100.4°F or 38°C) or chills, the earring will not move.