Most of us had our ears pierced as kids or pre-teens, but in the past, five or so years, multiple ear piercings, as well as facial piercings have slowly become more and more popular. Are you considering trying this trend?
Nowadays, it's common for women of all ages and styles to have multiple piercings. While it's currently stylish to accessorize with delicate, trendy jewelry, bold looks also remain popular.
If you’ve been thinking of getting in on this trend, here’s what you need to know about getting and taking care of your new piercing.
Choosing Where To Get Your Piercing Done
So, you’ve been looking at adorable rose gold helix piercings on Pinterest, or maybe you’ve fallen in love with an edgier style. Either way, you’ve decided you just can't wait to update your look. However, it's important to take your time and check both the reviews and pricing of any piercer you are considering.
We recommend asking questions about:
- staff training and certifications
- jewelry types and offerings
- pricing
Professional piercers should take all precautions to avoid cross-contamination, as well as using disposable needles and gloves.
If you are prone to scarring or tend not to heal well, be sure to check with both your medical provider and piercer to see if the piercing is right for you.
Frequently Asked Question: "Can I Just Go To A Mall?"
Much has been written about the “mall jewelry store vs piercing studio” debate. While mall jewelry stores train their staff, this training may not be as rigorous as a professional piercing apprentice's. Because of this, we recommend choosing a skilled and experienced professional whenever possible. Additionally, many mall locations provide only earlobe piercings and only use guns, which we’ll discuss more below.
Piercing Needles Vs Piercing Guns
The only time that you really have to make this choice is for earlobe piercings.
A piercing needle uses a sharp point and has a small hole in the centre. This removes a small amount of tissue, which better allows the jewelry to rest. A needle can be used for all forms of ear and body piercings.
For earlobe piercings, a gun may be used. This gun which pushes a sterilized earring stud through the ear. This method requires less training, but many suggest that even for earlobe piercings, a needle is preferable. For example, the UK’s Association of Professional Piercers takes a firm stand against using a piercing gun.
Follow The Proper Steps For After Care
Looking after your piercing is essential to keep your skin safe and healthy.
Poorly healed piercings can result in:
- infection
- scarring
- cysts under the skin
Certain piercings, such as nasal and ear cartilage ones, may have a higher risk of infection. Additionally, surface piercings (these piercings go through the skin but not through a body part, such as an eyebrow piercing, or a navel piercing), have a higher risk of rejection. If you have one of these piercings, it’s important to follow your aftercare guidelines to the letter.
Notify Your Piercer And Medial Care Provider If:
- you notice surface piercings migrating towards the surface of your skin
- you notice any abnormal swelling in your piercing
- you experience any pain or irritation
- Your piercing shows signs of infection
Once Your Piercing Has Healed
When your piercing has healed, continue to take good care of it. Use high-quality, hypoallergenic jewelry to avoid irritation.
Additionally, after you get a piercing you should:
- always remove piercings if you will be playing contact sports or in a situation where they could get knocked or pulled.
- remove piercings if you are going to be undergoing surgery.
- remove a navel piercing if you are expecting a baby.
Learn More
At our Kelowna skin clinic, we specialize in skin care and rejuvenation features for a wide variety of clients. Our sister clinic, Okanagan Health Surgical, offers corrective surgery for stretched or damaged earlobes. To get in touch, call us at 250-868-9290 or message us through our online contact form.
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