Piercings 101: What To Know Before You Go Under The (Piercing) Needle

As a middle schooler, when I cared far more about maintaining an image for myself that my conservative Japanese mother had painstakingly curated for me, I would never have dreamed about getting any sort of bodily modification done. Now I sit here with fifteen piercings and gleaming dreams of far more; a far cry from the one earlobe piercing on each ear that my mother had allowed me as a child. 

The reality of modern Western society is this: piercings aren’t crazy and rebellious anymore. Teenage girls rock the same septum rings that were previously only donned by 90’s punks, and no one bats an eye. Maybe fifteen is excessive, and maybe it’s not. But nowadays, piercings are simply an extension of your personal expression. They’re sparkly, pretty, and frankly just an efficient way to be able to wear tons of jewellery at once.

As attitudes towards piercings are changing, far more people are getting all sorts of different piercings done. However, in your personal piercing journey, there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure your experience is smooth sailing. There is rampant misinformation about the process and healing of piercings on the internet, and since you’re dealing with stabbing a needle through your body in a voluntary injury, it is so incredibly important to ensure you’re doing things properly. Here are the most important things to keep in mind when you go get a new piercing done.

The first step to a shiny new piercing, of course, is picking a piercer. There are a few things to remember when you are looking into choosing a studio.

It’s definitely a good sign if the piercer is a member of the Association of Professional Piercers. Keep in mind, however, that a good piercer might not be part of the APP. On the flipside, just because a piercer is a member of the APP does not necessarily mean that they are a good piercer; it just means that they follow good cleanliness and health protocols in the studio. A studio should use an autoclave to sanitize their equipment, and the piercer should always use a brand new needle, fresh out of the package, to perform your piercing. 

Depending on the studio you choose, they might only carry “starter” jewellery, or they might carry something a little fancier. “Starter” jewellery is basic titanium or steel jewellery to wear while your piercings heal. Whatever the shop carries, ensure that the jewellery is good quality and body-safe. 

The only materials that should be going into a fresh piercing is implant grade titanium, implant grade steel, or minimum 14k gold. These materials are the lowest in nickel content, which is what most people with metal allergies are actually allergic to. If you’re prone to jewellery allergies, implant grade titanium is your safest bet, as that will be the jewellery with the lowest nickel content. Some body-safe jewellery companies with stunning pieces are BVLA, Neometal, Anatometal, and Alchemy Adornment, a local jewelry company operating out of Vancouver Island.

The other major aspect of the process is the healing period. Contrary to popular belief, piercings take their sweet time to heal. Unfortunately, lobes can take three to six months to heal, and all cartilage piercings can take anywhere from six to twelve months to heal. Depending on the placement, it can even take longer, if you choose a more difficult to heal piercing like the conch. So, choosing to get a new piercing done is a bit of a commitment. 

The most important part of healing is to not touch your piercings! That is how they get irritated, and how bacteria can get in and cause infections. Piercings are really, really good at healing themselves, they just need to be left alone, for the most part. 

Most piercers will recommend a saline spray or soak to clean with — in my personal opinion, saline sprays are much easier to use, but both do the job equally well. For the first few months, new piercings can leak lymph fluid and get crusty. Yeah, it’s kind of gross, but it’s natural and normal and just part of the process. Use the saline to remove these crusties. Again, do not touch them! After a little while, they’ll stop being so sore. Although that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re healed, that does indicate that you are well on your way to being healed up.

Another little healing issue you might run into is piercing bumps. Often mistakenly called keloids, piercing bumps are little red pimple-like bumps that form around the entry point of your piercing. They most often form due to irritation. There’s no way to get these to go away other than by simply waiting, but given time they will heal up and flatten out, so try not to worry too much about it. 

The best way to prevent the formation of piercing bumps is to ensure the piercing is not being irritated, which is why piercers will often suggest you get a straight or curved labret post instead of a ring for your initial jewellery. Rings can spin in the healing hole and cause irritation and other issues, which is why a post is usually suggested.

With this bit of information in your pocket, I hope you can confidently go out and get a new sparkly addition to your ear, face, or body. Piercings are such a fun and easy body mod to get, and the outcome can be so absolutely stunning.

Happy piercing, folks!

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