Don ' t touch ! As with all piercings , cartilage piercings should be touched as little as possible since your hands carry bacteria and may cause infection . Contact with any substances ( body fluids , moisture , makeup , body sprays , etc .) should be avoided .
Don ' t twist the jewelry either , since it can tear the fistula ( the healing skin ) and cause scarring , make it harder to heal , and sometimes even cause a rejection of the piercing .
Keep it clean , but don ' t pick ! You ' ll just get bacteria into the wound . The crust that forms is a normal part of the healing process .
To clean : When you ' re in the shower , let the warm water wash over the piercing . You can also douse the area with a sterile saline solution ( the same stuff you use to clean contacts : You can make your own saline by adding 1 / 4 teaspoon of non-iodized salt to a cup of warm water ). If your piercing is painful or irritated , you might soak it in the saline as well . Only use an antibacterial soap if you worry that your piercing has come into contact with something dirty .
How Long Does It Take to Heal ?
Give your new piecing 3-6 months of healing time . Some people may need 6-12 months for their cartilage to fully recover . During this period , clean your piercing twice daily with warm water or a saline solution .
They said my helix piercing would probably take 6 to 8 months to heal , 12 months maximum , but that I could change the jewelry after three months if it was healing well . I integrated my cleaning time with my usual morning and evening rituals : I cleaned it in
How to Care for a Piercing
Don ' t touch ! As with all piercings , cartilage piercings should be touched as little as possible since your hands carry bacteria and may cause infection . Contact with any substances ( body fluids , moisture , makeup , body sprays , etc .) should be avoided .
Don ' t twist the jewelry either , since it can tear the fistula ( the healing skin ) and cause scarring , make it harder to heal , and sometimes even cause a rejection of the piercing .
Keep it clean , but don ' t pick ! You ' ll just get bacteria into the wound . The crust that forms is a normal part of the healing process .
To clean : When you ' re in the shower , let the warm water wash over the piercing . You can also douse the area with a sterile saline solution ( the same stuff you use to clean contacts : You can make your own saline by adding 1 / 4 teaspoon of non-iodized salt to a cup of warm water ). If your piercing is painful or irritated , you might soak it in the saline as well . Only use an antibacterial soap if you worry that your piercing has come into contact with something dirty .
How Long Does It Take to Heal ?
Give your new piecing 3-6 months of healing time . Some people may need 6-12 months for their cartilage to fully recover . During this period , clean your piercing twice daily with warm water or a saline solution .
They said my helix piercing would probably take 6 to 8 months to heal , 12 months maximum , but that I could change the jewelry after three months if it was healing well . I integrated my cleaning time with my usual morning and evening rituals : I cleaned it in