How to Heal an Earring Piercing

Pierced ears allow you to enjoy wearing earrings to accessorize your look. Any body piercing is considered to be a wound to the skin. Just as you would care for a wound obtained from an accident or injury, an ear piercing wound must also be cared for. Following proper aftercare procedures helps your pierced ears heal within four to six weeks, without a painful, unsightly infection. Taking steps to ensure your piercing wounds heal properly allows you to wear earrings for years to come.

Things You'll Need

• Antibacterial soap
• Paper towels
• Cotton swabs
• Saline solution

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Instructions

• 1

  Wash hands to keep germs away from ear piercings.

  Wash your hands with antibacterial soap before touching or cleaning your ear piercings. Germs and bacteria can be easily transferred from your hands to the healing wounds, causing infection.

• 2

  Dry your hands with paper towels, rather than a bath towel. Since bacteria and germs can collect in the towel fibers, using paper towels is another way to avoid the transfer of germs to your piercings.

• 3

  Clean the piercing gently with a wet cotton swab.

  Soak a cotton swab with warm water. Gently wipe around the piercing and your earrings to remove crusty material from the front and back of the earlobe. Use a gentle touch to avoid aggravating or injuring the piercing.

• 4

  Squirt sterile saline solution over the front and back of the ear piercing to clean and sanitize it. Dab your ears dry with a paper towel.