What is a piercing?
A piercing is a small hole made in the body using a needle for the purpose of wearing jewellery. It is considered a form of body modification used for personal decoration, cultural tradition, or self-expression.
The jewellery prevents the body from healing the damaged tissue as quickly as it normally would. As a result, the piercing must pass through a total of 4 healing phases before it is completely healed.
The 4 phases of healing a piercing
• Phase 1: Hemostasis
The body’s immediate priority after a piercing is to stop the bleeding. Platelets and red blood cells work with collagen fibers to form a clot and create a temporary barrier against pathogens.
• Phase 2: Inflammatory Phase
A couple of days or weeks after a piercing, it enters the so-called “defensive” phase. During this phase, white blood cells clear out bacteria and debris to prepare for new tissue growth. Common signs include redness, swelling, and tenderness.
• Phase 3: Proliferative Phase
This process occurs weeks or months after the piercing. The body begins forming the fistula, a tunnel of scar tissue that grows from the outer edges of the piercing toward the center. You may see “crusties” (a clear-to-yellowish discharge) as new tissue develops.
• Phase 4: Maturation
After many months or years, the piercing finally enters the last stage. During this stage, the fistula walls thicken and stabilize. Although the piercing may look healed on the surface, the internal tissue is still gaining strength.
What are the usual symptoms of a healing piercing?
After piercing, your body begins the process of repairing the damaged tissue. There are several symptoms that a healing piercing can exhibit. To reassure you, I have listed all the usual symptoms below:
• Redness
After piercing, the spot may appear red. The redness is due to an increased blood flow from the body’s temperature to the pierced area. It can persist for several days to weeks.
• Warmth
Following piercing, the spot may feel warm to the touch. This warmth results from increased blood flow responding to the body’s temperature, and it can persist for several days to weeks.
• Pain
After piercing, the spot can be painful. Pain is caused by the production of certain substances that stimulate our nerves. These stimulated nerves send signals to the part of our brain that registers pain. The pain can persist for a few days, weeks, or even months. It’s important to note that the pain should only be noticeable when you touch your piercing, and in this case, the pain should be a maximum of 7 on a scale of 1 to 10.
• Swelling
Following a piercing, the spot may swell. Swelling is caused by the accumulation of fluid. Therefore, longer jewellery pieces are used for piercing to allow adequate room for swelling. Swelling typically peaks after 1 to 4 weeks and can persist for several weeks to months. The jewellery must maintain sufficient space during the healing process.
• Fluid
After piercing, a transparent or white fluid may discharge from your piercing, often when you touch it. This liquid is referred to as exudate and is composed of water, dissolved substances, cells, and debris. The exudate can persist for several days, weeks, and even months.
• Blood
Following piercing, a small amount of blood may emerge from your piercing. Bleeding usually occurs when you touch or bump into your piercing. A crust will form after bleeding, and bleeding can occur for several days to weeks.
What are the unwanted symptoms of a healing piercing?
After piercing, your body starts to repair the damaged tissue. There are several unwanted symptoms that a healing piercing can go through. Make an appointment by selecting “Check-up” if any of the following symptoms occur.
• Extreme Swelling
Following a piercing, the spot may swell up due to the accumulation of fluid. To accommodate this swelling, we use a longer piece of jewellery for the piercing. Swelling typically reaches its peak after 1 – 4 weeks and can persist for several weeks to months. In some cases, the swelling may be more severe than expected, causing your piercing to feel very tight. In such cases, you will need a longer piece of jewellery to allow room for the swelling.
• Bump
Following a piercing, a small bump may form at the pierced area. This is more commonly known as a hypertrophic scar. Despite proper aftercare, hypertrophic scarring can still develop, as it is a natural response from the body when the immune system initiates the healing process. This may occur several weeks or months after piercing, and it is more common in tissues containing cartilage, such as in your ears or nose. The skin becomes noticeably red or pink, and it starts to rise slightly. You might experience itching, scabbing, or slight pain as a result of this. In most cases, this disappears on its own in several days or weeks. Placing a silicone disc can help if the hypertrophic scar persists.
• Bruising
After piercing, a bruise may develop around the pierced area. When a blood vessel is damaged, blood leaves the vascular bed and accumulates around the pierced area, causing the skin to appear red, blue, or purple. After a few days, the bruise may change to a green or yellow colour. It usually takes 2 – 3 weeks for the bruising to subside.
• Extreme Pain
After piercing, the spot can be painful. Pain is caused by the production of certain substances that stimulate our nerves. These stimulated nerves send signals to the part of our brain that registers pain. The pain can persist for a few days, weeks, or even months. However, if the piercing constantly hurts without any contact, and the pain rates at 7 or higher on a scale from 1 to 10, there may be an issue that needs attention. Make a free appointment by selecting “Emergency” if that is the case.
What should I avoid doing with my new piercing?
After getting a new piercing, there are a few key things you should avoid to ensure proper healing.
• Touching or rotating the jewellery
One of the most common myths is that you need to keep touching or rotating the jewellery in a new piercing to prevent it from “growing stuck.” In reality, doing this can cause the following issues:
1. Transferring pathogens from your hands to the wound, which significantly increases the risk of infection.
2. Rotating the jewelry can cause micro-tears in the delicate new tissue. This re-injures the site and forces the body to “restart” the healing process, which can lead to piercing bumps.
3. Your body is working to form a fistula around the jewelry. Constant movement damages this fragile structure and prevents the skin from sealing properly.
Therefore, it is best to touch or rotate your piercing as little as possible, or not at all!
• Pressure
One of the worst things a new piercing can experience is pressure. Excessive or frequent pressure can cause the piercing to swell, become irritated, migrate, or experience delayed healing. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid the following:
1. Wearing items that cause pressure, such as beanies, helmets, headphones, tight clothing, etc.
2. Sleeping on your piercing.
A good way to avoid sleeping on your piercing is to use a piercing pillow, donut pillow, or travel pillow. These pillows allow you to sleep on the pierced ear without applying pressure to the piercing.
• Excessive amounts of moisture
Bacteria need water to grow and reproduce. To help prevent this, it is important to limit both the amount and frequency of moisture exposure to your piercing. For the first 8 weeks with all new piercings, it is best to avoid the following:
1. Swimming in bodies of water such as swimming pools, ditches, lakes, rivers, and the sea
2. Going to a sauna
3. Letting your hair air-dry
It is fine to shower with your new piercing; just make sure to rinse all soap or shampoo thoroughly away from them.
Which aftercare products should I use?
For oral piercings, I recommend using Prontolind mouthwash solution. For all non-oral piercings, I recommend using saline solution.
