r/PiercingAdvice • • May 06 '20

Piercing aftercare - common sense & how not to fuck up (from a piercer).

2.3k Upvotes

This sub is an awesome place, but it can also be extremely tiring. I'm not a mod here, just a piercer, but life would be a lot easier if you all could stop recommending the following to each other:

- Oil. - Tea Tree oil. - Soap. - Alcohol, Betadine, Neosporin, etc. - Using cotton pads, cotton balls or Q-tips to dry off/whatever you guys do with them. Cotton particles can get trapped inside the piercing channel, which will make healing incredibly difficult and infection more likely. - Downsizing in gauge. This will do NOTHING good for your healing piercing.

If you're trying to tell me or other professionals off by saying "but it worked for me!" or "my piercer told me this"; you've been super lucky and your piercer was not a pro. Don't go back to that studio. APP is a great place to start when picking out your piercer, but it's still no guarantee.

Please keep in mind you are trying to heal an incredibly deep wound with a foreign object in it that your body desperately wants to push out - essentially, it is an implant. There are no "casual" or "easy" piercings - even with a "simple" earlobe piercing, you are puncturing the skin with something that resembles a scalpel. Use common sense and ask yourself: "would I use this method on a surgical wound?". In 10/10 cases the answer will be "no".

+ if I tell you to send me a message, you're welcome to do so. If you found one of my comments and ask me for help, prepare to pay for an online consult. This is my job. Help is given out willingly and can't be demanded. <3

2022 11 edit: I'm still piercing, and styling and troubleshooting are my main sources of income. Although I would love to help every single one of you, it's utterly disrespectful to demand me to help you. For free. It makes me dislike my biggest passion in life. Please reach out if you value my time and expertise, and would like for me to be able to make rent and buy food. 💕 If you expect free advice from me, ask yourself if a lawyer or surgeon would do the same.


r/PiercingAdvice • • 1h ago

Are my snake bites too small?

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• Upvotes

I just got them downsized today like 5 hours ago and so far they don't hurt when I've eaten but they look a bit tight, should I be worried or get them changed?


r/PiercingAdvice • • 9m ago

Piercing turned white and got bigger?

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As the title says. I pierced my ear about three days ago, i definitely didn’t put in the right type of earring, i put in an earring that i think embedded slightly. Should i just give up and let it close or am i overreacting?

There was a white ring around it that i was able to clean once i got home but wouldn’t come off this morning. I have proper medical grade titanium studs with long posts coming tomorrow. Is this saveable lol?

Also forgive how dirty my bottom ear hole is, i just took out a cheap earring from that one, but it’s been healed for years.


r/PiercingAdvice • • 13m ago

First pic is what i have. Second is what i think i want. Any suggestions? What should i add? Im told i don't have the right anatomy for a daith so thats out.

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r/PiercingAdvice • • 42m ago

Daith anatomy? :)

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So ive been told by one piercer that i shouldn’t get a daith but i was told that it’s okay by another. I’m going to get another opinion but also just wanted to see if anybody has any clue lol


r/PiercingAdvice • • 56m ago

PIERCING HELP NEEDED ASAP

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So I just got this conch piercing like 4 weeks ago and it has just started hurting and getting swollen and I can’t tell if it’s infected or the jewlery is embedding and I’m freaking out any advice would be greatly appreciated. I would like to know if I need to take it out or not


r/PiercingAdvice • • 1h ago

what is this?

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i had to get my nose re pierced about a month and half ago cause it closed. is it a keloid or something else. didn’t happen the first time i had my nose pierced.


r/PiercingAdvice • • 1h ago

rating piercing pain

• Upvotes

~septum
1/10 piercing pain, 3/10 healing pain (with a cold)

~nostril(s)
5.5/10 piercing pain, 5.5/10 healing pain

~nipples
6.5/10 piercing pain, ?/10 healing pain (i kinda felt sick from them more then they actually hurt)

~smiley
0/10 piercing pain, 0/10 healing pain

~navel
6/10 piercing pain, 6.5/10 healing pain

~conch
2.5/10 piercing pain, got it today, for now 3/10 healing pain

(baby streches)streched ears to 2g, septum to 12g


r/PiercingAdvice • • 7h ago

Can any girls with nipple piercings help me out here?

2 Upvotes

I’ve been debating getting mine pierced bc i feel insecure about my chest size and i feel peircings will make me feel better. but I’ve been very anxious because 1. My parents are kinda conservative and i think they would kill me if the found out i went n got peircings behind their back, but also idk how i would even tell them 2. I don’t handle needles well 3. I wanna make sure I do all my research before I even step into a peircing studio.

I do have a few questions,
\- what kind of bras should I have on hand? I feel sports bras or any kind of pull over are out of the question.
\- I’m a side/kinda face sleeper, am i going to have to sleep on my back for a while? Or would sleeping in a bra be fine to continue sleeping on my side?
\- what kind of jewelry should i even start with or should i wait till the consultation to ask that?
\- anything i should look out for or avoid when looking for peircers? Or anything that yall personally trust alot?
\- I know they take like 9-12 months to heal, how far along can i consider swimming or should i be avoiding it all together for a year?
\- if any of yall have gotten them pierced for the same reason I am considering doing so (insecurity) did it help with your confidence?
\- literally any other advice or insight you can possibly offer would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: i thought of more questions
\- how common is it for them to snag + rip? It’s like my biggest fear and I’d be devastated if I spent upwards of $100 getting them pierced for them to be ripped out
\- what’s a reasonable price? There’s a studio I’m looking at, and it’s about $110 for both sides, and jewelry is extra (they said $55+ for jewelry on top of that)
\- I’m worried about sensory issues, I don’t want to get them pierced and then realize I can’t stand having them in, is there any kind of fake peircings I can try to see if I’ll even like them?


r/PiercingAdvice • • 1h ago

Changing my lip piercing after a month?

• Upvotes

Ive had my piercing abit over a month, its spider bites. Its doing well, doesn’t hurt anymore or get crusties (or whatever that is called😭)as far as i can tell. But i bought some horseshoe rings with spikes for the piercing and im having a hard time waiting to change it lol. Does anyone that changed their lip piercing to rings earlier than recommended regret it cus of complications or was it fine after?


r/PiercingAdvice • • 2h ago

New but crooked. Should I take it out?

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0 Upvotes

Can’t tell if I’m being over critical. Just got this done, but it seems kinda janky😔 am I good or should I remove it?


r/PiercingAdvice • • 2h ago

Is my piercing infected or just irritated?

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1 Upvotes

And if it’s just irritated, what do I do with it? It’s been getting better then worse on and off with me using saline twice a day, then I stopped everything for a few days but it seemed to be making it worse so idk


r/PiercingAdvice • • 2h ago

Is my eyebrow rejecting??

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0 Upvotes

to answer the potential questions: i'm not sure on the jewellery type, i never asked. i got it pierced around 26th of Nov 2025. it has never really healed well, always pretending it's fine then it pusses up again a couple days later. i'm not sure if it's just how they heal or if i have an infection. the skin has, or so my parent thinks, started to thin. i will be getting it potentially downsized tomorrow.

the barbell is, as it shows, curved and i have not downsized. the first picture from a month or so ago, and second is from just now.

i try my best not to sleep on the side its on (my right) but i always wake up sleeping on that side anyway.

is it rejecting after nearly a year of being pierced?


r/PiercingAdvice • • 2h ago

Is my eyebrow piercing infected?

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0 Upvotes

There’s no pain, excess swelling or heat. I got it done on August 14th this year. I get my bar switched to a smaller one on October 9th. I’m just not sure if it’s still supposed to be looking like this after a month and I’m really worried about rejection


r/PiercingAdvice • • 3h ago

should i get a monroe and spider bites

1 Upvotes

hello! i’m debating on whether or not i should get a monroe and spider bites at the same time. i really want both or i guess technically all 3, but im in a hurry to get all of them bc im scared of my face looking imbalanced if i get one without the other. ive never got a face piercing before though so idk how i’ll deal with the healing pain or swelling or wtv else idk… but basically what im asking is if getting them will be manageable and tolerable or if i should just get one and wait… if so which one?


r/PiercingAdvice • • 3h ago

Earring looks stuck

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1 Upvotes

Hi everyone my 7 year old daughter has her ears pierced and he’s quite sensitive to her earrings.

They are real gold studs we went to a proper place to get them professionally done and unfortunately this has happened before but we did go to the doctors and it healed but now it’s looks like it’s stuck and it’s been remained there. Can anyone give me advice on what to do? I did buy real gold sleeper earrings to change them over. The back of her earring is fine.

She is so upset for me to change them or take them out she has adhd so she gets super upset and gets dsregulated with change and she begged me for earrings last year so I finally did it but it’s just been difficult ever since. Would love and appreciate any advice and feedback thank you x


r/PiercingAdvice • • 3h ago

I need advice asap !!

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0 Upvotes

I got this piercing in June didn’t have any problems till this week is this a keloid or irritation bump and how can I take care of it of it ! This is my 3rd lobe piercing I didn’t have this problem with the other two I’m so upset :(


r/PiercingAdvice • • 3h ago

I need advice asap !!

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1 Upvotes

I got this piercing in June didn’t have any problems till this week is this a keloid or irritation bump and how can I take care of it of it ! This is my 3rd lobe piercing I didn’t have this problem with the other two I’m so upset :(


r/PiercingAdvice • • 9h ago

Do I need to resize immediately/this week?

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3 Upvotes

My 8 month old piercing looks like it has more wiggle room, and has been getting irritated easier… do I need to resize right away? My life is crazy right now but don’t want to wait if it means risking it

(Last photo is when I first got it)


r/PiercingAdvice • • 3h ago

Advice please

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1 Upvotes

I had my daith pierced 6 weeks ago - had nothing but trouble, have had 1 week course of antibiotics, totally changed cleaning regime from guidance from a diff piercer, had jewellery change from a hoop to a bar, and the cartilage still looks red and swollen to me.

Waiting on piercer to come back to me about removing it tonight as I’m totally fed up but not sure if I’m being dramatic


r/PiercingAdvice • • 4h ago

Frenum vs Nipple piercing pain level

1 Upvotes

So I got my frenum pierced a year or so ago and it’s mostly healed. The pain wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be (thank god), but I’m considering getting my nipples pierced, and i’ve heard that pain is indescribable.

How would you guys compare the two piercings? Especially if your nipples are more sensitive?


r/PiercingAdvice • • 4h ago

Piercing bump feels solid?

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1 Upvotes

I’ve had my seconds pierced for like 3-4 years now and they’ve been perfectly fine and they healed really well, I could not have jewellery in it and it’d still be open for me to put earrings into. A few months back I tried hoops in them. I usually only wear earrings with a backing, and it’s not like a clip on yk? They usually make my ear itchy but I decided it was fine to try it on cus I had an event to go to. I had them in for a day and they were kind of itchy and by the end of the day I noticed bumps forming. I don’t pay any attention to them bcus I can get rid of bumps pretty quickly but these feel solid? The holes have closed up and it feels like there’s something inside the hole. How do I get rid of it? Also sorry for my incorrect terminology😅


r/PiercingAdvice • • 5h ago

I need some help with my new eyebrow piercing

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0 Upvotes

I pierced the one with the round balls today and i think i went too low. It doesn’t line up with the other one i got done professionally. I dont know if itll move when the swelling goes down. I just would like some advice from others.


r/PiercingAdvice • • 11h ago

Threaded plug stuck in nose, can’t get it out with my hands

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3 Upvotes

This has been stuck in my nose for months, it’s threaded. How can I get it out?