Proper aftercare is one of the most important parts of helping your new piercing heal successfully. We recommend gently cleaning your piercing with a sterile saline solution and following the aftercare instructions provided by your piercer.

Avoid unnecessarily touching, twisting or rotating your jewelry. Your body does most of the healing—the goal of good piercing aftercare is to keep the area clean while disturbing it as little as possible.

Healing time depends on the type and location of the piercing, your individual body and how well the piercing is cared for. Some piercings may feel comfortable relatively quickly while still requiring several months to fully heal.

Ear cartilage piercings such as the helix, flat, conch and tragus generally take longer to heal than standard lobe piercings. Your piercer at The Piercing Place in Markham can give you a more specific healing-time estimate based on the piercing you've received.

Some initial swelling, tenderness and mild redness can be a normal part of the healing process after a new piercing. This is one reason initial piercing jewelry is appropriately sized to accommodate swelling.

As your piercing settles and the swelling decreases, your jewelry may eventually need to be downsized. If you're unsure whether what you're experiencing is normal, contact The Piercing Place and have one of our professional piercers take a look.

A small amount of clear or pale fluid that dries and forms a light crust around a healing piercing can be a normal part of the healing process. It does not automatically mean your piercing is infected.

Avoid picking or aggressively removing crust from your piercing. Gentle cleaning with sterile saline and allowing your body to heal naturally is usually the best approach.

We recommend avoiding sleeping directly on a fresh ear piercing whenever possible. Constant pressure can cause irritation, swelling and discomfort and may affect the angle at which a piercing heals.

If you're a side sleeper, try sleeping on the opposite side while your piercing heals. For multiple ear piercings, a travel or piercing pillow with an opening for your ear can also help keep pressure off the healing area.

IIt's best to avoid submerging a fresh piercing in swimming pools, hot tubs, lakes and other bodies of water during the early stages of healing. These environments can expose a healing piercing to bacteria and other contaminants.

If you have an upcoming vacation or regularly swim, let your piercer know before getting pierced so we can discuss timing and appropriate aftercare.tem description

No. You do not need to twist or rotate your jewelry to help a piercing heal. This outdated advice can actually disturb the healing tissue and cause unnecessary irritation.

Keep unnecessary handling to a minimum. When you do need to touch the area for aftercare, make sure your hands are thoroughly washed first.Item description

Tenderness, mild swelling and some redness can occur during normal healing, particularly with a newer piercing. Irritation can also result from pressure, snagging, sleeping on the piercing or inappropriate jewelry.

An infection can be more serious. If you experience symptoms such as worsening pain, significant swelling, spreading redness, unusual discharge, fever or feeling unwell, seek appropriate medical attention. If you're simply unsure how your piercing is healing, you're also welcome to contact The Piercing Place and have a piercer assess it.

Don't panic. Accidental bumps and snags happen, particularly with fresh ear and facial piercings. Avoid repeatedly touching the jewelry afterward and continue your normal aftercare routine.

If the piercing becomes significantly swollen, the jewelry appears to have shifted, or you're concerned that it may have been damaged, contact The Piercing Place in Markham so one of our piercers can examine it.Item description

ItYou don't have to wait until something is wrong. We're happy to check how your piercing is progressing and answer questions about healing, jewelry or aftercare.

Many initial piercings will also require a downsize once the initial swelling has subsided. At The Piercing Place, downsizing is generally done after a minimum of approximately six weeks, depending on the piercing and how it is healing. Your piercer can determine when your specific piercing is ready.em description