One of the most popular kinds of piercing today is the ear piercing – although ear piercings are not quite so simple. With a long history which includes being used to brand slaves, earrings are almost standard for every little girl, and more and more men these days are interested in getting their ears pierced. It has, though, come to cross all cultural bounds, and nowadays, there are more varieties of ear piercings than there have ever been before – and, as such, there are more risks as well.
Ear studs are the best type of jewelry to use for newly pierced ears. For fresh piercings, avoid using gold or silver plated earrings. These metals can create infections and allergic reactions. If you have an allergic reaction to gold, you can use Teflon or nylon ear jewelry until your healing is complete.There are several different ways of piercing one’s ears. In addition to the more traditional lobe piercings the other aspects of an ear can also be used. The following are all names of ear piercing styles: Rook, Industrial, Daith, Tragus and Anti-Tragus, Helix, Conch, and Snug.
When you make ear piercing, you can feel a little pin during the piercing process, but the pain will soon pass. Though you can pierce your own ears, it’s recommended that you go to someone with experience. If you perform ear piercing incorrectly, the wounds may be infected and that can be dangerous. Here is how the process works.
1. Choose a place for piercing
You can pierce different parts of the ear. Ever notice people with ear studs that line almost the entire ear? The most suitable area that is pierced is the ear lobe. That part is fleshy and you tend to feel less pain. The wound also heal faster. If you don’t intent to make a fierce fashion statement, just pierce the ear lobe. But if you really want to pierce other parts of the ear, be sure to do to the piercing in separate sessions
2. Make sure that the place for piercing is clean.
This is very important. Clean the area that you are going to pierce with an antiseptic wash. The purpose is to ensure that the area is clean when the piercing takes place. This helps to reduce the chances of infection. Infection should be the number one concern when piercing your ears. Always keep the area clean at all times and avoid touching the wound with your hands or any foreign objects.
3. Cooling the pierce place.
If you are very sensitive to pain, you can try to cool the pierce area by applying some ice. Press an ice cube on your ear until you feel numb. Then quickly pierce the ear. Don’t wait for the blood to rush back to your ears or you will start feeling pain. When the ears are numbed, you won’t feel much pain. The piercing takes just a few minutes. After a while, once the numbing effect wears off, you may feel a slight discomfort. But that’s still better than feeling the needle going through your ears.
4. Pierce your ears.
Professionals use surgical stainless steel needles to do the piercing. If you don’t have any similar tools to use, leave the piercing to the professionals.
There are some of the health risks that are associated with having your ears pierced.
* Infections are always a potential threat. There is a chance that you could contract a minor bacterial infection or you could even end up with a serious infection such as HIV or Hepatitis.
* Piercing guns can not be thoroughly sterilized and this type of equipment has a higher rate of transmitting infections.
* Bleeding is another risk for anyone who is going to have ear piercing performed.
* Improper technique and lack of experience can mean a higher risk of a botched piercing, including misalignment or nerve damage.
* Allergic reactions to the metal alloys that are used.
* Formation of keloid scars at the piercing site.
*Never share your earrings or ear studs with another person. Though we like to be able to share jewelry, sharing pierced earrings or other body jewelry can increase your chance of getting an infection from another. Despite the fact that you cleaned your ear jewelry carefully, you may have inadvertently missed some bacteria which can cause issues.
Preventing Infections after Ear Piercing
The most important factor is to keep the pierced sites clean. There are special cleaning products that can be used on these areas 3-4 times a day. You should not use rubbing alcohol or Hydrogen peroxide to clean fresh ear piercings because these solutions are too drying on the skin. Always wash your hands before touching your ear lobes and keep make-up and hair spray away from the sites until they are healed. The temporary studs need to be turned frequently without being removed from the ears so that the holes heal properly.The healing time is generally 6-8 weeks for a complete recovery. As fast as 2-3 weeks, most people are mostly healed from this type of ear piercing. For cartilage piercings, the healing process takes much longer. It could take anywhere from 4 months to a year for the cartilage piercing to heal properly.
Make sure that you keep the wounds clean after the piercing has been completed. Ear studs are placed in the new holes to prevent them from closing up. It may feel a little strange in the beginning but you will soon get used to it.