Cartilage earrings pierce the connective tissue on the upper sections of your ears. Swapping out the jewelry or touching the piercing before it's fully healed - especially with unwashed hands - increases your risk of infection.Cartilage earrings are a catchall term for an earring worn on any part of the ear that isn't the ear lobe. Speaking of sleeping - changing your pillowcase every two days can also help to reduce the risk of infection.Īvoid twisting or fiddling your piercing, says Massick, which can irritate the wound and delay healing. If you're a side sleeper, you should also try to avoid laying on the ear that was pierced, which can cause friction that leads to irritation and swelling, according to Massick. Some other aftercare tips are to wait 24 hours before getting your helix piercing wet, says Friedler. Massick advises always using gauze instead of cotton balls to apply these solutions because cotton fibers can get caught in the piercing or wound. Once the piercing is closed up, you can switch to only saline. ![]() During the first two weeks of healing, Friedler advises applying rubbing alcohol on both sides of the piercing twice a day to kill off germs.įor the remainder of the healing process, you can do this once a day - or alternate alcohol with a saline solution, which can help relieve inflammation, flush out the wound, and facilitate healing. However, that should go down within the first week - if it doesn't, or gets worse, that may signal a possible infection.Īs with all piercings, it's crucial to keep the area around your helix piercing as clean as possible. Keep in mind that it's normal for the site to feel a little swollen or sore for a few days after you get a helix piercing. Acetaminophen is a better choice than ibuprofen or aspirin, which can thin out your blood and thus cause more bleeding when you get pierced. To minimize any discomfort, you can also take an over-the-counter pain reliever 30 minutes to an hour before your appointment. You can also get double or triple forward helix piercings.īefore you get a helix piercing, Friedler recommends cleaning your entire ear thoroughly with antibacterial soap. This tends to be slightly more painful than the standard helix piercing and takes longer to heal - about six to ten months. Placement depends on the shape of the cartilage on your ear.
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