What To Expect After Your Piercing

June 2024
Your new piercing may:
Bleed a bit or be swollen for the first few days. A cold compress and/or ice will help reduce swelling and slow bleeding.
Be tender, itchy, or even bruised for a few weeks.
Secrete a whiteish-yellow fluid which may dry on the piercing. This is normal and will stop when the piercing is healed. Do not pick this with your fingers!

During the first few weeks, some bleeding, localised swelling, tenderness, and/or bruising is expected. Throughout your healing process, you may also notice some discolouration, itching, and the secretion of a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) that will form some crust on the jewellery — this is also normal! It is also common for the tissue may tighten around the jewellery as it heals. Once your piercing is healed, the jewellery may not move freely in the piercing; but do not force it!

If you don’t follow our regular cleaning regimen for your piercing, some body secretions may accumulate with a faint smell. This is also normal, but we recommend including cleaning with a certified solution like our industry standard NeilMed up to three times a day (dependent on your placement/lifestyle) as part of your daily healing routine.

Piercings can be tricky little things. It’s important to know that a piercing might seem healed before the healing process is complete. This is because tissue heals from the outside in, and although it feels fine, the interior remains fragile. The key is to be patient, and keep cleaning throughout the entire initial recommended healing period. The length of this period will be determined by the placement of your piercing. 

'During the first few weeks, some bleeding, localised swelling, tenderness, and/or bruising is expected'

Rule number one: choose jewellery that is safe to remain in your new piercing for the entire duration of your healing period. This means quality piercing jewellery that will not tarnish or cheap materials that will irritate your piercing. If you remove your piercing jewellery, it’s possible that your piercing may shrink or close in minutes!

Although this varies from person to person, just like the healing period itself, we always recommend keeping your piercing jewellery in until it is fully healed. Which is why Covetear has created highly specialised piercing jewellery in solid 14k gold. It is built to last, so no need to wait until your piercing has healed to wear something you love!

Take a browse of our entire collection, most of which has been specifically designed for cartilage piercings. If unsure, you can always book a styling session with one of our Ear Curation experts – who will work with you to create a bespoke treatment plan to build your dream Earscape!


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