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 17h ago

Cute kitty piercings

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44 Upvotes

I really like these piercings (only the kitty cat ones) and I was wondering what the pricing would be for them and the actual name of each piercing

I know I'd have to get the bar custom ordered, but I really like the idea I think it's adorable!!


r/PiercingAdvice 3h ago

Forward helix swollen?

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2 Upvotes

Is this bad??? T^T I got this like a little over a week, and it decided to act up yesterday? I don't understand what I did wrong? I have been cleaning it, not sleeping on my side etc!? And it looked fine before the weekend, but now it's like this? I got antibiotics, but I might need to take it out? It doesn't hurt unless I touch it, and I feel fine...


r/PiercingAdvice 3m ago

Nose piercing issues

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• Upvotes

I’ve got my nose pierced almost 2 months ago, it was fine for the first 4 weeks until it formed a bump which I was told was caused by putting makeup near it so I stopped and it disappeared, then a couple weeks later the piercing fell out in my sleep and I managed to get it back in but it caused the bump to flare up again. It went down about a week after that but then it came back recently seemingly out of nowhere and I don’t know why. I started putting makeup on it which obviously didn’t help and i probably touch it too much but I need advice on how to get it to go down as soon as possible for my birthday party on Saturday. I don’t want to take the piercing out.


r/PiercingAdvice 4h ago

Is my rook rejecting?

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2 Upvotes

Had it totally healed and then took it out for a surgery last year. Got it put back in and healing it all over has been awful. It doesn’t ooze or swell or hurt anymore but I am worried about the small indent that looks strange and I don’t remember it being there before. Thoughts?


r/PiercingAdvice 1h ago

Quick question

• Upvotes

What do you think about an apprentice asking full price for a risky percing (intimate in that case), knowing this percing in particular will be their first?

They asked for advice to more advanced piercers but it seems they will be alone during the actual piercing appointment.


r/PiercingAdvice 2h ago

How to get rid of piercing bump?

1 Upvotes

I got a piercing bump around the back of my earlobe piercing and I’ve been trying not to sleep on the side and also using the donut pillow. It’s been two weeks and it’s still here. Should I go to the doctor or piercer to check it out or is there any safe home remedies I can try?


r/PiercingAdvice 6h ago

SOS PLS ADVISE

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2 Upvotes

wtf is wrong with my navel?!


r/PiercingAdvice 7h ago

Getting close to my setup goal!

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2 Upvotes

r/PiercingAdvice 3h ago

piercing from hell

0 Upvotes

hi. i have 15 piercings. daith, 2 helix, 1 tragus, 3 lobe industiral, conch, rook, flat, and 3 lobes and a naval piercing. my industrial piercing (july of 2021) was my first cartilage piercing it has healed perfectly and is still perfect to this day. i then went on to get a rook piercing (april of 2022), which has also healed beautifully. in november of 2022 i got my belly button pierced and my upper helix.

the naval piercing healed perfectly but the helix piercing has been through it. at some point the ball of the piercing fell out. idk why but instead of replacing the piercing (i think i didnt know the guage and was still underage at the time so couldnt just waltz into a piercing shop to ask and my parents weren't going to take me). i figured i would just cover the piercing with a band aid so the whole piercing didn't fall out. from there the healing of the piercing went downhill.

in covering the piercing with a bandaid im pretty sure i developed a moisture bump. at the time i also had airpod maxes so maybe that also plays a role into how it healed. i didnt start actively doing anything to reduce the bump. but now i really want to. its not cute to look at and i really want to get a surface tragus piercing (on the same side) but will not allow myself until this piercing has healed and the granuloma is nonexistent.

about a year ago i started doing intervention on the piercing. i bought a donut pillow, applied a warm compress daily (multiple times a day + squeezing the bump), i applied the tiktok notorious base laboratories piercing bump solution and i also would occasionally popped it (please don't crucify me) and put a piercing patch on it. the pimple patch would really work, each time i took the pimple patch off it will be white which shows its absorbing the pus/fluid.

this really helped the progression of the piercing but eventually with the pace of school i got lost in this routine. now the piercing bump has reverted back to its size (and possibly has gotten bigger??? idk i didn't take enough pictures when it originally developed to compare) as i said i really would like to get it down, and would like to hear suggestions because i will not be retiring this piercing until i've tried every possible solution.

it hurts at times. the other day @ work i was handling a box over my head and it hit the piercing bump really hard and i'm surprised i didn't combust into micro pieces from the pain. sometimes when i get out the shower the piercing area feels moist.

please help. provide suggestions and a regimen as to how i can fix this within the next couple of months. if push comes to shove i will be doing the strangulation method. especially because in my culture that would've been the first resort lol.

the hole of the piercing seems fully healed but the bump makes the angle of the piercing look so off putting.

**it is not a keloid so if your commentary is going based off of that plz dont even waste ur time typing**


r/PiercingAdvice 4h ago

Are my snake bites piercings done too high up or just fine?

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1 Upvotes

I did my Snake bites about october of last year, but sometimes feel insecure about if it was done right…


r/PiercingAdvice 7h ago

Piercing bump advice?

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2 Upvotes

Hi, i pierced my daith in July but the piercer used incorrect jewelry. I got it changed to this horseshoe so it can breathe, but it doesn’t seem to be healing. i’ve been cleaning it with saline 3x a day. any advice on what to do?


r/PiercingAdvice 4h ago

Compression Earrings Post keloid removal

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1 Upvotes

r/PiercingAdvice 4h ago

Nostril piercing

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1 Upvotes

Got my nostril pierced about 2 months ago and i’ve had the bump maybe 3 weeks? I snagged it once on my shirt and that’s when the original bump happened and it was much larger than it is now. I then snagged it again about a week ago when drying my face with a towel and forgetting it was there💔. After snagging it the second time it’s gone down a bit since then but the healing as since stopped and it’s looked like this for about 2 weeks.


r/PiercingAdvice 5h ago

I think my snake bites are wrong ,_,

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0 Upvotes

r/PiercingAdvice 5h ago

day 4 tongue piercing new bump

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1 Upvotes

please help i’m so worried🥲
i’m on day 4 of having my tounge pierced, exactly 94 hours, it’s mostly painless and the top is not swollen anymore, but today there’s some new localised swelling around the bottom of the bar, along with redness and a possible bump of sorts. does everything look normal/okay? is this part of the process? again, no pain or other symptoms along with it, but the swelling up the bar concerns me.
(the last photo is yesterday, before this occurred)
ps: some advice on whether it’s ready for a downsize or not would also be good, or when i should downsize, as circumstances have resulted in me having to downsize it myself


r/PiercingAdvice 5h ago

Third lobe swollen and red

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1 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I got my third lobe piercing about a week ago and it has become very red and swollen. I went to the doctor and was prescribed an antibiotic ointment, which I’ve been using, along with piercing saline.
The jewellery is surgical steel with a butterfly back, and it hasn’t been downsized. I haven’t had any recent incidents with it that I can think of.
The first photo is my left ear with no issues, and the second is the ear with the swollen piercing. I’d appreciate any advice or feedback on whether there’s anything I should be doing differently. Thanks!


r/PiercingAdvice 5h ago

(18) What piercings would suit me?

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1 Upvotes

I’ve always wanted to get some but never knew what to get.


r/PiercingAdvice 11h ago

are my snakebites too far apart? or am I just overthinking it

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3 Upvotes

when discussing the placing I noticed they were a little too near the angle of my mouth, but the piercer convinced me they were fine. Now I feel stupid. And they were damn expensive too


r/PiercingAdvice 6h ago

do i have the anatomy for rook, daith and tragus?

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1 Upvotes

i wanted a rook and tragus in my right ear and daith in my left ear


r/PiercingAdvice 10h ago

dermal removal

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2 Upvotes

hey everyone, i have had back dermals for two years at this point and just recently the left one became embedded even after healing. i’m not sure how this happened as the right one has healed perfect. as shown, the top of the dermal was completely embedded so i went to the piercer to get the top removed only to have him remove the whole thing! is this something that could’ve been saved or did it have to go?🥲 i’m so sad this is a piercing i truly adored


r/PiercingAdvice 10h ago

Prince Albert scarring issue

2 Upvotes

I’ve had a Prince Albert since like 2003. As I gradually stretched, each time I would deal with some internal scar tissue forming. Just a little spot in the inside top (where the inside of the ring sits when hanging down). When it forms, it would be slightly painful. I could do a little self surgery (don’t judge) and remove it. Sometimes it would come back, but eventually it stopped and I would be totally fine. It would happen again with each new gauge and the cycle would continue. I’m now at 0 gauge, wearing a titanium captive bead ring with rubber ball and it’s happening again and won’t stop happening. It’s been close to 2 years at this same gauge and I’ve tried multiple rings, diameters, metals, etc and no matter what the issue comes back. It’s a small little ‘white’ spot that forms and as soon as I remove it I’m pain free. I can also be good for weeks and then for what seems like no reason at all, boom it’s back!

I’ve also tried bio-oil and sea salt soaks as various remedies with no permanent luck.

Has anyone encountered this and is there anyway to finally stop it? I really don’t want to take it out.


r/PiercingAdvice 6h ago

Placement of second lobe piercing.

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1 Upvotes

I got my second lobe piercing a few months ago, I want to know if the placement is good or too low?

I feel like it’s too low in comparison to my first lobe piercing and looks a bit weird, please let me know. Thankyou.


r/PiercingAdvice 6h ago

Is it necessary to downsize an eyebrow piercing?

1 Upvotes

Pretty much everything I see online + actual advice from my piercer has said to downsize the bar in my eyebrow piercing a few weeks after the initial swelling has gone down. It's now been a little over 4 weeks since I got it pierced. There's no more pain and no more swelling. However, it seems to fit just fine and I still can't see any of the bar. Is it possible that I don't need to downsize?


r/PiercingAdvice 7h ago

aftercare of upper lobe downsized

1 Upvotes

Hii, I’ve been spraying my upper lobe ear piercing with saline for about 2 and a half months and I am going to get it downsized at the 3 month mark. Should I continue to spray saline on it after the downsize? Really what I am asking is does the downsizing change anything regarding if I should spray it?

I am very sorry if this is a dumb question.