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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow
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Personal Care and Style
Tattoos and Piercing
Cleaning Tattoos and Piercings
How to Clean an Eyebrow Piercing Explore this Article methods 1 Washing Your Piercing Regularly 2 Keeping Your Piercing Clean During Your Daily Routine 3 Avoiding Infecting Your Piercing Other Sections Tips and Warnings Related Articles References Medically reviewed by Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS
Last Updated: January 30, 2026
X
This article was medically reviewed by Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS. Sarah Gehrke is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Licensed Massage Therapist based in Texas. Sarah has over 10 years of experience teaching and practicing phlebotomy and intravenous (IV) therapy using physical, psychological, and emotional support. She received her Massage Therapist License from the Amarillo Massage Therapy Institute in 2008. Sarah also has a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner certificate from Walden University and a Master’s in Nursing from the University of Phoenix. This article has been viewed 89,493 times.
An eyebrow piercing requires regular cleaning to prevent infection. To clean your piercing, wash it regularly with the spray provided by your piercer. Treat crust with a sea salt solution. Keep your piercing clean during daily activities, like showering. Make sure to take precautions, such as avoiding pools, to keep your piercing from becoming infected.
Things You Should Know
According to David Wilkins, professional body piercer, "clean the piercing twice daily using a sterile saline spray, such as needle piercing aftercare spray." When you're in the shower, "let the water flow over the area for about 30 seconds to remove crusty discharge."
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 3:
Washing Your Piercing Regularly
1 Wash your hands before cleaning your piercing. Never attempt to clean a piercing without washing your hands first. Bacteria from your hands can easily rub off onto the piercing, so wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before beginning the cleaning process.[1]X Trustworthy Source Mayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
Wash your hands with clean, running water and soap for 20 seconds. To keep track of time, hum the "Happy Birthday" song to yourself twice.[2]X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and PreventionMain public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source
Make sure to wash your hands completely. Do not forget to wash under your fingernails, between your fingers, and the backs of your hands.
2 Use mainly the aftercare spray provided by your piercer. Your piercer should provide you with an aftercare spray used to clean your piercing. For most sprays, you only need to mist them on your piercing three to six times a day. This minimizes the need to touch the area around your piercing, which can increase your risk for an infection.[3]XResearch source
If your piercer did not provide you with an aftercare spray, buy one online or from another piercer in the area.
Use your spray as instructed on the bottle or by your piercer. If you have any questions about the spray, call your piercer.
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3 Treat crust with a sea salt solution. Crust sometimes builds up around an eyebrow piercing. This should be removed promptly to prevent infection. A simple sea salt solution is used to remove salt.[4]XResearch source
Dissolve a quarter cup of sea salt in a cup of warm water. Then, soak a cotton ball in the solution.[5]XResearch source
Place the cotton ball over your piercing. Hold it in place for two to three minutes. This should dissolve any crust built up around the piercing.
4 Keep soap away from your piercing. Soap is not a good option to clean an eyebrow piercing. It can cause irritation, especially when a piercing is fresh. Stick to sea salt and the cleaner your piercing provided.[6]XResearch source
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 3:
Keeping Your Piercing Clean During Your Daily Routine
1 Keep soap and shampoo away from your piercing in the shower. Be extra cautious during your regular shower routine. Minimize using soap and shampoo near your face. Getting these products in your eyebrow piercing can cause irritation.
When shampooing your hair, it can help to tilt your head back while applying the shampoo. Leave your head tilted backwards throughout the entire shampooing process to keep shampoo away from your piercing.
Wash your face with gentle face wash and avoid getting it on your eyebrow piercing. Facial cleansing wipes are also a good option.
2 Do not get moisturizers or makeup in the piercing. If you use makeup or facial moisturizers, do not apply them near the piercing. These products can irritate or contaminate a piercing. Makeup brushes also may contain bacteria, so applying makeup near your piercing poses a risk.
Try taking a break from makeup for a few days after getting your eyebrow pierced.
3 Keep the piercing clean while sleeping. Keep all bedding clean, especially pillows, while the piercing is new. Change your sheets more often than normal as your piercing heals. For the most part, sleep on the opposite side of the piercing to prevent contamination.
Advertisement Method 3 Method 3 of 3:
Avoiding Infecting Your Piercing
1 Practice basic self-care. The best way to keep your piercing from becoming infected is to build up your own immune system. A basic healthy lifestyle is the best offense to prevent an infection. Eat a healthy diet and get enough sleep while your piercing is healing. This will help your body fight off potential infections.[7]XResearch source
2 Leave the jewelry in place for the first six months. Do not remove your piercing prematurely. This can cause an infection. Leave the piercing in place for the first six months before changing out your jewelry.
In the event you notice an infection, do not remove the jewelry on your own. While this may seem like it makes sense, it can make an infection worse. First, call your doctor to get treated for the possible infection. If it's necessary to remove the piercing, contact your piercer and have them do so.
3 Stay away from swimming pools. Do not go swimming in a pool or lake while the piercing is healing. Bodies of water contain a lot of bacteria. Your piercing will be extra susceptible to bacteria while it's healing. [8]X Trustworthy Source Mayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
4 Avoid nicotine and alcohol. Nicotine and alcohol lower your immune system. This lessens your body's natural ability to fight infections. While your piercing is healing, limit your use of alcohol and nicotine products.[9]XResearch source
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Tips
Don't put your head under the water in a public swimming pool or spa for at least 2 weeks due to the high bacteria content in public pools.[10]X Trustworthy Source Mayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Medically reviewed by: Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS Registered Nurse This article was medically reviewed by Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS. Sarah Gehrke is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Licensed Massage Therapist based in Texas. Sarah has over 10 years of experience teaching and practicing phlebotomy and intravenous (IV) therapy using physical, psychological, and emotional support. She received her Massage Therapist License from the Amarillo Massage Therapy Institute in 2008. Sarah also has a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner certificate from Walden University and a Master’s in Nursing from the University of Phoenix. This article has been viewed 89,493 times. 12 votes - 100% Co-authors: 8Updated: January 30, 2026 Views: 89,493 Categories: Cleaning Tattoos and Piercings In other languages Portuguese Spanish Italian
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Reader Success Stories
Anonymous
Feb 8, 2025
"Thank you! This article is great for people who have just gotten a new eyebrow piercing and are unsure how to care for it or want to make sure it doesn't get infected!"..." more
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Medically reviewed by: Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS Registered Nurse Co-authors: 8Updated: January 30, 2026 Views: 89,493100% of readers found this article helpful. 12 votes - 100% Click a star to add your vote
Anonymous
Feb 8, 2025
"Thank you! This article is great for people who have just gotten a new eyebrow piercing and are unsure how to care for it or want to make sure it doesn't get infected!"..." more Share yours!
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Medically reviewed by: Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS Registered Nurse This article was medically reviewed by Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS. Sarah Gehrke is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Licensed Massage Therapist based in Texas. Sarah has over 10 years of experience teaching and practicing phlebotomy and intravenous (IV) therapy using physical, psychological, and emotional support. She received her Massage Therapist License from the Amarillo Massage Therapy Institute in 2008. Sarah also has a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner certificate from Walden University and a Master’s in Nursing from the University of Phoenix. This article has been viewed 89,493 times. 12 votes - 100% Co-authors: 8 Updated: January 30, 2026 Views: 89,493 Categories: Cleaning Tattoos and Piercings In other languages Portuguese Spanish Italian 
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1 Wash your hands before cleaning your piercing. Never attempt to clean a piercing without washing your hands first. Bacteria from your hands can easily rub off onto the piercing, so wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before beginning the cleaning process.[1] 
2 Use mainly the aftercare spray provided by your piercer. Your piercer should provide you with an aftercare spray used to clean your piercing. For most sprays, you only need to mist them on your piercing three to six times a day. This minimizes the need to touch the area around your piercing, which can increase your risk for an infection.[3] 
3 Treat crust with a sea salt solution. Crust sometimes builds up around an eyebrow piercing. This should be removed promptly to prevent infection. A simple sea salt solution is used to remove salt.[4] 
4 Keep soap away from your piercing. Soap is not a good option to clean an eyebrow piercing. It can cause irritation, especially when a piercing is fresh. Stick to sea salt and the cleaner your piercing provided.[6] Advertisement 
1 Keep soap and shampoo away from your piercing in the shower. Be extra cautious during your regular shower routine. Minimize using soap and shampoo near your face. Getting these products in your eyebrow piercing can cause irritation. 
2 Do not get moisturizers or makeup in the piercing. If you use makeup or facial moisturizers, do not apply them near the piercing. These products can irritate or contaminate a piercing. Makeup brushes also may contain bacteria, so applying makeup near your piercing poses a risk. 
3 Keep the piercing clean while sleeping. Keep all bedding clean, especially pillows, while the piercing is new. Change your sheets more often than normal as your piercing heals. For the most part, sleep on the opposite side of the piercing to prevent contamination. Advertisement 
1 Practice basic self-care. The best way to keep your piercing from becoming infected is to build up your own immune system. A basic healthy lifestyle is the best offense to prevent an infection. Eat a healthy diet and get enough sleep while your piercing is healing. This will help your body fight off potential infections.[7] 
2 Leave the jewelry in place for the first six months. Do not remove your piercing prematurely. This can cause an infection. Leave the piercing in place for the first six months before changing out your jewelry. 
3 Stay away from swimming pools. Do not go swimming in a pool or lake while the piercing is healing. Bodies of water contain a lot of bacteria. Your piercing will be extra susceptible to bacteria while it's healing. [8] 
4 Avoid nicotine and alcohol. Nicotine and alcohol lower your immune system. This lessens your body's natural ability to fight infections. While your piercing is healing, limit your use of alcohol and nicotine products.[9] Advertisement 