How To Clean An Ear Piercing: Top 10 Tips For Proper Care

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HealthlineSubscribeTop 10 Tips for Cleaning an Ear Piercing

Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT — Written by Tim Jewell — Updated on April 24, 2023

Before you get a piercing
10 tips for cleaning
Healing time
When to change jewelry
Signs of infection
Bottom line

It’s best to clean a piercing by gently dabbing a cotton swab soaked in a salt solution. Avoid cleaning with fragrant soaps. Before you start, wash your hands and avoid touching surfaces that may have bacteria.

how to clean ear piercing — Lucas Ottone/Stocksy

Ear piercings are one of the most common types of piercings. Their possible locations include the earlobe, the curve of cartilage at the top of the ear, and the folds just outside the ear canal.

Although they’re very popular and relatively safe, you still need to treat your piercing with care and attention to avoid any complications.

This article will focus on top tips for cleaning an ear piercing and signs to watch out for that may indicate an infection. And if you’re not sure whether you’re ready for a piercing (or exactly where to get it), we’ll help you with that, too.

What to consider before your piercing

The first thing you should consider is where to place your piercing.

Here are some popular options:

Earlobe. This is the go-to ear piercing spot at the bottom of your ear. This piercing is easy to clean and take care of, and it heals much faster than other ear piercings.
Helix. This is the curvy tissue at the very top of the ear. It falls into second place after the lobe piercing in popularity. It heals a little more slowly than a lobe piercing but is still easy to keep clean.
Tragus. Right above your earlobe, this harder section of your ear is on the edge of your face and right in front of your ear canal. It’s not as common as the lobe or helix for piercing, and it’s a little more difficult to take care of. There’s some anecdotal evidence that a tragus piercing may have benefits for those with anxiety and migraine.

Once you figure out what kind of piercing you want, do some research on piercing studios. Here’s a brief checklist of what to look for:

Are there licensed piercers on staff? They should be certified by the Association of Professional Piercers.
Is the shop reputable? Do they have good reviews on Yelp or other sites? Do they specialize in piercings? Avoid retail stores that offer piercings, as they may not be clean, safe, or even licensed. You may want to look at tattoo shops, too. Many of them have licensed piercers and are highly regulated by state and local health agencies.
Do the piercers take proper safety precautions? Do they wash their hands, wear a new pair of medical-grade gloves for each piercing, and use new, sterile needles for each piercing?

Tips for cleaning an ear piercing

Now that you’ve gotten your piercing, it’s important to take care of it. The first few weeks are crucial to making sure it heals properly. Here are our top 10 tips for cleaning an ear piercing to avoid infection.

Top 10 tips for cleaning an ear piercing

Clean your piercing when you do other regular hygiene habits. Clean it when you brush your teeth or take a shower to give yourself a gentle reminder every day.
Wash your hands. Wash with warm water and gentle soap before you touch your piercing to avoid introducing bacteria to the area.
Clean with a clean cotton pad or swab dipped in salt solution. You can make this solution by mixing 1 teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water. Use this around the pierced area a few times a day to remove any bacteria.
Dab (don’t wipe) the piercing. Dry with a clean towel or tissue so you don’t damage the tissue while it’s healing.
Avoid using perfumed soaps. Clean the skin around the piercing with a mild antiseptic soap and water.
Clean the pierced area whenever you take the piercing out. This includes when you put it back in, too. Bacteria can quickly get on jewelry when you expose it to the air or set it on a surface like a counter or table.
Don’t clean your piercing in the bathroom. This is especially true of public ones. Even the cleanest home bathrooms usually have high concentrations of bacteria.
Don’t lie on the pierced area for long periods of time. Sleeping or lying down on your piercing can trap moisture or bacteria in the area, increasing your risk for infection.
Don’t get any hair or body products in the piercing area. Be careful when you use shampoo, soap, gel, pomade, hairspray, or other products that can get near the piercing and irritate the tissue.
Watch out for any abnormal or discolored discharge. See your piercer or doctor right away if you notice any unusual discharge as it might be a sign of an infection.

How long does it take an ear piercing to heal?

Earlobe piercings are the quickest to heal. They typically take about 1 to 2 months to fully heal.

Cartilage piercings elsewhere on your ear will take longer to heal. It may take up to 6 months or even 1 year before a helix or tragus piercing is fully healed.

While your piercing is still healing, don’t take your jewelry out for an extended period. Doing so may cause the hole to close.

When can you change out your jewelry?

The answer to this question is different for everyone. It all depends on how fast you heal and what kind of piercing you got.

If you’re unsure whether you’re ready to change out your jewelry, ask your piercer about a month or two after you got your piercing. They can examine the area and give you a definitive answer.

How can you tell if your piercing is infected?

The typical symptoms of an infected piercing include the following:

aching or throbbing pain in and around the piercing
swelling
redness
itching
burning
abnormal yellowish or whitish discharge

See your doctor right away if you think your piercing is infected.

The bottom line

Ear piercings are a very common piercing. You still need to take good and consistent care of them to make sure you avoid infection, tissue damage, or losing the piercing altogether.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Becoming an APP member. (n.d.).https://safepiercing.org/membership-requirements/
Body piercings: Cleaning and healing. (n.d.).https://uhs.berkeley.edu/health-topics/body-piercings
Caring for pierced ears: Tips from dermatologists [Press release]. (2014).https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/tattoos/caring-for-pierced-ears
Ear and face piercing aftercare. (2013).https://www.cieh.org/media/1974/tattoo-toolkit_part-c_02-ear-and-face-piercing-aftercare.pdf
Infected piercings. (2020).https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infected-piercings/
Picking your piercer. (2020).https://safepiercing.org/picking-your-piercer/

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Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT — Written by Tim Jewell — Updated on April 24, 2023

How To Clean An Ear Piercing: Top 10 Tips For Proper Care

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What to consider before your piercing

Tips for cleaning an ear piercing

Top 10 tips for cleaning an ear piercing

How long does it take an ear piercing to heal?

When can you change out your jewelry?

How can you tell if your piercing is infected?

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