How to pierce your ear at home

Getting your ears pierced at home is a dubious decision. The safest and most reliable option is to go to a specialized beauty or piercing salon with a good reputation. But if for some reason you decide to do it yourself, follow the recommendations below.

What you need to know before piercing your ear

A puncture is an injury. To prepare for it and not hurt yourself, consider the following points.Ear Piercing: What You Should To Know / WebMD.

It might hurt

Much depends on your sensitivity and individual pain threshold. Some people hardly notice the discomfort, while others may need local anesthesia, for example, in the form of an anesthetic cream. Whether this applies to you, only you know.

You should not take pain relievers before the procedure. But if you still decide to do this, choose products based on ibuprofen or paracetamol. But medications containing acetylsalicylic acid are contraindicated: they thin the blood and can lead to profuse bleeding.

You may notice blood

Small bleeding from ear piercing is normal. There is no need to treat the wound with something: it is enough to press a clean dry napkin to it for 10–20 seconds.

Puncture can lead to health problems

Here are some of the most common ones:

• Allergic reaction. Allergies are especially often provoked by jewelry made of nickel or brass.
• Infections of the skin and other tissues of the body. They can be recognized by swelling, redness, pain, discharge arising in the area of ​​manipulation.
• Scars and scars at the puncture site. Including keloid (convex).
• Blood-borne diseases. When piercing, if it is not performed under sterile conditions, there is a risk of contracting hepatitis B and C, HIV and tetanus.

Choosing earrings should be taken seriously.

Jewelry should have a pointed tip that fits easily into a freshly punctured hole. Choose lightweight earrings weighing no more than 5 grams and about 10 millimeters long: these options can be worn even if the pierced part of the ear is slightly swollen.

If possible, buy titanium or surgical steel: these materials are hypoallergenic, reduce the risk of inflammation and, according to theJewerly for initial piercings / Assosiation of professional piercers The Professional Piercing Association of the United States is best suited for the first try. But from gold and silver ornaments it is better to refuse: the composition of jewelry alloys may contain substances that can cause allergies.

The puncture will take a long time to heal

How long depends on where it was made. Lobe piercings take an average of 6–8 weeks to heal. If you pierce the cartilage in the side of your ear, it will take 4 months to a year to heal.

All this time, you will have to take care of your ear and do not remove the first earring from it, otherwise the puncture will quickly heal. It will be more painful and difficult to restore it than to do it the first time. This is another reason to take a responsible approach to the choice of jewelry.

When you shouldn't pierce your ear

Piercing is definitely a bad decision during pregnancy, as a piercing can accidentally introduce an infection.

There are other conditionsEar Piercing: What You Should To Know / WebMD, in which it is not that contraindicated, but requires mandatory consultation with a therapist or supervising doctor:

• Sugar diabetes.
• Hemophilia.
• Various autoimmune diseases.
• Diseases of the cardiovascular system.
• Conditions in which wounds do not heal well.
• Any skin problems in the area where you want to make a puncture: rashes, irritation, cuts, birthmarks.

How to prepare for an ear piercing at home

Make sure you have everything you need.

• Sterile latex gloves.
• Ice Cube.
• Hydrogen peroxide or medical alcohol solution for disinfection.
• Cotton pads.
• Marker or fountain pen.
• Sterile piercing needle. It can be purchased at a pharmacy or specialty beauty store. The needle should have a diameter slightly larger than the stud of the jewelry you plan to wear.
• Ear piercing kit - optional. It usually includes two sterile earrings loaded into a special medical punch (cartridge).
• Stud earrings to wear for the first time after piercing.
• Puncture pad. This can be a rubber eraser, a bar of soap, or a wine stopper.

Choose a well-lit area. If you have long hair, tie it tight bundle or remove from your ears in any other way. Then attach an ice cube to the site of the future piercing for 1-2 minutes. This will help reduce discomfort.

Soak a cotton ball in peroxide or rubbing alcohol and thoroughly disinfect your ear. Use a marker or fountain pen to mark the point where the puncture will be.

Advice: if this is the first puncture, make it strictly in the middle of the lobe or literally 0.5-1 millimeter higher. Then the piercing will be as painless as possible.

Disinfect the earrings in hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol. Open the piercing needle or cartridge for ear piercing. Do not touch sterile equipment until you wash your hands with soap and wear latex gloves.

How to pierce your ear with a needle

If you are using a needle, place something elastic under the back of your ear. It is necessary so that during a puncture you do not accidentally hit your neck. A regular school eraser, wine stopper, or a thin bar of soap will do.

Place the point of the needle at the selected point. Make sure that it enters the ear strictly perpendicularly. Take a deep breath and puncture with a short, quick motion.

If you are using a hollow piercing needle, insert the stem of the earring into its outer hole. Then slowly and carefully slide the tool through your ear: this way you can easily put the stud in place.

If needle not hollow, carefully pull it out, and then insert the earring into the puncture.

Please note: if you do not insert the earring right away, a fresh hole in the earlobe can be tightened literally in a matter of minutes. And then you have to puncture again.

If the earring falls out of your ear, sterilize it immediately and reinstall it.

How to pierce your ear with a piercing kit

Place the lobe in the cartridge so that the visible part of the needle is directed to the previously marked ear point.

Squeeze the hole punch firmly on both sides, and then carefully remove it. The earring included in the kit will remain in the resulting puncture.

What to do after getting your ear pierced

Here are some simple but important rules:

1. Do not remove the pierced earring for at least 6 weeks.
2. Wash the piercing area daily with warm water and soap. Do not useBody Piercing / KidsHealth For Teens for disinfection, hydrogen peroxide or medical alcohol.
3. After rinsing your ear, very gently roll the earring through the hole. This is to prevent the skin around the carnation from growing too tightly.
4. Try to touch your ear as little as possible during the day to avoid infection. Also, skip swimming in open reservoirs and public pools.
5. Monitor the condition of the puncture. The earlobe may appear reddened and slightly swollen immediately after piercing. But it takes 1-2 days. If problems last longer, or if you see new signs of infection (pain, itching, redness, increased skin temperature around the puncture site), try a saline compressEar Piercing: What You Should To Know / WebMD. Dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water, soak a cotton swab in the liquid and apply it to your ear. After a few minutes, blot dry and apply an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment. Monitor the condition for a couple of days. If it does not improve, see a therapist.
6. Remove the earring after 6 weeks or more. Wash your ear with warm water and soap and install the jewelry you like.

Ekaterina Komissarova