Cleaning
- Clean the piercing twice a day with warm salty water — or the solution your piercer gives you — to soften any crusting.
- Wash your hands before touching it, and touch it as little as possible.
- Dry it with a clean paper towel rather than a fabric towel.
- Don't use cotton wool, and don't pick at crusts.
- Sources differ on turning the jewellery while cleaning, so follow your piercer's advice — and never twist it when it is dry.
Swimming, sea and pools
Public-health guidance advises against swimming for at least the first 24 hours after a piercing, and ideally until it has healed properly, because a healing piercing can become infected. Pools and hot tubs count too. On a beach holiday, plan your swimming with that in mind.
How long it takes
| Placement | Typical healing time |
|---|---|
| Earlobe | Around 6–8 weeks |
| Cartilage (helix, tragus, conch, rook, daith) | Around 6–12 months |
Cartilage heals slowly because it has a weaker blood supply. Everyone heals differently — ask your piercer about yours.
Jewellery
Leave the first jewellery in until the piercing has fully healed; changing it early can irritate the channel. If you think the piercing may be infected, don't take the jewellery out unless a doctor tells you to.
Signs of infection
A new piercing can be tender and itchy for the first few weeks. But if the area becomes swollen, painful, hot, very red or dark, if there is blood or pus (white, green or yellow), or if you feel hot, shivery or generally unwell, get medical help promptly.
General information, not medical advice. Your artist's instructions come first; for anything worrying, see a doctor.
Sources
- NHS — Infected piercings
- NHS — Can I go swimming after a piercing?
- Cleveland Clinic — New ear piercing: healing and aftercare (June 2025)