Ear piercing and aftercare tips!

Ear piercing especially earlobe piercing is the most popular and common body piercing all around the world. Almost every female has at least one ear piercing. And many fashionable males also have one or more. An ear piercing is the gateway to other piercings.



History of ear piercing!

The ear-lobe was probably man’s first attempt at body piercing due to the ease with which it can be pierced. The oldest mummified body in the world was found frozen in an Austrian Glacier in 1991, tests showed the body to be over 5,000 years old. The body had pierced ears and the holes had been enlarged to 7-11mm diameter.

Ears were probably first pierced for magical purposes, very many primitive tribes believe that demons can enter the body through the ear, because demons and spirits are supposed to be repelled by metal, ear-piercing prevents them entering the body. Sailors used to have an ear pierced to improve eyesight, and if the bodies washed up somewhere it would pay for a Christian burial. In many societies ear piercing is done as a puberty ritual, in Borneo the Mother and Father each pierce one ear as a symbol of the child’s dependence on their parents.

Ear piercing is an almost universal practice for men and women, it’s only in western society that it’s deemed effeminate. At various times in history men wore elaborate earrings; during the Elizabethan era many famous men such as Shakespeare, Sir Walter Raliegh and Francis Drake wore gold rings in their ears.

Ear piercing aftercare tips!

Generally it takes up to eight to ten weeks to fully heal an ear piercing, and that is if aftercare is done correctly. Here are some helpful tips for ear piercing aftercare:

Things to do in aftercare!

1. Clean the piercing once a day, preferably in shower. If you clean it more times, it can affect your body’s natural defense to heal itself.

2. Rinse the piercing with saline in order to remove the crust, which is developed from accumulated lymph.

3. Take care that your hair should not disturb the piercing. It can transmit the hair products, oil, dirt, bacteria and other irritants into the piercing wound.

4. Be careful while using shampoos and hair care products. Protect your piercing from these products as they can cause irritation or inflammation. You should use perfume-free or dye-free products when your ear piercing is in healing stage.

5. Keep the pillowcase clean so that bacteria don’t breed and infect the wound.

6. Healthy lifestyle can help to heal the piercing more rapidly. You need to stay away from alcohol and drugs. You should have healthy and balanced diet.

7. Have vitamin B along with zinc, which fastens healing process. Addition of multivitamin to your diet can promote healing by boosting immunity.



Things to Avoid in Aftercare !

1. Don’t frequently touch the piercing except when cleaning it. A gentle rotating of jewelry is necessary in order to avoid crusting. Wash your hands properly before you touch it.

2. Don’t remove piercing at least for first three months to provide optimum time for healing and prevent the wound from getting damaged.

3. Avoid use of witch hazel, alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on healing piercing, as they can cause scarring in the tender flesh of ear.

Avoid applying any ointment on the wound. It should be kept dry as much as possible.

4. Avoid keeping the headphones, telephones, hats and reading glasses, until piercing totally heals. If they come in contact with the piercing wound, they can cause irritation.

5. Avoid using public telephones, as it can cause transmission of bacteria.