STYLE

Feeling ready to grace your earlobes with beautiful earrings?

The long-awaited day has come: Your parents have *finally* given you permission to pierce your ears. It's quite tempting to get them pierced ASAP, but you might want to read this first.

Aftercare is an important part of the healing process for all body piercings. Careful research is v. important to prepare you and your body...before committing to the act. So we're here to help with four things you need to know before piercing your ears for the first time.

Find a licensed and reputable piercing shop.

First things first: Do NOT attempt to pierce your ears by yourself, by a friend or any other person who is not a professionally trained piercer. Please, don't follow Annie and Hallie's example in The Parent Trap—DIYing an ear-piercing gives a dangerous amount of room for error. It's highly possible that you could damage your skin tissue and/or get an infection due to unsanitary and unsafe methods. (Um, gross, right?) Don't take the risk!

Instead, research piercing shops in your location. Keep close attention to their customer reviews and confirm that their piercers are licensed. Most professionals do not recommend getting pierced at stores that use piercing guns (like Claire's) because this method poses a much higher risk for infection and skin tissue damage.

Pain is different for everyone.

It's totally normal to be nervous about how much the piercing will hurt. If you want to know what to expect beforehand (to mentally prepare for the pain), don't rely too much on the experiences of your friends, family or the internet. Everyone will have a completely different experience, and you know your own pain tolerance the best. However, earlobe piercings are characterized as the least painful out of the body piercings.

Correct aftercare is vital.

After you get your ears pierced, you *need* to clean your piercings carefully and consistently to ensure that they'll heal nicely. This also prevents infection. Ask your piercer and/or health professional for specific aftercare instructions. Many recommend using saline solution with a clean cotton pad to gently clean around the pierced area at least twice a day. Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after touching the piercing, steer clear of hair products that might induce irritation and avoid sleeping on your side for long periods of time.

Healing takes time.

Patience is a virtue—one that you'll need if you get your ears pierced. Earlobe piercings typically take about six to eight weeks to heal with proper aftercare, so make sure that your new piercings are completely healed before taking out your earrings and switching them for new jewelry. 

If you're an athlete (especially a swimmer) or partake in activities or hobbies that make you remove your earrings before the piercings are fully healed, this is important to know. Consider if a coach or referee would require you to take out any piercings before playing. If so, it might be best to hold off on piercing your ears until your athletic season is over.

Looking for earring inspo? You will *love* these posts:
✨ How to wear *cute* clip-on earrings if your ears aren't pierced
✨ These handcrafted earrings should be on your fashion radar
✨ Where to find *all* the quirky earrings Claudia wears in The Baby-Sitters Club

Why do you want to get your ears pierced? Let us know on Twitter @girlslifemag!

All GIFs via GIPHY
Top image via @clairesstores

by Jinny Kim | 2/10/2022