the barefoot kitchen

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Tips + Advice for getting your ears pierced

I recently got my second ear piercing, which was one of my goals for summer, and I’m so happy with it! It’s been about 3 weeks since I got them done, and I’ve learned quite a lot through the whole experience of getting it pierced, and going through the healing process.

If you are considering getting your ears pierced, or have recently done that, then read on, because I am going to share everything from before to after care advice, tips + tricks, my favorite earrings, and more that will help you feel prepared and confident with getting your ears pierced and caring for them afterward!

What to do before + during

This may not be something that many people think about, but there are a couple really important things to do before getting a piercing. First, you must understand that your body is going to be wounded, and that it will take several months to fully heal. You WON’T be in pain for several months – in fact, it should only be slightly uncomfortable for about a week. But, in order to help your body heal smoothly and lower your risk of infection, you need to care for it! For about a week or two before getting your piercing (and during the healing process), eat nourishing, healthy, immune system-building foods and take vitamin C to help your body get strong to fight infection and heal well. Also, make sure that you’re pierced with surgical stainless steel or pure gold, as this is the best quality metal that you can get!

Foods + recipes to nourish and build your immune system

Helping the healing process

You might feel a little bit worried about infection, how to sleep on your piercings, how to care for them, and the like. It really isn’t as complicated and stressful as it may seem. After getting your ears pierced (I got mine done at Claire’s) they should give you instructions and a solution for cleaning your piercings. If not, make sure to get some saline solution and read my tips below.

  1. Clean them 2-3 times a day. So at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
  2. Keep your hands off except when cleaning them – this will reduce risk of infection and help them to heal without being further irritated.
  3. Put your saline/cleaning solution in a little glass spray bottle to make cleaning super simple and not as irritating as rubbing them with a Q-tip.
  4. To clean, spray the solution (or soak with a Q-tip) once onto the front and back of your piercing. Gently wiggle forward and backward so that the solution can get into the hole, and then lightly twist halfway back and forth a couple of times.
  5. Try not to sleep on them. This is so hard for me as I always sleep on my sides, but sleeping on your back will help your ears to heal better and not hurt a bad.
  6. Again, eat immune system boosting foods that will keep your body healthy and strong! See the above for more on this.

Getting rid of infection

Getting infected piercings should not happen if you are following the tips above and the instructions you should’ve gotten from your piercer. But, it still could happen, so what to do when it does? First of all, don’t panic, you’re gonna be ok. Second, read the tips below!

  1. Continue cleaning them, but but make sure to be gentle. Add a couple drops of *Young Living Frankincense or Copaiba essential oil to your cleaning solution spray bottle. This will help to heal and fight the infection.
  2. Try a salt water soak by mixing 1 tbs of sea salt with 1/2 – 1 cup of warm water and soak your piercing in for 5-10 minutes. Do this a couple times a day.

*Find out more about essential oils and get your own here!

My favorite earrings for after your piercings have healed

These stainless steel studs below are my favorite earrings! I got them in rose gold, but there is rose gold, gold, and silver options too. They are pretty small and simple, which is why I love them, and they’re absolutely perfect for layering with other earrings!

I hope that you enjoyed this and that it was helpful for you! Are your ears pierced? Have you recently decided to get a piercing? Let me know your thoughts + questions in the comments below!

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50 responses to “Tips + Advice for getting your ears pierced”

  1. That’s so cute! Love it! 🙂 I got my ears pierced once, but then I let them grow out so now I just wear clip ons, screw ins, and magnetics. But on my birthday this year I want to get them pierced again! And someday I want to get my cartilage pierced! ❤️

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  2. Wonderful post! I got my ears pierced last October for my birthday, and I have absolutely loved it! I got them pierced in the mall at a place called Icing, but I’m quite sure it was a division of Claire’s.
    Since my skin is pretty sensitive, I got 14 kt. white gold, and they worked out super well for me. They used a piercing gun which shot the earrings into my ear lobes, and I had heard that it hurt a lot and didn’t heal as well, but it actually didn’t hurt that much (though I have a pretty low pain threshold), and they healed just fine.
    They gave me a cleaner and I just soaked a cotton ball with it and cleaned my ears three times a day. I also twisted the earrings around…supposedly it helps them heal faster if you do that. I took them out after three weeks. Looking back I wish I had left them in a little bit longer since they weren’t totally healed in three weeks, but they never got infected and are now completely healed and back to normal. I had a wonderful experience with it!

    ~Esther

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    • Thank you Esther! That’s so awesome that your experience getting your ears pierced was good and the healing process too! I got mine pierced with a little hand held needle thing that they kind of just push into your ear. It just felt like someone pinched me really hard and they have been healing perfectly since! Thanks for sharing your experience, I enjoyed reading it 😊

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  3. Oh my gosh! I love icing! That is where I get my special earrings! (also, i heard too that it hurt to get your ears pierced, but when i got mine, i was like “that didn’t hurt at all!)

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  4. Ahh, your second piercing is so cute!! I got mine done in March and I wish I knew all this! It was a lot of trouble finding a sleeping position (I’m a side sleeper, so I always slept on my ears) but eventually I did, haha. Thanks for sharing!

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  7. I got my ears pierced when I was 7 at this random salon (they did a good job though, it just wasn’t a franchise like Claire’s lol) and I remember I really wanted the white ones, but the ear piercing ladies kept telling me to get the pink ones, so I ended up with those and I regretted it for like a whole year afterwards. XD Anyway, I love how your piercings look and these tips are great! I want to get a second piercing too, I might get it next summer. And those Amazon earrings look sooo cute, I really want to get them now! Thanks for sharing!

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  9. What a neat post! These are some great tips.!
    I got my ears pierced December of 2018 at Clarie’s and it’s still weird seeing myself with them. 😀 They are fun to have though, especially since my Mom has a lot that I can wear!

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  10. I loved reading this post – i have 2 piercings in each ear (which i love!) and i want to get at least one more in each (on my to-do list after lockdown is over!). Also, I’ve just discovered your blog and it is gorgeous!! I cant wait to read more from you xxx

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  11. This case just in time! I’m about to get my first piercing soon and I can’t wait! Haha, I know I’m really late in the game but my dad didn’t like the idea for a while (he’s ultra-logical and he’s like, ‘why would you do that’?) but finally I get to! Yay!! I’ll start with one and see how I like it from there. Great post!!

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  13. I just got my ears pierced today! I love them so much! And it barely hurt at all. I’m re-reading this to make sure I’m all-informed on how to take care of them. 😊

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