19 needles and counting...

Fun Fact: I have 19 piercings. 

So when did it all start?

My mum had dreamt of a daughter since forever, so when she finally got me, it only took her 10 months after I was born to get my ears pierced. Well... She didn't because she was too emotional, so my lovely Nan took me. 

This may be seen as a controversial topic now, piercing children's ears at a young age - but it was never looked down upon years ago. And anyway, if anything, my mum just helped me to get the ball rolling (so thanks, mum x)... 

*touch wood* I've never had any issues with my piercings, and I have my trusty piercer to thank for that. Since the age of 12, Dan has done 15/19 of my piercings. (Before I was 18 and could get tattoos, this was my obsession). He would always give me advice, and I would never ignore what he told me. By no means are my recommendations the right way to do things, these are just the ways I have managed to control my piercings. A lot of the time I listen to what my body and piercings are telling me. Commonly, you may find that by doing less to your piercing during the healing process can help to speed it up!

I hope you find some useful tips and info in this post! xx

MY TOP TIPS:​​

- Salt Water should be avoided.

The traditional option for when you want to clean your piercings, but to work effectively you need to make sure that you're getting the right balance of salt to water. With the wrong balance, the water does nothing, and if anything, it will only agitate your piercings. You're better off using other methods - I'll be going through some of my favourites, or do nothing at all and let nature take its course.  

- Irritated Piercing?

The most effective method I have found when a piercing begins to irritate me is Camomile tea bags. This is often over-scabbing, a lump, or general healing soreness. I get a small mug, and make a cup of camomile tea - instead of drinking it, I soak the tea bag for 1-3 minutes (we don't want all the goodness in the mug). I then remove the tea bag and allow it to cool to a warm temperature, where I then place it on the area of the piercing. After repeating 2-4 times a week, you gradually begin to see the affected area calm.

- Guns are a no.

Unless on your lobe, guns are known to cause problems to piercings. Guns are unhygienic and are re-used on multiple bodies. When pierced with a gun, a blunt earring is used - which can cause trauma to a piercing and won't give a clean pierce. Guns should never be used near cartilage, as there is the risk of shattering. A new needle should be used to every individual piercing, and you're guaranteed a clean and hygienic end product.

Ways to promote clean healing​

When getting piercings, sometimes getting rings put in straight away will create irritation. A stud would be secured in your ear, with room for your piercing to swell once pierced (natural and completely normal). During the healing process, rings can twist and move, which would affect the way and length of time it takes for the piercing to heal... 

A little something I find extremely useful - When in the shower, use the shower head to blast water onto the piercing (from a distance). This will help to clean it in a way which takes minimal contact to the piercing. Blasting a hairdryer towards the piercing will warm up the tissues around it, helping to promote and encourage the healing process. - Be careful to not hold both too close... 

A standard piece of advice: ​

Don't. Touch. Them. Or. Change. The. Jewellery. Too. Soon. We all know how much bacteria we come in contact with on a daily basis, so when we begin to fiddle with our piercings whilst distracted it can spread bacteria, which may cause infection. Let the body heal everything in a natural way. Some piercings may take longer to heal than others, which is completely normal. Everyones bodies will react and heal differently, it's just about listening to your body and finding little things you can do to help encourage a healthy healing process. Piercings need time, so when we get all excited and change jewellery too soon, it interrupts the process and if not done professionally - could all go wrong whilst changing. It will then add on unnecessary healing time to the piercing. 

What do I have?

- 14 ear piercings, 7 each ear.

- Nose

- Belly

- Neck (Dermal) 

- Smiley *currently out* 

- I'll leave you to guess the last one... n*p

Some advice for specific piercings:

SMILEY:

My smiley is currently without a bar :( But I'm hoping to get a new ring and get it back in! I love my smiley. Mouth piercings tend to heal faster naturally, from the saliva in the mouth. Once pierced, I got myself a new toothbrush and would recommend anyone else too with new piercings around the mouth. Your old toothbrush will carry bacteria and product in it, and it is best to get a new one for hygiene purposes. After three months, I got my ring put in! Smileys take a while to get used to, so it is super hard to not fiddle around with it in your mouth, but push past the temptation. 

NECK - Dermal:

My favourite. Neck piercings sit more comfortably when they are pierced as a dermal. Two small punches of the skin are pierced, and then the skin and tissue is separated between, making room for a long U shaped bar. ​

- If you are interested in getting dermal piercings, research first, and always keep an eye on them during the healing process!

The main thing to remember is that all bodies and piercings heal differently. Different people have different ways of doing things, but it doesn't mean that they're necessarily the right or wrong way to do it.

I hope you enjoyed reading this, and hopefully, you'll find some useful tips from it too! I'd love to hear if anyone has any other recommendations too! xx