Recently, a high school student almost lost the top half of her ear after a piercing got horribly infected. After a week in the hospital, doctors were able to save the ear with antibiotics and morphine for the pain.
A study by the National Institutes of Health shows 35% of women who had an ear pierced reported a complication and 43% had an allergic reaction.
Infections or worse can happen to you or your loved ones if the piercing is not done by a professional under sterile conditions.
Ear piercing is a simple procedure that carries some risks. Here are some guidelines for staying safe with medical ear-piercing and minimizing those risks:
Age Matters When It Comes to Ear Piercing
Some cultures pierce a baby’s ears when they are very young. Most medical professionals agree that it is best to wait until at least four months, the earlobes have developed, and she has completed her first two sets of vaccinations.
Choose Nickel Free and Hypoallergenic Piercing Studs
One of the biggest problems of piercing is an allergic reaction to the metal nickel. It is found in almost all cosmetic jewelry and also in some sterling silver, white gold, and low carat yellow gold alloys.
When choosing studs for your first piercing, use only nickel-free, hypoallergenic studs. Unfortunately, there is no regulation or guarantee in the U.S. that your earrings are nickel-free even if they claim it on the package. Make sure to research the product and the company before you purchase their earrings.
But, even the best earrings won’t help if your piercings are not sterile. We recommend that you seek a certified consultant at a professional medical facility.
Blomdahl, a Swedish medical company, has created the perfect solution for preventing infections. It’s a “modern aseptic technique” called Blomdahl Medical Ear Piercing.
The Safe and Discreet Option is Medical Ear Piercing
Getting your ears pierced for the first time can be unsettling for children and adults. Don’t go to an amateur like a teenager at a mall kiosk. Why add the stress of risking infection, hepatitis, or a lousy job leaving you with uneven holes? Anytime you pierce the skin, there is a risk.
The three advantages of medical ear piercing are:
- Trained medical personnel to do the ear piercing
- Medically safe, modern aseptic technique, and equipment
- Professional and dignified location
Use only licensed, trained medical specialists who use sterile techniques and equipment from start to finish. It’s comforting to be in a medical office for this procedure. Most people feel uncomfortable sitting in the open at a mall, going to a tattoo parlor, or jewelry store to get their ears pierced.
Beware of Risks of Non-Medical Ear Piercing
Most piercing facilities at the local mall use piercing guns. It is impossible to disinfect these tools entirely, and the risk of infection is much higher than if you went to a professional.
Any piercing is a small injury and introduces a foreign object into the body. There are three risks posed by unsterile conditions:
- Infection
- Bloodborne diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis
- Allergic reaction, especially to nickel
Medical ear piercing uses surgically sterile techniques to eliminate contamination. They use single-use disposable cartridges to pierce and insert the posts simultaneously. Be sure to use studs and earrings that don’t contain nickel, so there is no possibility of an allergic reaction.
Soreness, Redness, Swelling or Pus Are Signs of Trouble
Infections can readily occur from an unsterile environment, dirty fingers touching earlobes, cheap metal, or having the earring backings too tight. If you have any soreness, redness, swelling or pus at the site of the piercing, see your doctor immediately.
Constant cleaning with the right solution, sterile swabs, and medical grade, skin-friendly earrings are the cure.
Piercing After Care
It can take a year for the holes to heal completely and not close. Always wash your hands before touching ear lobes or changing the posts. Teach school-aged kids not to touch their earlobes and earrings unless they have clean hands.
Cleanse the piercing area with a saline solution at least twice a day. In the shower, use liquid soap to cleanse the area gently. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a cotton swab to clean between your ears, the earrings, and the earring backs. Never use alcohol as it can dry out the skin and kill new cells, prolonging the healing.
Plan on six to twelve months to completely heal. For earlobe piercings, leave the posts in for at least six weeks and twelve weeks for cartilage. For babies, leave the posts in for at least three months to prevent the hole from closing.
Post are thicker than standard earrings to ensure the hole stays open and makes it easy to wear your new earrings.
Keeping the piercing and earlobe clean and dry is all you need to do. This page has complete aftercare instructions and videos.
Medical Piercing Is the Safest Way
When it comes to your ears or your child’s, you only want the best and safest method available.
“Blomdahl is the first in the world to launch a sterile, disposable cassette containing a sterile ear-piercing earring with earring back.” Blomdahl Medical Beauty
If you would like to find more information or the nearest location about Blomdahl medical ear-piercing, contact earrings@blomdahlusa.com. For more FAQs and to see the entire procedure check out this short video.