Looking for a piercing studio?
Book at Baron Art
Baron Art is a professional piercing studio with studios in Los Angeles, El Monte, Long Beach, Orange & Berkeley. Compare studios, see service prices, and book your piercing online.
Specific Guidance
Piercing Aftercare
Keep your new piercing clean and healthy throughout the entire healing process.
By piercing type
Care by piercing type
Healing windows, downsizing, and what to avoid differ by placement. Pick your piercing for the specific guide; the general rules below apply to every piercing.
- Lobe piercing aftercare
Earlobes, stacked lobes, and children's lobe piercings. Typically 6–8 weeks for the surface; give it 3 months before swapping to lighter earrings.
- Cartilage piercing aftercare
Helix, forward helix, flat, conch, tragus, rook, and daith. Typically 6–12 months; helix and conch sit at the longer end, tragus and daith vary with anatomy.
- Industrial piercing aftercare
Industrial bars through the upper ear cartilage. Typically 9–12 months for both holes to settle.
- Nostril piercing aftercare
Nostril studs and rings, high nostril, and bridge piercings. Typically 4–6 months; a bridge piercing sits at 8–12 weeks.
- Septum piercing aftercare
Septum rings, clickers, and retainers. Typically 6–8 weeks to settle and 2–3 months to heal fully.
- Lip piercing aftercare
Labret, Monroe, Medusa, vertical labret, and snake bites. Typically 6–8 weeks; vertical labrets can take up to 3 months.
- Tongue piercing aftercare
Tongue and other oral piercings. Typically 4–6 weeks.
- Eyebrow piercing aftercare
Eyebrow and anti-eyebrow surface placements. Typically 6–8 weeks to settle and up to 3 months to heal fully.
- Navel piercing aftercare
Navel (belly button) and floating navel piercings. Typically 6–12 months.
- Nipple piercing aftercare
Single or paired nipple piercings. Typically 6–12 months, sometimes up to a year.
General Piercing Aftercare
- Wash hands thoroughly before touching the piercing.
- Soak with saline solution twice a day for 4 to 6 months during the initial healing stage.
- Dry with clean disposable paper products rather than cloth towels.
- Inspect jewelry ends for tightness after cleaning.
Oral Piercing Aftercare
- Rinse with distilled water any time you eat, drink, or smoke.
- Use non-alcoholic mouthwash no more than twice a day during early healing.
- Avoid spicy foods, acidic drinks, and messy foods such as noodles while healing.
What To Expect
- Initial bleeding, swelling, tenderness, bruising, and crusting can all be normal.
- Starter jewelry is longer to allow for swelling. Downsizing after roughly two months improves comfort.
- A piercing can feel healed before the inside is actually healed, so continue care consistently.
- Even older piercings may shrink quickly without jewelry in place.
What To Avoid
- Avoid baths, pools, hot tubs, gardening, contact with animals, and rough play during healing.
- Do not twist or move jewelry in unhealed piercings.
- Skip alcohol, peroxide, Bactine, Neosporin, tea tree oil, and over-cleaning.
- Keep cosmetics, lotions, sprays, and other personal care products away from the piercing.
Dermal & Surface Anchor Aftercare
Single-point dermal anchors and two-point surface bars
- Keep the anchor covered with a small breathable bandage for the first few days so clothing and bags can't snag it.
- Clean with sterile saline twice a day; never twist, press on, or rotate the top.
- Avoid tight straps, seatbelts, and abrasive fabrics rubbing over the anchor while it heals.
- Anchors can migrate or reject: if the top rises, tilts, or the skin over it thins, book a removal — don't pull it out yourself.
- Only the studio should swap the decorative top; changes and removals are priced on each menu, including anchors pierced elsewhere.
Nipple & Genital Aftercare
18+ placements, including anything pierced in the private room
- Saline soak or spray twice a day and rinse well in the shower; keep soap, lotion, and body sprays off the piercing.
- Wear clean, breathable cotton and avoid tight or lacy fabrics that catch on jewelry.
- Nipples typically take 6 to 12 months to heal fully; genital placements vary widely, so follow the timeline your piercer gives you.
- Avoid sexual contact with the piercing for the first few weeks, then use barriers and keep partners' fluids off it until fully healed.
- Come back to downsize the starter barbell once swelling settles — leaving long jewelry in causes irritation and migration.
When To Seek Medical Care
- Get medical attention if you see redness, swelling, tenderness, red streaks, fever, or drainage that suggests infection.