New Piercing Itching, Bleeding, Crusty: Allergy or Just Healing?

I've received a lot of questions from people telling me that they're new piercing is itchy and crusty or bleeding. Some of them have asked whether it was due to an allergic reaction or if it was normal during healing. Here's my answer:

While there is a possibility that your piercer may have used a type of jewelry that you might be allergic to, it's extremely uncommon for a professional piercer to use jewelry types that are not hypoallergenic (extremely unlikely to cause an allergic reaction), particularly in new piercings. Generally, a professional piercer will use stainless steel as it will not deteriorate in your piercing socket or cause an allergic reaction. Itching in and around a new piercing site is not highly uncommon unless it come in combination with a rash, in which case I recommend immediately consulting your piercer about having the jewelry switched as the one used on you is likely nickel-containing and is causing you an allergic reaction. If there is NO rash present, your issue is probably quite simple but can be caused by a few different things:

In general, itching is usually sign of healing. Often, it doesn't start until a few days after your body suffers the trauma of the new wound (in this case a piercing) but as your body attempts to heal itself it can cause the sensation of itchiness that can sometimes be difficult to resist scratching. There are ways to lessen the discomfort though.

First of all, avoid overcleaning it as this can cause the site to dry out, causing the skin to crack and sometimes itch or bleed. Don't use harsh cleaning solutions, especially ones with alcohol. If using a sea salt solution for cleaning, consider using slightly less sea salt in the solution. Don't clean more than twice or so per day unless you absolutely have to (ie: if your day consists of spending time in a dirty environment that can't be avoided). As long as the site is staying clean and healthy, there's no need to excessively mess with or clean it.

Crusties are also common during healing as your body excretes fluid in order to help it heal. As long as the fluid is primarily clear in color with no heavy bleeding or greenish or yellowish pus, don't worry! Just try not to pick the crusties off as this can cause bleeding, scarring, delayed healing, and potentially lead to infection as well. If you must remove the crusties, make sure you do it when the area is moist, the crusties are soft, and your hands are clean. You don't want to tear your new skin! In the shower, when the crusties are softened from the moisture, is the best time to gently wipe them away if you must remove them. Be sure not to touch the piercing site with dirty hands and don't move the piercing excessively when it's healing, especially when it's dry.

As for the blood, as long as it stays to a minimum and you're not noticing signs of infection such as fever, extreme pain, excessive redness or swelling that doesn't go down, or green or yellow pus, just keep treating the piercing normally, cleaning a couple of times per day as instructed, avoiding excessive contact with the piercing, and keeping an eye on it. As the piercing heals, the itching, crusties, and bleeding should all decrease and eventually go away completely!

Intense Swelling around New Septum Piercing

It's not uncommon to experience a lot of swelling in the area of this particular piercing, especially within the first few days of having it done, however there are things you can do and things you should look out for in this situation. The intensity of swelling and length of time it lasts varies greatly from person to person but heavy swelling usually doesn't last beyond the first few days of receiving a new septum piercing. In the meantime, there are methods you can use to bring the swelling down yourself if necessary such as applying ice or taking an anti-inflammatory pain killer. If within the next few days you haven't been able to get the swelling to go down significantly, I would definitely have it looked at as it could then be a sign of infection. Keep an eye on it and look out for any other signs of infection such as fever, yellow or green pus, or unbearable pain that makes the piercing site hurt to touch. Of course, that is worst case scenario. During the first few days after getting your piercing done, I'd chalk the swelling up to the fact that the piercing is still very new. Don't worry yourself just yet! Just try the solutions mentioned for getting the swelling down and keep on your aftercare program to keep the site clean. After that, consult your piercer or healthcare professional if the swelling has not decreased within a few more days. Hope this helps and best of luck to you with your piercing!

New Septum Piercing in PAIN?!

First of all, congratulations on your new piercing! Okay, so as far as the pain you're suffering, I want to say that it is completely normal. Of course, you should always heed all warning signs and keep an eye out for any possible signs of infection such as unusually excessive swelling or redness that does not go down, yellow or green pus secreting from the piercing site, a hotter than normal piercing site (where the piercing and/or surrounding area is hotter than other areas of your nose and face), fever, or unbearable pain. On the other hand, keep in mind that many people who have had numerous piercings on all parts of their body report that their septum piercings were some of the most painful, both at the time they got them done and during the healing process. I've even read posts by people who have never had an issue getting their belly or brow pierced but suffered such intense pain during the healing process of their septum piercing that they had to remove the piercing altogether, though they'd had the piercing done professionally and did not have an infection or any other complications at the time. My best guess is that the pain you're experiencing is simply due to the location of the piercing. The tissue from which the septum piercing hangs is very tough and, when pierced, causes the body more trauma than many other piercings do so it's understandable that more pain would come with the territory. The tissue in the area also varies a lot in thickness so if your piercing is sitting a little crooked it's possible that the jewelry is going through more or a different area of tissue on one side, causing that side to hurt more. That said, it's impossible to know without examining in person just what's going on with your particular piercing so if once you've read this you still have any doubt about whether your piercing is infected or if it's healing properly, please consider consulting your piercer to have it looked at. Hope this helps and thank you very much for reading!

Help With Cleaning the Inside (Nostril) of a Nose Piercing

It is very important to clean the inside of your new piercing so that it heals properly and doesn't get infected. It's common for people with nose piercings to have difficulties with cleaning the inside but what I recommend is removing a bit of the cotton from the end of a q-tip so that it's less bulky and fits up your nostril more easily. Submerge the now-smaller q-tip end in your sea salt soak and use a finger to hold your piercing jewelry in place from the outside so that it doesn't push out too far as you're cleaning the inside. In front of a mirror (or mirrors, if you have more than one available and can angle them to better see inside your nostril), use the q-tip to carefully clean around the inner piercing area. Be careful not to poke up into your nose too high. You should be able to feel where the q-tip is using the walls of your nostril, the jewelry, and (it sounds gross but it's true!) your nose hairs if you can't see into your nostril with the mirror(s) and maybe some good lighting. Do this a couple of times per day for the best results. Hope this helps and best of luck to you with your piercing!

When Your New Body Jewelry Is "Stuck" in the Hole

It's not uncommon for a new piercing to be "stuck" in place while healing. This is usually caused by the fluids your body excretes and/or the swelling of the area due to the trauma of the new piercing. As long as you're cleaning the piercing correctly a couple of times per day, don't worry if it doesn't move much at first. It will become easier to move as it heals. Though I usually recommend taking the advice of your piercer, if he or she has recommended rotating the jewelry as part of the after care process USE CAUTION! Rotating your jewelry to prevent your skin from growing into the jewelry is an old practice which science has proven outdated and incorrect. With standard jewelry types used for a new piercing, there's usually no reason to rotate the jewelry because the jewelry being used is made of nonporous metal, meaning there are no holes in the metal for your skin to grow into. In fact, rotating the jewelry is likely to further irritate the piercing site and prolong healing.

The exception to this is if you have a type of jewelry or piercing which is more inclined to a skin overgrowth. While the skin won't grow into the jewelry, certain jewelry/piercing types (ie: l-shaped and u-shaped nose rings) are more inclined to have skin try to grow OVER and enclose a portion of them if not rotated periodically, particularly during healing.

If you absolutely must move or remove the jewelry piece, I'd highly recommend a visit to your piercer who can help you to remove the jewelry without damaging surrounding tissue and can also help you to decide where to go from there, whether you need assistance choosing a retainer for the piercing, advice on re-piercing the site if you choose to let it close, a more manageable jewelry piece to wear, etc. If you have to move or remove the jewelry yourself, the easiest time to do this is after a shower or cleaning as the majority of the dried fluids will have washed away from the area. Be careful! Go slowly to assure there are no scabs or dried fluid still attached (as you don't want that ripping away from and damaging tissue in the area) and consider using a mirror/mirrors if you can't easily see what you're doing without. 

Swimming With Your New Piercing

You want to avoid pools, lakes, hot tubs, and other bodies of water during your piercing's healing process or at least try to keep the piercing out of the water when you go. Keeping excess moisture from your piercing is essential to the healing process. Additionally, chlorinated water has a tendency to dry your skin out and may overly dry your piercing as well and non-chlorinated water is more likely to carry harmful bacteria which can lead to infection. If you must swim, clean well and thoroughly afterward, keep the piercing out of the water and dry as much of the time as possible, and try emu oil if the piercing ends up getting too dry from the chlorine and you're unable to stay away from the pools.

When Your Nose Stud Is Stuck In Your Nose

Unfortunately, nose studs are known for this sort of thing, particularly with newer piercings. Because switching the jewelry piece requires "popping" it in and out of the piercing hole, the delicate skin in and around a newer piercing has a tendency to become irritated or even damaged in the process. The area is also more likely to be tender in the first several months (or longer, depending on your body and how you care for the piercing), making it painful to switch the jewelry.

How to get it out: Take a warm shower, soak the piercing site in the water, and try to pull the stud free then. You may wish to plug the drain to assure you don't lose the jewelry down it and have your new piece clean and ready to put in as soon as you get your current stud out. It will hurt a bit and may make your eyes water but you should be able to get it out. Be sure to clean the entire piercing site after the switch as well.

If the jewelry still will NOT come out, you'll want to visit your piercer to have him/her remove it for you.

One last option is that you can have the jewelry professionally cut from your nose using metal cutters. I do NOT recommend trying this yourself as you don't want to risk cutting or damaging your nose but use it as a last resort if you find a piercer or professional who can help you with it and nothing else will work.