Huzzah, you have a brand

new piercing! You’re on your way

to the perfectly curated ear!

The piercing itself was a

piece of cake, next up

is the real challenge:

the healing process.

Our professionals at

Paloma Wilder have put

together this guide to

help you through the

healing process. Let’s

keep your gold and

gemstone jewelry

looking beautiful and your

new piercing looking fresh!

aftercare

Paloma wilder's

Aftercare 101:

ime

When it comes to healing a new piercing, your body will be putting in the most work, but that's not to say you're completely off the hook with aftercare! Tending to and cleaning your new piercing everyday is crucial until your piercing is feeling good and fully healed!

Outside of your body healing your piercing; a little saline and a lot of TLC goes a long way. Your newly pierced ear needs nothing more than Time, to be Left alone, and to be Cleaned!

Time - Healing your piercing takes time, and the time frame for when your piercing fully heals varies on each individual. Your autonomy, health, stress & sleep levels and your commitment to your aftercare regimen are all factors in how long it will take for your piercing to heal. Lobes can take 3-6 months to heal, while upper and inner ear piercings can take 6-12+ months! Patience is key in the healing process, and the more you have the more success you will see in your piercing being healed, healthy and happy!

Left Alone - Once upon a time we were told to twist the jewelry in our fresh piercings! Not anymore! Twisting, rotating and playing with our earring is harmful to the healing process! Leaving the piercing alone is one of the most successful ways to heal a piercing.

Cleaned - You know the drill! Clean ears = healed ears! Daily cleaning with sterile saline solution does wonders for the healing process and helps prevent irritations and infections.

eft

alone

leaned

Cleaning Guide:

Cleaning your piercing doesn't have to be complicated - we've put together this simple step by step guide for quick and easy care! Repeat these steps 2-3x a day, once in the morning and once at night, and once after you're out of the shower.

Step 1: Soap up and wash your hands! Never handle your piercing with unclean hands/utensils!

Step 2: Use your sterile saline solution to clean the front and back of the piercing channel. We recommend saline in spray form for an easy and touch free cleaning! One spray on each side does the trick.

Step 3: Wipe any discharge away from the jewelry with a non-woven gauze soaked in saline. Avoid cotton balls, swabs, towels and gauze that is woven. Fibers from these items can get tangled in the jewelry which can cause irritations and even infections.

Step 4: Air dry the front and back of the piercing channel with your hand or a blowdryer on a cool setting.

Extra cleaning tips and tricks:

Sterile saline solution ONLY. (No ointments, oils, soaps, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide. Contact solution, eye drops & other saline products should not be used).
Rinse your ear in the shower with fresh, warm water to loosen up any hard crust that may be forming around the jewelry. Allow for the water to wash away any organic matter.
Air dry your piercing channel after applying saline solution and after getting out of the shower, bath, sauna, etc.

What not to do:

No swimming or submerging your new piercing in any water for at least 30 days. If this does happen within 30 days, deep cleaning with sterile saline solution is important to avoid infection!
No sleeping on your piercing. We know it can be tough, but sleeping on your new piercing can cause irritation due to the pressure and also cause the piercing to drift, which causes the angle of the piercing to shift.
Don't go to bed with wet hair. Keeping the piercing channel dry is crucial to the healing process. Moisture in the piercing channel can create a breeding ground for bacteria which can lead to irritation or infection.
Don't take our your jewelry! Taking out your jewelry can risk infection and loss of the piercing! If you have to remove your jewelry for medical reasons or you are experiencing swelling, bleeding, irritation; please reach out to our shop so we can consult with you one on one about how to move forward.

Disinfect anything that goes around your ears! That means headphones, cellphones, eyeglasses, hair accessories, and earbuds.
For tragus and conch piercings, avoid earbuds. Use headphones that go on top of your head and over your ears! Vice versa for new piercings on the higher cartilage and lobes, stick with earbuds instead of the headphones that sit on top of your head!
A travel or piercing pillow helps your fresh piercing get airflow and prevents the piercing from being crushed while sleeping.
Keep your bedding clean! Switch out your pillowcase with a fresh, clean one every few days - or use a clean t-shirt, sheet or blanket.
Keep your hair tied back to avoid snagging on your new piercing while you're healing.
Treat your body with love while you are healing. Get plenty of rest, eat well, and limit activities like heavy drinking that can wear on your immune system.

Hot Tips

Time to Downsize

You may have heard the term "downsizing" while you were in for your piercing, or maybe this isn't your first rodeo with flatbacks and you're well aware of what you're dealing with; either way, downsizing your flatback post is a very important step on the road to a healed piercing.

What is downsizing?

Downsizing is taking a longer post after a piercing and swapping it with a shorter one that fits the depth of your ear nice and snug. When you first go in for your piercing, your piercer will start out using a longer post, this is necessary to accommodate the swelling you experience in the initial weeks after receiving your piercing; without a long post, the flatback could potentially become embedded in your tissue. Be patient! The extra post is annoying, but we promise your ear will be much happier in the long run! Remember, healing your piercing is a marathon, not a race!

Downsizing is done before the piercing is fully healed and usually takes place 4-8 weeks after the initial piercing. Due to the fact the piercing channel isn't fully healed yet, its important this service is done by a piercing professional. A piercer will be able to tell you if your piercing is ready to downsize and will make sure the piercing receives minimal trauma from the post change while being done in a clean and sterilized environment.

Depending on how the healing journey is going, one downsize may suffice - our professionals here at Paloma Wilder will communicate if more than one downsize will be necessary for your healing journey! When you come in for downsizing, we are only changing out the post in the back of your ear, so you get to keep the same beautiful topper you chose at the time of your piercing!

Why Is downsizing important?

Our goal with downsizing is to keep the piercing happy and healthy by preventing irritation and potential trauma. After 4-8 weeks, you'll notice the post is sticking out much more, this is due to the swelling subsiding. Swapping out the long post for a shorter one that fits snug will help prevent snagging and drifting. Drifting appears when your piercing becomes distorted from outside elements or pressure, such as sleeping on your piercing. Drifting is irreversible and cannot be corrected which will result in the piercing being pulled, allowed time to heal and then re-pierced.

Its important to prioritize downsizing your piercings, putting off the task will prolong the healing process and we want you and your piercing to finish strong! Downsizing helps take your piercing to the finish line!

Paloma Wilder’s collection of fine piercing jewelry is what sets us apart from the industry. Each piece of jewelry has been crafted with the sensitive ear in mind.

Our cases are filled with jewelry is made from safe, implant-grade materials. 14 karat and titanium is our standard for any metal that is placed inside the body. These pieces have been designed and created by our fine jewelers who take absolute care in the content of it’s metals and comfort in it’s piercing site.

Each gemstone is meticulously set and polished to perfection. At Paloma Wilder we guarantee that all steel is implant grade, not just stainless. We insure only the highest quality, safest jewelry is being sold to you. Your jewelry is a high end product that requires a bit of upkeep and maintenance. We promise to send you home with a tightly closed backing and a shining, faceted adornment. With the right care, you can keep it that way!