Ask yourself these questions before making an appointment
Getting your ears pierced is a form of self-expression that can be done by medical and non-medical professionals. Earlobe piercings are the most common, but other parts of the ear (including areas with cartilage) can also be pierced. Body Vision Piercing
Body piercings in the nose, belly button, and other areas are also popular. Regardless of location, a new piercing needs to be done by someone who knows how to do it safely, and you need to take care of it while it heals.
This article looks at how ear piercings are done, where to get your ears pierced, how to care for a new piercing, possible complications, things to consider before getting a piercing, and why getting your ears pierced should not be a DIY project.
Piercing techniques vary depending on where you get it done. You might get a local anesthetic or ice to numb the spot before the needle goes into your ear. If you're worried that getting your ears pierced will hurt, ask the piercers you're considering about how they handle pain.
To use the one-needle technique, a piercer:
To use the two-needle technique, a piercer:
Many jewelry stores and ear-piercing professionals use commercial ear-piercing kits with piercing "guns." Ear-piercing guns hold a stud earring on one side and the earring back on the other. The process is simple:
Note that many professional piercers argue that piercing guns are unsafe because they can't be fully sterilized and can cause excess tissue damage. The Association of Professional Piercers, a nonprofit that promotes safe piercing practices, doesn't allow its members to use piercing guns.
Common locations where you can get your ears pierced include:
These locations may follow safe practices, but any piercing, no matter who does it, carries risks.
If you have health problems that would make it riskier to get your ears pierced, (e.g., keloids, metal allergies, immune-system problems), you may want to have it done by a dermatologist or reputable piercing professional.
Make sure to follow the instructions given to you by the person who did your piercing.
Starter earrings need to be left in for several weeks for your piercing to heal without closing up the hole. The exact time you’ll need to wait before taking them out varies depending on what part of the ear is pierced.
You'll also need to clean the piercing with a sterile saline solution and rotate the earring to keep it from getting stuck.
A new piercing can have complications, even if you take care of it. Possible complications of pierced ears include:
Your choice of piercer plus doing proper care at home can minimize your risk of infection. Symptoms of an infected piercing include:
Your piercing will cause some pain and inflammation, but it should be minimal if you go to a qualified piercer.
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
If you have a known metal allergy, get starter earrings that do not have that metal in them. The following materials are generally safe choices for people with metal allergies:
Metals that are considered unsafe for initial piercings include stainless steel, sterling silver, and any alloys containing nickel.
Some people only find out they have or develop a metal allergy after piercing their ears.
A metal allergy is a form of contact dermatitis that can cause symptoms similar to an infection like:
However, an antibiotic ointment won't clear up if your symptoms are from an allergy. If you get multiple piercings at once (such as in both ears), you're likely to develop an allergy in all the pierced places.
If you learn you have an allergy after piercing your ears, take out the earring and see a healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment. A dermatologist can do a skin patch test to see if you have a metal allergy.
The most common metal allergies are nickel and cobalt. If you have an allergy, you'll need to use jewelry and personal-care products that do not contain the metal you’re allergic to (such as nickel-free earrings and razors).
A metal allergy affects the skin and typically causes a rash (contact dermatitis). It does not cause anaphylaxis (a life-threatening complication of some allergies).
A piercing that's too low on the earlobe(s) may split out the tissue beneath the hole, which lead to scarring. Sometimes, this happens because the earlobes are not symmetrical, so one piercing is too low to be even with the other.
If your earlobes are very asymmetrical, tell your piercer. They may need to take extra care to make sure your earrings are level with each other.
Keloids are large scars that spill over the border of the area of trauma, often forming lumps.
If you have a personal or family history of keloids, your risk of developing a large scar after getting your ears pierced is higher.
Consider whether that kind of scar on your ear would bother you before you get a piercing. You may want to talk to your healthcare provider about it beforehand.
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
While it might be tempting to do your piercing at home, it’s best left to a professional. It’s not safe to pierce your ears yourself or have a friend or family member do it for you at home.
You can buy sterile needles, starter earrings, and ear-piercing kits, but without proper training and procedures to reduce risks, a DIY piercing increases your risk of complications like infection and splitting lobes.
Ears can be pierced using different techniques, including a gun or needles. It's important to keep your piercing clean and rotate the earrings regularly while they are healing.
Possible complications of ear piercings are infection, allergic reactions to metal, a splitting earlobe, or keloid scars. Keloids are more likely if you have a personal or family history of them.
Most professional piercing locations are safe but all piercings come with risks. If you think you could have complications from a piercing, you may want to have it done by a dermatologist. Never try to pierce your own ears at home or have a family member or friend do it for you.
Association of Professional Piercers. Issues with piercing guns.
Seattle Children's Hospital. Ear piercing symptoms.
Association of Professional Piercers. Jewelry for initial piercings.
Uter W, Werfel T, White IR, Johansen JD. Contact allergy: A review of current problems from a clinical perspective. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(6):1108. doi:10.3390/ijerph15061108
American Academy of Pediatrics. Nickel allergy: Is the metal giving your child a rash?
Lucerna A, Espinosa J. Acute atraumatic pinna (auricular) perichondritis.World J Emerg Med.2018;9(2):152-153.doi:10.5847/wjem.j.1920-8642.2018.02.013
New Zealand Trust: DermNet. Jewellery allergy.
Nickel Institute. What do you need to know about nickel allergy?
Park JK, Kim KS, Kim SH, Choi J, Yang JY. Reconstruction of a traumatic cleft earlobe using a combination of the inverted V-shaped excision technique and vertical mattress suture method. Arch Craniofac Surg. 2017;18(4):277-281. doi:10.7181/acfs.2017.18.4.277
Gabriel OT, Anthony OO, Paul EA, Ayodele SO. Trends and complications of ear piercing among selected Nigerian population. J Family Med Prim Care. 2017;6(3):517–521. doi:10.4103/2249-4863.222045
By Susan J. Huang, MD Susan Huang, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist practicing at Sutter Health. She is also an instructor at Harvard Medical School.
Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up.
There was an error. Please try again.
Belly Ring Hoop By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.