Can you use micellar water on piercings?

What should you use instead?

The cleaning method depends on the piercing's location. Saline rinsing twice a day is one option in a piercing care plan. For gentle washing, use a mild, fragrance free cleanser and water at least once a day, then rinse the cleanser away thoroughly. Ask your piercer to clarify the method for your piercing rather than combining several routines.12

How to clean a healing piercing

1. 1Wash and dry your hands thoroughly before touching or cleaning the piercing.
2. 2Use the cleaning method in your aftercare plan. If washing with cleanser, clean gently rather than rubbing the pierced area.
3. 3Rinse thoroughly after washing so no soap remains. Avoid getting water inside your ear when cleaning an ear piercing.
4. 4For a nose piercing, dry the area with a clean towel or paper towel. Leave the piercing alone between cleaning sessions.

Washing, rinsing and drying can make up a nose piercing's cleaning routine, which leaves very little room for a product launch.23

What should stay away from the piercing?

Avoid hydrogen peroxide and antibacterial soaps on a healing piercing because they can damage healing skin. Your piercer may also tell you to keep makeup, alcohol, oils and ointments off the pierced area. Do not add an ointment simply because it is already in your skincare routine; use care products specifically recommended for your piercing.12

Do not pick at, tug or rub the pierced area while it heals, and avoid swimming until it has healed. Leave starter jewelry in a new piercing for six weeks or more, including overnight. Removing jewelry too early can close the opening; piercing holes can also close when jewelry is no longer worn.125

How do you know whether it is healing normally?

A new piercing can be sore, red and swollen for a few days to a few weeks. Healing time depends on the location and aftercare, so a calendar date alone is not a reason to switch to cosmetic cleansing. Some piercings take 3 to 5 weeks to heal; torso and genital piercings can take around six months.1

When should you get medical help?

See a doctor if the piercing becomes very painful, bleeds excessively or produces pus. Increasing redness, swelling and warmth are also infection signs. Seek medical attention immediately if you develop a fever with a suspected piercing infection. Do not try to solve these symptoms by changing makeup removers.13

An itchy rash around a piercing can be a metal allergy rather than an infection; nickel is a common trigger. A clinician can distinguish the two. Get medical advice about persistent raised skin around the opening, which can be a keloid, a type of scar. Take extra care if you have poorly controlled diabetes or a weakened immune system, because these increase infection risk.234