Best Way to Heal a Piercing That Won’t Heal

Our jewelry designer, Melissa Chen, has sensitive ear lobe piercings that become irritated easily and took longer than normal to heal. Below is her preferred method for healing infected piercings so that she can wear the earrings she designs.

Ingredients needed:

1/2 cup distilled water

Half packet of NeilMD Sinus Rinse powder

Instructions:

1) Put half of a packet of NeilMD Sinus Rinse powder in a mug.

2) Add the 1/2 cup distilled water to the sinus rinse powder and swish the water around until combined.

3) Using clean, dry hands, drip half the saline solution onto your piercing. When doing this, move the earring slightly so that the solution goes into the piercing. Use the remaining saline solution on a second piercing.

4) If the saline solution drips onto your face or neck, rinse the saline solution off those areas with tap water but be very careful not to get tap water onto the piercing.

5) Allow the saline solution on the piercing to dry on it’s own. Do not pat dry with fabric or paper towels. 

6) It is important to use this saline solution after each time your irritated or infected piercing gets wet, such as after showers, baths, saunas or swimming. This helps flush out any dirty water that may have gone into your piercing to prevent further infection.

7) For new earlobe piercings, also use this saline solution morning and night after washing your face if your piercing comes in contact with tap water. If the piercing is brand new, do not purposely touch and move your earrings while dripping on the saline solution.

8) For piercings that become irritated easily or are prone to becoming infected repeatedly, it may help to continue using this saline solution after each time your piercing gets wet.

How Saline (Salt) Cleans Wounds:

Draws Out Fluids (Osmosis)
Salt creates a hypertonic environment—meaning it has a higher concentration of solutes than the fluid in your tissues. This causes water to move out of cells and bacteria by osmosis, which: Dehydrates and kills some bacteria and reduces swelling by drawing fluid out of the tissue.

Disrupts Bacterial Growth
Many types of bacteria cannot survive in salty environments. Salt interferes with the osmotic balance inside bacterial cells, causing them to shrivel and die.

Removes Debris
A saline rinse (salt water) can help flush out dirt, pus, and dead tissue from a wound, keeping it cleaner and reducing infection risk.

Why Distilled Water Is Best for Cleaning Open Wounds

When it comes to cleaning open wounds or piercings, distilled water is recommended over tap water. Here’s why distilled water is the safest and most effective choice:

Distilled water is water that has been purified through boiling and condensation, removing:

• Minerals (like calcium and magnesium)
  
• Bacteria
  
• Viruses
  
• Fungi
  
• Chemicals (like chlorine or fluoride)
  
• Heavy metals (like lead)

Free from Microorganisms
Open wounds are vulnerable to infection. Tap water can contain trace bacteria or protozoa that are harmless when swallowed but dangerous when introduced into a wound. Distilled water removes these risks.

No Irritating Chemicals
Tap water often contains chlorine, fluoride, and other additives. These can irritate healing tissue, slow healing, or cause inflammation. Distilled water is clean and chemical-free.

No Minerals to Interfere With Healing
Minerals in tap water (like calcium) can crystallize or leave residue around a wound or piercing, causing bumps or irritation. Distilled water leaves nothing behind.

Ideal for Mixing Saline
If you’re making your own saline solution to clean a wound or piercing, using distilled water ensures the solution is sterile and balanced, without introducing contaminants from unfiltered tap water.

What is NeilMD Sinus Rinse?

NeilMed Sinus Rinse is a popular over-the-counter nasal irrigation system designed for large-volume, low-pressure (LVLP) saline rinses. It typically consists of:

• A squeezable 8‑oz (~240 mL) bottle with a flexible tip
• Pre‑measured saline packets containing USP‑grade sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate
• Suitable for use after sinus surgery and during pregnancy
  
• Preservative, Drug, Iodine, BPA, Gluten and Latex Free

For piercing cleaning, we’re only using the pre‑measured saline packets. Alternatively, you can use 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt.

Healing Timeline

Some piercings take longer than you think:

• Earlobes: 3-4 months
  
• Cartilage (like helix, conch, tragus): 4–12 months
  
• Nose: 2–6 months
  
• Navel, nipples, industrials: 6–12+ months
  

Common Reasons a Piercing Won’t Heal

1) Touching it too much
Dirty hands introduce bacteria. Avoid twisting, spinning, or removing the jewelry.

2) Sleeping on it
Constant pressure (especially on cartilage) causes irritation and swelling. Try a travel pillow or back-sleeping.

3) Jewelry made of the wrong material
Low-quality metals (like nickel) can cause allergic reactions or delays in healing. Stick to implant-grade titanium, surgical steel, or solid gold.

4) Improper cleaning
Over-cleaning or using harsh products like alcohol or hydrogen peroxide can dry out the skin and damage new tissue.

5) Infection or piercing bump
Sometimes a small bump forms from irritation or trapped fluid—not always an infection. Infections are usually red, swollen, hot, and may leak pus. Bumps are often firm and painless.

6) Applying unsuitable substances

Applying things like honey or oil to piercings with cause dirt and bacteria to stick to the sugar or oil. Even though honey is antibacterial, it is not a good idea to use honey due to the amount of dirt that will stick to it.

7) Using tea soaks

Soaking piercings in camomile and other teas may not work well if the water used in the tea is unsterile. Some wounds may not tolerate the particles in the tea and become more infected.

8) Using fragranced cleaning products

Using fragranced soaps to wash piercings may cause irritation.

9) Getting makeup on the piercing 

If makeup gets onto a new piercing it is likely to cause an infection.

What You Should Do Instead

1) Use a Saline Solution to clean the piercing.

2) Hands Off! Avoid twisting or moving the jewelry throughout the day. Let your body do the work uninterrupted.

3) Change Your Sleeping Habits. Use a donut pillow, avoid pressure, or sleep on the opposite side.

4) Assess Your Jewelry. Is it hypoallergenic? If you’re unsure, ask a professional piercer to check the material and fit. In some cases, switching to a shorter or longer bar can reduce irritation.

5) Don’t Change the Jewelry Too Soon. Leaving the original jewelry in too long is better than switching it out too early.

When to See a Healthcare Professional

• Swelling doesn’t go down after a few days
  
• Yellow or green pus
  
• Hot to the touch
  
• Fever or chills
  
• Severe pain
  
• The jewelry is embedding into your skin
  

A reputable piercer can also help you troubleshoot issues like migration, rejection, or metal sensitivity.

If your piercing has healed, take a look at our selection of earrings below!