The Ultimate Guide to Healing Your Piercing – The Right Way
The Ultimate Guide to Healing Your Piercing – The Right Way
Getting a new piercing is exciting, but healing it the right way is what ensures comfort, longevity, and success. At Origins, we believe in one simple rule:
Invest in the Best.
From precision piercing techniques to implant-grade titanium and 14ct+ gold jewellery,
everything we do is designed for optimal healing and long-term comfort. If you want a piercing that heals faster, feels better, and lasts a lifetime, read on.
Healing with the Best – Why Quality Matters
At Origins, every part of your experience is world-class—from our sterilisation techniques to our hand-polished, implant-grade jewellery. We believe in investing in the best because your body deserves it.
✅ Best materials – Threadless titanium or 14ct+ gold, nickel-free and hand-polished.
✅ Best piercing techniques – No guns, no cannulas—just precision.
✅ Best healing approach – LITFA, downsizing, and expert aftercare.
When you get pierced at Origins, you get more than a piercing—you get a commitment to quality, safety, and healing success.
Need a Check-Up? Book a Free Consultation Today!![]()
Step 1: Choose a Quality Piercer
Your healing journey begins before the piercing even happens. A quality piercer should:
✅Use only implant-grade threadless titanium or solid 14ct+ gold – Hand-polished, nickel-free, and designed specifically for body piercings.
✅ Use a sterile blade needle, NOT a cannula – Cannulas are for veins, NOT body piercing! If a piercer uses one, red flag 🚩.
✅Have a range of jewellery to choose from that will be sterilised during your appointment, along with the needle and any other tools. Our Statim autoclave provides a printout of the full sterilisation cycle and has two separate indicators to ensure the highest quality.
✅ Use sterile gloves, gauze, and tools, disposing of all materials correctly in the proper hazard bins.
✅Mark your piercing with a digital micrometer for complete accuracy.
✅ Perform all piercings freehand – We don’t use clamps, as every piercing is placed bespoke to your unique anatomy.
✅Be able to answer all of your questions with ease.
✅ Follow strict sterilisation procedures – No shortcuts, no compromises.
Even if you heal perfectly, the quality of the procedure, jewellery, and aftercare makes all the difference.
Buy it Nice or Buy it Twice (Or More!)
Cheap, low-quality jewellery means replacing it again and again due to irritation, reactions, or improper healing. Investing in the best from the start saves you pain, time, and money in the long run.
Step 2: The Origins Approach to Healing
At Origins, we follow the LITFA Method – Leave It the F* Alone!**
Your body knows how to heal itself—you just need to give it the right tools.
Piercing Aftercare Essentials:
✅ Clean once a day with sterile saline—nothing else.
✅ Keep hair away from your piercing however you can—soft makeup headbands are perfect for keeping baby hairs off your piercing while you sleep.
✅ Use a travel pillow in your pillowcase for all ear piercings—this takes pressure off your piercing while you sleep.
✅ Reduce cleaning frequency after 2 weeks – Spray with NeilMed, let it sit for 20 seconds to soften crust, then wipe away any build-up for 2-5 seconds. Done!
✅ Fuel your body with healthy food and plenty of water to speed up healing.
✅ Less is more! Don’t touch, twist, or move your jewellery—it’s like picking a scab or stitches.
Step 3: The Seven Stages of Piercing Healing
1️⃣ Inflammation (0-3 Days) – Redness, swelling, and tenderness as your body begins healing.
2️⃣ Scabbing & Crusting (1-2 Weeks) – Your body creates a protective layer around the wound.
3️⃣ Tissue Repair (2-6 Weeks) – New skin starts to form underneath.
4️⃣ Collagen Production (6 Weeks – 3 Months) – Your body strengthens the tissue.
5️⃣ Surface Healing (3-6 Months) – The piercing looks healed, but the inside is still repairing.
6️⃣ Deep Tissue Maturation (6 Months – 1 Year) – The skin and tissue settle.
7️⃣ Fully Healed (6 Months – 2 Years, depending on the piercing) – Your piercing is strong, but still needs care!
Step 4: How Long Do Piercings Take to Heal?
| Piercing Type | Estimated Healing Time |
|---|---|
| Earlobe | 2 to 4 months |
| Helix/Cartilage | 6 to 12 months |
| Nostril | 4 to 6 months |
| Septum | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Eyebrow | 2 to 4 months |
| Lip | 2 to 3 months |
| Tongue | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Navel | 6 months to 1 year |
| Nipple | 6 months to 1 year |
Reminder: Even if your piercing looks healed on the outside, the inside is still repairing. Trust the process and be patient.
Step 5: Downsizing & Check-Ups for Faster Healing
Once swelling has gone down by 50-70%, it’s time to downsize your jewellery for comfort and faster recovery.
At Origins, we offer free check-ups at 2 weeks and 2 months to monitor your healing and recommend downsizing when needed.
What NOT to Do (Avoid These Common Mistakes!)
❌ Never twist, move, or rotate your jewellery. It’s like picking a scab—it slows healing!
❌ Avoid touching your piercing with dirty hands. Bacteria = infections.
❌ Don’t use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or harsh cleansers. These damage healing tissue.
❌ No swimming in pools, lakes, or hot tubs until fully healed.
❌ Don’t sleep directly on fresh ear piercings. Use a travel pillow instead!
❌ No healing creams, tea tree oil, or DIY salt solutions!
- You’re literally rubbing salt in the wound—then wondering why it’s irritated!
- Tea tree oil is too harsh and can cause chemical burns on healing tissue.
- Store-bought saline is perfectly balanced for healing—stick with that!
Who Should You Listen To?
❌ Your friend who “knows about piercings”
❌ Claire’s Accessories staff who say twisting jewellery is fine
❌ Your hairdresser who isn’t a piercer
✅ Your professional piercer.
Would you let me cut your hair? Would you let me fix your teeth? No. Because I’m a body modification expert, not a jack of all trades. Trust your piercer.