(Get the look with the Ellipsis stud, Catalyst stud, Pearl Droplet Stud and Ear Cuff in solid 9k Gold)
Coco Chanel once said:
” Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off. “
Normally I would agree with the classic, minimal approach, however, after discovering the beauty of dainty stacking jewellery, I prefer to adopt a ‘more is more’ approach. Earrings are no exception.
If you’re like me and spend half your life on Pinterest, you’ve probably noticed and developed an unhealthy obsession for stacking earrings and multiple piercings.
I’ve gone through the pain (literally) of researching piercings, so I wanted to put together this guide on how to achieve the perfect curated ear look for you. From start to finish. Everything I wish I knew, before I started on my piercing journey.
What you should know before your get your piercings:
Go to a professional piercer:
This may seem obvious, but you want to see a professional who will pierce your ears with a hollow tip needle rather than a piercing gun. Piercing guns can transmit diseases through the microspray of blood, when the gun forcefully pushes the earring through your ear.
Use titanium jewellery
The most basic type of jewellery that you can be pierced with is made of medical grade surgical steel. This tends to be fine in most people but if you have sensitive skin, nickel allergies or have had issues in the past with piercings not healing, go for titanium jewellery. Titanium is the most bio-compatible material (used for things like hip replacements and implants) so you will not experience any issues. After many failed attempts at piercings not healing, I switched from surgical steel to titanium and suddenly my piercings healed quickly, with no swelling or irritation.
Prepare for sleep
After you get your piercing, you can’t sleep on it. Sleeping on your piercing will cause it to go wonky, delay your healing and cause pain and swelling. To make sure you have a restful nights sleep, invest in a pillow with a hole. You should buy this before you get your piercing. This can be a travel pillow or donut. However, if you’re looking for something more comfortable, there are actual rectangular full-sized pillows with holes that you can buy here. It is pricey, but if you plan on getting a few ear piercings, it’s worth investing in one.
Get your hair done
Getting your piercing snagged on a hairbrush or bumped when getting your hair washed at the hairdresser is the absolute worst thing to do to a fresh piercing. Make sure you visit your hairdresser just before you get your piercing so that by the time you need to visit them again your piercing will have healed a bit (more on that below…)
Plan out where you’d like your piercings
Whether you’re getting one or many, it’s a good idea to have a think about where you want your piercings on your ear. If you want the option to add more later, spacing and position are really important. Note: Most places will only recommend you do a maximum of 2 – 3 piercings in one session.
Things you should know afterwards:
Slight swelling is normal
It’s normal for your ear to swell slightly after the piercing as your body is trying to push more blood to the area to help it heal. The piercer will use a longer earring post to allow for the swelling if it occurs. However, if you are swelling a lot and your ear is pulsing, you may be having a reaction to the jewellery. This happened when I used surgical steel jewellery to pierce my ears. After I switched to titanium, my ears didn’t really swell at all. If you are worried, contact your piercer immediately and pay them a visit.
Aftercare
Don’t touch your piercing! Keep it clean with sea salt soaks and whatever you do, don’t put yourself in situations where it can get bumped. E.g. Going to the hairdresser, sleeping on it, overzealous hugging etc… When you are in the shower, be extra careful when you wash your hair or when tucking your hair behind your ears. Same goes for brushing your hair and putting on clothes and sunglasses/glasses. You’ll eventually become really aware of your ears all the time and get used to avoiding them.
Changing your jewellery
Do not change your jewellery until your piercing is fully healed. Depending on the location this could be from 4 weeks to 6 months or even longer. Check with your piercer when the usual healing time is, but everyone is different, so when you think it’s time to change your jewellery, go back to your piercer and get them to do it. I’ve made the mistake of changing my jewellery too early and it has only resulted in a lot of pain and 5 failed piercing attempts. (I’m a slow learner…)
The perfect ear stack
After you’ve completely your piercing journey, it’s time to reward yourself with some beautiful earrings! The perfect ear stack is all about balance. A combination of dainty studs and hoops with interesting details like chains, will make the best stacks.
