If I have had the pleasure of piercing you, you'll remember my little pink jewelry information cards I hand you at the end of each piercing session.
These cards will contain several bits of info important to you and unique to your particular piercing... length, gauge, post style, and downsize date , among other things.
This last piece of information is often overlooked...but why? Sometimes clients will assume that once the initial piercing has been completed, that the job is finished.
On the contrary, there is still work to be done!
Downsizing your jewlery is another important step in the aftercare process. It's a total MUST, and it is YOUR responsibility to meet back up with your piercer to be given shorter jewelry. When you are first pierced, you will be fitted with a length of jewlery that will contain extra length depending on anatomy to allow for expected swelling of your adorable new wound to take place (which, BTW, can occur in spouts during the period of healing. Some piercings may need multiple downsizes, while some may even need to go UP in size if they get angry enough).
But once this swelling subsides, you are left with excess length that is quite easy to become snagged on hair or clothing, slid in and out of the piercing channel, accidently pulled or slept on, or otherwise moved unnecessarily.
This movement can be traumatic to your piercing, disrupting the healing process at a cellular level, and can cause unsightly piercing irritation bumps (Note: NOT KELOIDS) and regression in progress. When a piercing takes longer to heal, it also becomes more prone to migration or total rejection from the body.
It is also crucial to mention that sleeping on your piercing may alter the angle/orientation of your posts (which, ideally, should be placed perpendicular to the tissue) and how it sits. As these posts shift from such prolonged and constant pressure, you will oftentimes find an accompanying irritation bump will pop up next to the channel...depending on the severity of the shift, these bumps could become a constant occurance (NO. FUN.)
Not to mention the piercing will frequently feel irritated, and there may be excess scar tissue growth GALORE.
Preventative measures do exist! If you know me, you have likely heard my spiel regarding the godsend that is a travel/neck pillow. These fellas aren't just for car rides; they are fantastic for car-tilage [sounded way more clever in my head] piercings in the ear, too.
By sleeping with your ear positioned in the middle of a *clean* travel pillow (& please make certain to wash that thing), you can save yourself from morning soreness and potential, possibly irreversible, bumps.
Side-sleepers -- you're welcome.
Too often, I see the aftermath of the failure to downsize, or accidentally (or, hell, even purposely) sleeping on piercings. Let's be real...not pretty. And if you KEEP that very tilted piercing in...the harder those bumps will be to go away, even after you eventually decide to remove the jewelry...Which may mean a referral to a dermatologist.
The commitment is real. Piercings are your flashy, decked-out lil babies...don't sleep on your babies...
Always reach out to your piercer with any questions, concerns, or updates regarding your procedure (and for the love of all that is good, SCHEDULE YOUR DOWNSIZE!)
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