Gold or silver jewelry may look pretty, but neither are good for unhealed piercings. If you really want to take your gold or silver jewelry out for a spin, you must wait until your piercings have completely healed up. This process will take time. But if you decide to go ahead and use silver jewelry in your piercing before it’s healed, you may stall the healing process further.
What materials you should wear in your new piercing
Surgical stainless steel is one of the most popular metals to use in unhealed piercings. It also doesn’t contain any nickel which is great if one has a sensitivity to nickel. Another good metal to use would be surgical implant titanium. Titanium does tend to be fairly expensive but it’s readily accessible in multiple colours.
Niobium is also a safe metal to use. Niobium is more expensive than surgical steel but less than titanium. You could also be fairly safe with tygon, which is a surgical grade of plastic. It’is mainly used for people with metal sensitivities.
What the healing process looks like
Generally, certain kinds of piercings will have their own healing processes. Lengths of time could vary piercing to piercing. For instance, septums generally take a shorter amount of time to heal than tragus piercings. But aside from varying length of time, the process is still essentially the same. Each process is made up of a few different phases.
1. Hemostasis phase
Hemostasis is the initial phase of the new piercing. It begins occurring immediately after the cartilage or flesh has been pierced. During hemostasis, the body starts releasing chemicals that prompt the healing process to begin. The first thing the body begins preventing is blood loss. This is called vasoconstriction. Vasoconstriction generally lasts less than an hour.
2. Coagulation phase
Coagulation takes place in the blood leaking from the dilated, broken, or inflames vessels. A temporary plug is formed from the collagen fibers in the vessel walls. When this begins happening, clots start forming in order to stop further bleeding from occurring.
3. Inflammation phase
This is perhaps one of the more visible phases. This phase happens within the first few days after the piercing is done. If one tries to fiddle with their piercing, they may notice light bleeding occurring. The piercing area also tends to feel tender, painful, and swollen. It’s crucial to keep the area clean and free of any excess dirt, chemicals, or oils during this time. Infection will only delay the healing process.
4. Proliferative phase
The body begins pulling the skin together in order to heal the wound from the piercing. Proteins and cells are produced to speed up the site’s healing. Depending on the piercing, this phase could take a while.
5. Maturation phase
The phase of maturation is generally considered the last phase for healing. It’s during this phase that the body actively works to produce cells which will assist in strengthening the lining of the piercing. There could be noticeable white or yellow discharge around the piercing site. This is perfectly normal and healthy. The discharge is created in order to moisturize the area.
Getting a piercing can be new and exciting. But it’s crucial to do research about it before committing to this new look. Ensure that you set aside a couple times during the day that you can clean your piercing with antibacterial soap, avoid touching and twisting the piercing, and be aware of it when you sleep or do your hair. Excess tugging and smothering could delay the healing process. Just make sure your piercing is healed up before you try putting in any gold or silver jewelry.
