WHAT IS PIERCING JEWELLERY DOWNSIZING?
So many of us are guilty of leaving the original piercing jewellery in our piercings simply because we forget and are too busy to go back and have it downsized. For some piercings this is not an issue, however, for others downsizing is crucial to the healing and long term health of your piercing.
When you are first pierced the jewellery is threaded through the piercing site using an 8mm post to allow for swelling, bruising, tenderness and bleeding. Once these symptoms have gone away and the piercing is beginning to heal, you will need to downsize your jewellery. Downsizing is where the posts threaded into the ear at the time of the piercing are downsized to something shorter in length. For a piercing like the lobe, this is not a necessity but is more about day-to-day comfortability whereas for a cartilage piercing, downsizing can be vital to the healing process.
It also depends on the type of jewellery that you have chosen at the time of your appointment. If you have chosen to pierce with one of our piercing hoops, there is no downsizing alternative as the hoop has a standard bar length that allows for swelling and is also comfortable for everyday wear. However, if you have chosen to pierce with a stud then there are plenty of lengths that we can fit to your ear once it is time to downsize.
'For a cartilage piercing it is extremely important that your piercing is downsized.'
There are lots of potential risks if a piercing isn’t downsized at the correct time. Lobe piercings can usually be left at the piercing post length due to their protected location however if they are becoming irritating and you would prefer to have them changed over, this can be easily done.
For a cartilage piercing, it is extremely important that your piercing is downsized correctly to promote healing and to ensure that your piercing is as comfortable as possible. We usually recommend that this process be done between 6-8 weeks after the piercing. If a cartilage piercing isn’t downsized at the correct time it can also cause friction and irritation to the piercing site and put you more at risk of developing an infection or a piercing bump. When the post of the earring is exchanged for a smaller one it is more stable in the tissue of the ear meaning that there is less movement and pressure on the piercing that could force it to migrate or drift.
If you are unsure whether your piercing can be downsized or not, we offer unlimited complimentary aftercare consultations at all of our locations so come in and see one of our qualified piercing specialists.