Piercing Healing Times: How Long Each Piercing Takes to Fully Heal on Average
If you’re keen to get a piercing soon, it’s good to know about more than just what to expect during the process of getting it. Understanding the healing process will give you a holistic view of what you’re about to do, as well as a realistic idea of how long it’s going to take for it to be 100% healed. Every type of body piercing has its own normal healing time, which can be influenced by the size of the piercing, how thick the tissue is in the specific area, or just how well your body tends to heal in general. Today, we’ll take a look at the piercings with the shortest healing times, as well as those with the longest recovery periods.
Piercings with the Shortest Average Healing Times
Keep in mind that there is no “one size fits all” rule for every single piercing, especially as people are wired differently and our bodies respond in different ways to piercings, tattoos and so forth. Generally, piercings inside the mouth, like the tongue, tend to heal within three to six weeks. The face (including lips, eyebrows and earlobes) have a healing time of around six to eight weeks. These are the piercings that have the shortest average recovery times, and are a good choice if you’re a first-timer.
Those with the Longest Average Healing Times
Piercings with a longer average healing time include the curve of the ear (two to four months), nostrils (four to six months), nipples (three to six months), belly button (up to six months) and the vagina or penis (anywhere from two to six months). These areas are slightly more complex for piercings as they offer different challenges relative to the ones mentioned earlier. Although it shouldn’t be a deterrent that they will take longer to heal, it’s good to set realistic expectations so you know what you’re in for right from the time you sit in the chair to get the piercing.
Signs of a Fully Healed Piercing
Although you should never use the discharge as the primary indicator that the piercing has healed fully (this is expected to happen during a specific period of the healing process), combined with other factors it is an eventual signal that everything's 100%. Look out for the jewelry being loose and moving freely wherever the piercing is, without any pain or discomfort. The edges of the piercing holes should also be smooth, pulling inward. Talk to the specialist who is piercing you about the specific indicators to keep an eye on during the process, based on where you’re getting it to begin with.
Encouraging the Process
At BodyJ4You, we’re at the forefront of encouraging the healing process with products that are designed to offer support and relief where possible. Our gentle numb cream helps with local pain after body modifications, laser treatments on tattoos or even after cosmetic procedures. The same goes for our popular aftercare soap cleaning solution and piercing saline spray, which specifically soothes any pierced area right from the start of the healing process and during the course of keeping the area clean. No matter which piercing you decide to go with, you’re in good hands when you choose one of our products to make the journey as safe and easy as possible.
