Q: I've had my nipples pierced for two months now. I keep cleaning them every day, but they still get infected. My body like to reject my piercings... When do I know that I have to remove ‘em? Any advice? - Audrey

A: First piece of advice for you is to be patient. Nipple piercings generally take nine to twelve months to fully heal. Two months is very early on in the healing process. Also, make sure you are cleaning them with sterile saline spray and nothing else. What you are experiencing is almost certainly irritation and the healing process. If they are red, have some yellowy crust and are sore, this is all totally normal. If you’re seeing green discharge, grossly abnormal swelling, or excruciating pain, you need to be seen by a piercer or possibly a medical professional. Two more pieces of advice that might help are to try wearing a clean sports bra to keep movement at a minimum. Also, try to avoid sleeping on your stomach if possible. You’ll also want to have been pierced with straight barbells (made of ASTM F-136 titanium, either internally threaded or threadless styles) and not circular jewelry. If you were pierced with circular jewelry or inferior metals, you’ll need to see a trusted APP piercer to get the jewelry changed as both the style and metal can interfere with the healing process if incorrect. Hope that helps, happy piercing!

 Q: Hey. I got a dermal a couple years back and it’s completely healed, no pain anymore, but it sticks out from my face like it isn’t flat to my skin. Is that just how it’s healed because I don’t have very much face fat I guess or has it migrated?  Sincerely, Kyla L.

A: As you probably know, dermals are usually considered a “long-term temporary” piercing. The rate of rejection is incredibly high, but if they’re cared for properly and the recipient is lucky, they can last several years. If yours is no longer flush with your skin, it may be in the early stages of rejection. You should go get it looked at by your trusted APP piercer to what’s going on. If it is beginning to reject, you’ll want to remove it ASAP to minimize scarring. Once they start rejecting, the resulting scar will be worse the longer you leave it. However, since there’s no discomfort and you don’t mention redness, that may not be what’s going on here. So go have your piercer give it a look and see what the story is. They may have an answer that will allow you to keep your piercing. Best of luck!

Disclaimer: Body Candy is only here to give you fun and helpful advice and information when it comes to getting pierced. Always consult a professional piercer to make sure a new piercing is right for you!