How do you know that your piercing is healing?

Every body is different but here are a few general rules of thumb to keep in mind as you're keeping an eye on your healing piercing. (Note: Although I know a lot about piercings and have some great tips, I am not qualified to give you professional advice on your piercing. If you do find that you have a serious issue please go see your local piercing professional.)

General Healing Rules:

Swelling - right after you get pierced, there will be swelling. That's just your body's response to that fact that a needle was just shoved through it lol. BUT... excessive swelling is NOT normal for an extended amount of time.

Discharge - Is it normal? Yes and no. Normal discharge is clear and helps your body flush out bad bacteria. Abnormal discharge is colored or smelly. This could be a sign of an infection so you really need to keep an eye on it, keep it clean and get your doctor's advice if necessary.

Healing speed - Can you speed up a healing piercing? The answer is no. However, you can keep your piercing on track and avoid any slow downs by keeping it clean and dry, avoiding anything that might snag or irritate it, and by taking good overall care of it.

The LITHA method - Do not... I repeat... DO NOT twist your piercings!! Abide by the LITHA method and Leave It The Hell Alone! Twisting can cause damage and leave scar tissue. See above, it will make the healing process much longer.

Are we there yet? - How do you know when you piercing is completely healed? There are two parts to a healing piercing - the inner and outer portion. While the outer portion (visible to your eye) may appear healed, the inner portion (the part you can't see) may not be. There is no hard and fast rule for this either but you can check back in with your piercer to get their opinion. They'll be happy to see you back and to know that you're taking proper care of your piercing. In the end, you'll just kind of know. It's a bit hard to explain but you'll see!

Good luck with your new and future piercings!!