How can you keep them from smelling funky? Should you be worried?

Have your piercings ever started to smell a little funky? Don't worry! You're not alone, this can happen to anyone. We'll help you, help your piercings, smell like roses again asap!

What - Normally, piercing funk is just a mix of bacteria & skin cells. It does NOT, however, mean that you have an infection! But, it is a sign that they may need cleaning a bit more often. Piercings should be cleaned once per day. Pro tip: try to fit this into your evening routine when you're taking your makeup off or when you take a shower.

Why - It could be your skin healing, that dead skin & bacteria cause we mentioned above. It could also be a result of the metal of your jewelry. Every body is different and some people's bodies react differently to different materials. Piercing funk can also occur when your piercing isn't receiving enough oxygen around your jewelry, for example, non-porous materials like metal, acrylic, or silicon. These aren't bad material choices, it just means they might need more frequent cleaning to stay smelling fresh.

How - For piercings that you can easily remove, pop your jewelry out and give them a good clean with some mild soap and water on a regular basis. For piercings you can't remove, a good saline solution plus a cotton swab is your best bet. So simple! One thing you DON'T want to use is potent cleaners like hydrogen peroxide, alcohol or tea tree oil. Organic materials such as stone, wood, or bone are more porous and good choices to help manage piercing funk. The tiny pores in these materials help keep your piercings a bit more oxygenated and thus a bit more low maintenance which means less frequent cleaning.

When you SHOULD be worried - If there is a bad smell along with yellow-ish or green-ish discharge, pain, or soreness at all it may be infected. In this case you should seek out a medical professional.

*disclaimer: we are here to share our best piercing knowledge. This should not be taken as medical advice as we are not medical professionals or professional piercers.