Q: Is there a way to know if I have an allergy to certain metals? If so, how do you know which one? Some of my jewelry seems to make my ear a little itchy. - Emma

A: It's a little difficult to know exactly which metal is causing an itch but the single most common culprit of metal allergies in most people is nickel. It can causes redness, itchiness, and flaking skin. The allergy can appear at any time in life and is often triggered or worsened by stress. Your best bet is to stick to ASTM F-136 titanium jewelry or niobium, as these are nickel-free, bio-compatible, and perfect for people with metal allergies. Peep these pieces (click here for titanium jewelry) I think they might work wonders for your piercings. Best of luck!

 Q: The first time I ever got my ears pierced they gave me a bottle of rubbing alcohol (that's what it smelled like anyway) and that's what I've been using to clean my piercings for years. I love reading your blogs and so I recently just switched to saline solution, but I don't feel like it's getting things clean. I know saline solution is probably gentler but is rubbing alcohol not safe?  - Rachel

A: What an excellent question! (We love excellent questions!) Rubbing alcohol might have been a choice for cleaning piercings decades ago, but has long since fallen out of use. It is simply too harsh and too drying to allow for proper healing. In fact, it can easily irritate delicate tissue and cause the piercing to heal more slowly or develop dreaded irritation bumps. To clean external piercings gently and thoroughly, stick to sterile saline wound wash. This keeps your piercings clean without irritating them and allows them to heal naturally. Happy piercing!

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!