We always preach about leaving jewellery in until your new piercing completely heals. But we know that life doesn’t always cooperate. Sometimes, jewellery comes out on its own. You can wake up to find the jewellery from your new earlobe piercing lying on your pillow. Or maybe too much friction or touching causes it to fall out during the day. Either way, you need to know whether or not to put the jewellery back in.

What to do when jewellery falls out of an unhealed piercing

In an ideal situation, you can put the jewellery back in. But to put it back in safely, there are a few factors to consider:

• Cleanliness
• Is the piercing infected?
• Can you fit the jewellery back in?

Cleanliness

The most important safety aspect of putting jewellery back into an unhealed piercing is cleanliness. Putting unclean jewellery in your piercing risks infection. Fortunately, cleaning is generally simple:

Step 1: Use a sterile saline wipe or spray to clean the piercing. If these options aren’t available, you can gently clean the area with water and a mild soap.

Step 2: Use a second wipe or spray to clean the jewellery. If these options aren’t available, you can dip the jewellery in rubbing alcohol – but it is important to allow the jewellery to dry completely. Otherwise you can get alcohol inside the piercing.

Once the jewellery is clean, it is safe to put back in without risking infection.

Is the piercing infected?

There is a common misconception that you should not put jewellery back in an infected piercing. In reality, it is best to put the jewellery back in ASAP. If an infected piercing heals back over it traps the pus and bacteria inside the piercing. This makes the infection more dangerous and difficult to heal. Putting the jewellery back in is an easy solution to prevent this. After which, follow piercing infection treatments to heal the infection.

Can you fit the jewellery back in?

The longer jewellery is out of the piercing, the harder it is to put back in. This is especially true with fresh piercings. During the first few months before the piercing fully heals, it can heal over quickly. So if you can get the jewellery back in, sooner is better than later. If the piercing completely heals it needs to be pierced again. If you aren’t able to get the jewellery in by yourself, go back to your piercing shop. If the hole is still there your piercing artist can use a taper to reopen the piercing and insert the jewellery. Don’t put off visiting your piercing artist. If the hole completely heals, you will lose the piercing.

How long do I have to wait to re-pierce?

If a piercing closes completely, you need to pierce it again. In this case, you must allow enough time for the piercing to fully heal before re-piercing. A month of healing is generally long enough to prevent scarring risks. But first, make sure the piercing is totally closed, it may be salvageable. Before the piercing fully closes, a thin layer of skin covers the entrance and exit holes. If this is the case, you can pop the jewellery back in. Taking a shower or massaging the piercing with jojoba oil can make it easier to reinsert the jewellery. You can also try pulling the skin around the piercing to widen the hole. But, if you feel pain or too much resistance, stop. Go back to your piercer and they can help you out. It’s always best to put your safety in the hands of professionals.

What to do if you lose the jewellery for a piercing

It happens, jewellery can go down the drain or simply be misplaced. If you lose your jewellery, you obviously can’t put it back in. Your best temporary measure is to put in another piece of jewellery with the same gauge size or smaller, Then, visit your piercer. If available, choose your replacement jewellery based on safe materials. It’s only a temporary piece, so the style isn’t important here. Titanium - specifically Titanium ASTM F-136 - or solid gold are your best options. These carry low risks of allergic reactions and are safe for unhealed piercings. After inserting the temporary jewellery, visit your piercer. They can help you replace the jewellery with an appropriate style and gauge size. If necessary they can taper the piercing and offer care tips.