One question commonly asked by those with fresh piercings is “when can you change the jewellery you were pierced with?”. There is no definite answer, only guidelines, and this will vary depending on the piercing.

why do I have to wait to change my piercings?

So you’ve had your ears pierced and you aren’t a fan of the ball studs you’re now rocking? Unfortunately, you should be patient when thinking about changing the jewellery in a fresh piercing, as changing the jewellery too early can lead to infection, inflammation and even the piercing closing up. If you’ve paid to have your piercing done, chances are you don’t want it to close up, and you’d be surprised how quickly this can happen with new piercings. The longer you have a piercing, the longer you can leave it without wearing an earring/piece of jewellery.

ear lobe piercings

For ear piercings, it is recommended to wait 6-8 weeks before attempting to change your earring. This is recommended as 6-8 weeks is the length of time that it takes for a piercing to heal. It should be noted that healing time does vary from person to person, so you should ensure that your piercing is properly healed before trying to change the jewellery to prevent infection.

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ear cartilage piercings

Ear cartilage takes longer than your regular lobe piercing to heal. Generally, it takes between 3 months to 1 year for such piercings to heal fully. We would not recommend changing your piercing before 6 months.
Scar tissue can also form easily around cartilage piercings, so it is recommended that you see a piercing store when you wish to change this for the first time to avoid Keloid scars forming.

nose piercings

It is recommended that nose piercings are left alone for 8-10 weeks to heal before the jewellery is changed. Nose piercings are notoriously difficult when it comes to healing, so we would recommend leaving your piercing as long as possible before trying to change it. If you are changing the style of jewellery, e.g. from a stud to a hoop/ring, we would recommend going to a piercing shop to have this changed to avoid aggravating the piercing. Also, nose studs and rings come in different gauges (thickness), so it is important to find out what size your current one is before purchasing a new one.

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belly button piercings

Belly button piercings can take anywhere from 4 months to 1 year to heal properly. As everyone’s healing time can vary so drastically, we do recommend that if you are considering changing your piercing, that you visit a piercing shop so they can advise whether or not your piercing has healed.

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tongue piercings

A tongue piercing will take between 6 to 8 weeks to heal properly, if it is properly looked after. We would recommend leaving in your original tongue bar until after 8 weeks has passed, giving enough time for the wound to heal to prevent tearing when the piercing is changed.

If you have any more piercing queries, just reach out to our experts on twitter @jewelleryboxuk!