Yes—even long-term piercings can close quickly when left empty. If you want to keep your piercing, keep something in it—even if it’s just a small retainer.

If you had a cartilage piercing, you’ll need to downsize the bar around 6–8 weeks after your appointment. This shortens the post so it sits more snugly and helps prevent bumps, snagging, or irritation. Downsizing is done by us in-studio in a clean, sterile environment.

Only once the piercing is fully healed—and even then, it’s best to come to us for your first jewellery change to avoid irritation. We can fit it safely and make sure your new jewellery suits your piercing’s angle and anatomy.

Clean the area gently with saline and keep it calm. A one-off knock is usually fine, but if you’re sore or the jewellery seems out of place, pop us a message—we can check it over for you.

• Lobes: 8–12 weeks

• Cartilage: 6–12 months

• Nose: 6–9 months

Your piercing might look healed before it actually is, so always wait until full healing before changing your jewellery.

It could be an irritation bump caused by pressure, friction, or sleeping on the area. These are super common with cartilage piercings. Don’t panic—keep it clean, avoid touching, and message us so we can advise based on the bump’s location and cause.

If your jewellery falls out, try to gently reinsert it immediately using clean hands and the original jewellery—only if the piercing is still open and not irritated. Don’t force it. If you’re struggling or the hole seems closed, don’t try to re-pierce it yourself. Contact us as soon as possible—we can assess and reinsert or safely re-pierce if needed.

To avoid losing jewellery:

• ✅ Check threaded ends occasionally (they can loosen over time)

• ✅ Avoid sleeping on the side of new piercings

• ✅ Use flat-backed jewellery for comfort and stability

Some swelling is totally normal for the first few days. But if it becomes very swollen, painful, red, or hot, please contact us right away. It could mean the jewellery is too short and needs upsizing to prevent embedding.

We don’t recommend it—especially while your piercing is still fresh. Pressure from regular pillows can cause irritation, bumps, or even delay the healing process. To help protect your new piercing and sleep more comfortably, you can purchase a specialist ear pillow from our online shop—it’s designed to keep pressure off the area while you rest.