The most important thing to remember about showering with a new ear piercing is that you should avoid touching the tender area as much as possible. The skin around the pierced ear is an open wound, and any chemicals that you get into it can cause swelling, scabbing, and even infection.

If you do decide to take a shower, here are some simple things to keep in mind to make it painless and safe:

Wash hair on the side:

This is the easiest way to clean your hair without getting water or other chemical products into the open wound of your new ear piercing. It also gives you a chance to completely rinse out all your product and then give the pierced ear a little extra rinse before towel drying it.

Flip Your Hair To The Side:

If your hair is short, this method may not be an option for you, but if it’s long or thick, try flipping it to the side as you take a shower. Doing so will allow you to wash your hair and stay in this side position until you’ve entirely rinsed it out.

Use a saline solution:

A saline solution, which is a mixture of salt and water, will help keep the area around your new ear piercing clean and free of bacteria. You can make this solution by mixing a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water.

You should also wash your pierced ears with a cotton ball, pad or swab dipped in the saline solution twice a day. You can also dip it in rubbing alcohol to disinfect the area and keep it from becoming infected.