Inside: 21 of the best earrings for newly pierced ears.
The thrill of getting a new piercing— there is literally nothing like it! You’re so careful to take good care of it now, while also being so ready to switch out the jewelry and start wearing your favorite pieces you’ve likely been thinking about for months!
But with piercing a new hole in your ear, you’re essentially caring for an open wound and there are many precautions you can take to make sure it stays healthy and free of irritations.
Choosing your original jewelry for the piercing can be a game changer when it comes to the healing time of the wound and if it becomes prone to infections or irritations. Experiencing these difficulties with a new piercing can affect how it scars once the time eventually comes to remove the piercing for good.
Invest in good jewelry! You will thank yourself later.
Even as it becomes healed, you want to use high quality jewelry so as not to encounter issues even after healing. A sensitivity may pop up after prolonged exposure, so make sure you’re protecting your ears.
Here’s some of the basics you need when studying up on getting your ears pierced for the first time!
How Much Does It Cost
Generally, without jewelry, you’re looking at about $20 to $50 for the lobe piercings.
Your prices are going to depend on the location of the piercing shop, your piercer and his/her experience.
Some shops (like Claires) offer free ear piercings, just pay for the jewelry. And this generally only applies to the lobes.
I always say that it’s not worth it to cheap out on the price of a piercing overall. Now, there are practical versions of this, like if you’re looking at a shop in a major city, naturally it’s going to be more expensive than in the suburbs.
But going with a professional with less experience or cheaper prices because the shop is a little sketchy? I wouldn’t do it. It just isn’t worth the few extra bucks if you’re risking an incorrect or not properly sanitized procedure. It’s your body! Take care of it.
Splurge on your jewelry and your piercer and you will likely have good results when it’s all said and done.
How Much Does It Hurt
A sting and a throb. That’s all! The lobes, while they feel soft, are some of the easiest piercings to get. They’re soft and fleshy, so the needle doesn’t have to force its way through so it’s a more easy process to sit through.
It stings a touch of course with a needle going through your skin, but it truly isn’t anything to be worried about.
How To Heal And Not Get Infected
Healing your ear lobe piercings is simple.
Your piercer will give you instructions but it’s pretty much the same all across the board with any piercer and any piercing.
What You’ll Need:
- Saline solution – get from the store, your piercer, or make your own! All are great options and get the job done.
- Q-Tips
- Hair tie
Wash your hands and make sure to tie your hair back so it stays out of the way.
Then soak your Q-tip in the saline solution and gently douse the piercing with it. You want to get under the earring around the hole itself. It will probably be sensitive and a little difficult to move around, but it will feel better in the long run to give it a good clean. And don’t forget the back!
What Does The Scar Look Like
After 15 years of having my lobes pierced, they still don’t close up when I go months without wearing earrings. At this point there is no scar, simply just small holes on the lobes.
Eventually, they will close if I don’t wear earrings. No piercing is forever. But because of the lack of blood flow to them, they don’t close quickly and there will be minimal scarring. You will likely always be able to feel scar tissue if you were to hold the lobe between two fingers, but you won’t be able to really see a scar in its place!
What To Look For For The Best Earrings
You want to find earrings that won’t irritate your skin and some that will be gentle on a piercing while it’s healing.
As for metals, you’re looking for something pure and not mixed with other metals. They will likely end up with a mixture of nickel which is a common irritant. Some of the preferred metals are surgical steel, titanium, and pure gold. These are sure to be void of nickel!
Styles of earrings you want are going to be as close to studs as possible, if not actual studs. In the first six to eight weeks of the healing period, you should be keeping the original studs in. But after that, there are some styles that are still best for your healing ears!
Styles
Studs and straight post hoops are the best options for you in the weeks after your piercing heals.
Having a style of earring that limits the amount of pulling and snagging on it will help keep the piercing from tearing while it’s still tender and healing. Here are some of the best earrings for newly pierced ears that I’d recommend.
1. Straight Post Hoop
2. True Hoops
3. Flat Stud
4. Mini Hoops
5. Raw Gemstone
6. Flower
Surgical Steel
Surgical steel is durable and it can’t tarnish or rust like many metals can! This causes much irritation and can cause problems for the healing process. Surgical steel is also considered the best for sensitive ears, so if you already know you have a sensitivity, this can be a great option.
7. Black Studs
8. Silver Ball
9. Dot Earrings
10. Spike Back
11. Rose Studs
Titanium
This is a personal favorite of mine! Titanium is considered the best metal for piercings and is often not rejected by the body in the piercing process.
Here you can fund a full titanium guide to help you determine if this is the best option for you.
12. Classic Studs
13. Triangles
14. Zodiac Studs
15. Moon And Star
16. Evil Eye
Pure Gold
Gold is also known as one of the best earrings for newly pierced ears. It’s biocompatible meaning your body recognizes it and doesn’t try to reject it. If you’re looking for gold earrings it must be 14k gold to ensure these results.
17. Gold Ball
18. Hearts
19. Cubic Zirconia Stud
20. Birthstones
21. Teardrops
Getting your ears pierced is a big deal, especially if you’ve never had them pierced before. I know plenty of people that had complications with their first piercings and are researching how to do it right this time. If you’re reading this guide, you’ll be just fine. Getting the right earrings is a great start to the process of healing your ears well.
Don’t worry too much about technicalities, how much it will hurt, the process, etc. Get some solid earring options and get ready to rock them.
If you’re ready to venture into facial piercings once you’ve conquered the ear piercings, I’ve created a conclusive guide to facial piercings here. I break down each facial piercing and where it’s located, and different styles you can wear with each one.
Venture into something new and invest in quality earrings.