Hello everyone!
If you are interested
in getting a piercing, there is a lot of thought that needs to go into your
decision. Will it hurt? How
long will it take to heal? These are just two of the many questions
you might have. Besides the initial pinch, there's one main downside
to getting pierced: the healing process.
Cartilage piercings are very popular. Cartilage
is a connective tissue that is harder than the skin but softer than the bones.
Any ear piercing other than lobe piercing is a cartilage
piercing. Each cartilage piercing has a different name based on the
area of cartilage that is being pierced. Some of these
piercings are the snug, upper helix, anti-helix, conch, orbital, daith, and
tragus. If you want more information about ear piercings, click here! The most common cartilage piercing is the
helix piercing.
However, cartilage
piercings can take a lot of time to heal, depending on the placement
of the piercing, it can be anywhere from four months to a year.
Cartilage is avascular, meaning there are no
vessels to carry blood to cartilage tissue. This lack of blood
supply causes cartilage to heal very slowly.
During the healing time, the jewellery should be kept in and the piercing should be
cleaned morning and night. Healing your
piercings properly requires care and patience and might seem intimidating for
anyone who is getting pierced for the first time. If you’re looking
for a piercing that won’t have you committing to twelve months of pain and TLC here
are the five fastest healing piercings!
1.
Navel
Belly button piercings
are located in an area of flesh that has a rich blood supply.
More blood
supply = quicker healing time!
Healing time: 4 - 6 weeks for initial healing
2. Septum
Nose piercings are
very popular but technically they are cartilage piercings and they take a
little longer to heal. On the other hand, when piercing the septum you’re
piercing a small strip of tissue (called a "columella") in
the skin that separates your two nostrils.
Healing Time (with
columella): 1 to 3 months
for initial healing
Oral piercings from the tongue, the webbing underneath the tongue and behind the lips, and even the lips themselves are some of the fastest healing parts of our bodies!
3. Tongue
The tongue has a rich supply of blood, meaning it should heal up quickly and easily.
Healing Time: 3 to 4 weeks for initial healing
4. Lips
Lip piercings come in
a ton of varieties: regular rings and studs, Monroe’s, labret,
Medusa/philtrum piercings and vertical labret piercings.
Healing Time: 6 to 8 weeks for some/a few months for
others
Bonus: Other oral
piercings
Lip frenulum piercings
like the smiley or frowny, or the webbing under the tongue are also very quick
to heal.
Healing Time: 4 to10 weeks
Note: Piercings
that come into direct contact with your teeth can damage your teeth and gums!
5. Earlobe
It's the most popular
piercing for a reason!
Healing Time: 4 to 6 weeks for initial healing
These healing times
are only suggestions. Actual healing time depends on the individual.
Do you have any of the piercings on this list? How long did it/they take to heal?
