Getting a new piercing can be an exciting experience. However, proper aftercare is crucial to help your piercing heal properly and avoid complications. One important aspect of aftercare is rotating your piercing periodically during the healing process. But what exactly happens if you don’t rotate your new piercing?
Infection
One of the most common risks of not rotating your piercing is developing an infection. When you first get a new piercing, an opening is created in your skin that is vulnerable to bacteria. As your skin cells grow inward to close the piercing, they can sometimes trap this bacteria inside the piercing channel. Rotating your jewelry helps prevent this by keeping the channel open and moving any bacteria or discharge out of the piercing.
If bacteria become trapped in the piercing, you may notice signs of infection such as redness, swelling, pain, pus-like discharge, fever or chills. Oral piercings carry additional infection risks as the mouth contains more bacteria. Without jewelry rotation, oral piercings can develop infections that lead to tooth damage or gum disease.
Treatment for infected piercings
If you suspect your unrotated piercing is infected, contact your piercer or doctor right away. Treatments may include:
- Switching to an antibiotic piercing aftercare spray
- Oral antibiotics if the infection is severe
- Removing the jewelry temporarily to allow drainage and healing
Leaving an infected, unrotated piercing unattended can result in permanent scarring, the need for re-piercing, or systemic infection. So it’s important to get prompt treatment.
Scar Tissue
Another risk of not rotating piercings is excessive scar tissue formation. As the wound from the piercing heals, collagen fibers form at the puncture site to close and protect the injured skin. Some scar tissue is normal. But without jewelry rotation, too much can build up inside the piercing channel.
The hardened scar tissue narrows the channel, making jewelry insertion difficult and uncomfortable. In severe cases, so much scar tissue accumulates that the channel closes completely and the piercing rejects. This is especially common with surface piercings such as naval, eyebrow, or nipple piercings.
Preventing scar tissue
To limit scar tissue, be sure to rotate your new piercing:
- Once or twice daily during cleaning
- Before inserting new jewelry
- Anytime the piercing feels tight or painful
If significant scarring develops, your piercer may recommend using a taper tool to re-open the channel. But in some cases, the piercing may need to be redone through a new pathway.
Misalignment
Piercings in certain locations like the nose, eyebrow, or navel can become misaligned or migrate from their original placement if not rotated regularly. The constant pressure of an unmoving jewelry post can gradually push soft tissue out of position over time.
For example, a nostril piercing may shift toward the front of the nostril or start to angle more vertically without jewelry rotation. Navel piercings are also prone to migration, where the top gem ends up closer to one side of the navel rim.
This not only changes the aesthetic look of the piercing, but also places pressure on the fistula tract. In severe cases of migration, the jewelry may need to be removed and the piercing redone to restore proper placement.
Correcting misalignment
To prevent migration and keep your piercings aligned correctly:
- Rotate jewelry frequently after initial piercing
- Ensure jewelry is sized correctly for your anatomy
- See your piercer at the first sign of migration to have jewelry adjusted
Dent or Deformity
Leaving the same ring or post in your piercing constantly can lead to a permanent dent or deformity in your skin around the jewelry. The rigid jewelry puts prolonged pressure on the surrounding tissue, which can gradually warp and conform to the shape of the end balls or decorative piece.
Earlobe piercings are especially prone to this, as the thin lobe skin and cartilage are easily molded. You may notice indentations or cuts at the front and back of your earlobe from the post ends. Tragus or anti-tragus piercings can also develop dents where the jewelry rests against the inner ear cartilage.
Avoiding dents
To prevent dents, cauliflower-like deformities, and damage to your pierced skin:
- Rotate your jewelry daily as part of cleaning
- Change your rings or bars every few months
- Clean any buildup of dead skin around earring posts
- Avoid sleeping on new piercings before they fully heal
Let your piercer know if you notice any deformity starting so they can switch you to a better jewelry size or shape.
Discharge Buildup
It’s normal for new piercings to produce some clear, yellow, or whitish discharge as the wound heals. This is lymph fluid and dead cells your body sheds as part of the healing process. But without jewelry rotation, discharge can get trapped inside the piercing channel and harden into crusty buildup.
Trapped discharge not only looks unsightly, but it can also obstruct the piercing hole and act as a bacterial breeding ground. Rotation is key for removing old discharge so it doesn’t clog the fistula.
Cleaning discharge
To keep your healing piercing discharge-free:
- Rotate jewelry daily while rinsing in the shower
- Use a sterile saline spray to soften and wash away crusts
- Rinse oral piercings with antibacterial mouthwash after eating
- Avoid using ointments or creams that can seal in discharge
See your piercer if excessive crusting develops, as you may need a longer jewelry post temporarily to accommodate swelling and drainage.
Embedded Jewelry
Without periodic rotation, unmoving jewelry can gradually become embedded in your skin. As the pierced tissue heals around the post or ring, skin can grow over the ends and start swallowing the jewelry.
Embedded jewelry leads to thinning and erosion of the surrounding skin. It causes discomfort and makes jewelry removal tricky. Bacterial infection is also more likely since the embedded post ends are sealed off beneath your skin.
Avoiding embedded jewelry
To prevent your jewelry from becoming swallowed by your skin:
- Check jewelry ends frequently to ensure they move freely
- Rotate piercings and clean under ends daily
- Size posts and bars slightly longer to accommodate swelling
- See your piercer at first sign of embedding for jewelry change
Oral Health Complications
The mouth hosts billions of bacteria, so oral piercings like lip, tongue, and cheek piercings require diligent care. Without jewelry rotation, food and fluids can easily get trapped around the post ends. This causes plaque buildup that leads to various oral health issues.
Potential problems from poor oral piercing hygiene include:
- Gum recession – excess plaque around the post eats away gum tissue over time
- Tooth cracks – hardened plaque can fracture enamel, especially under tongue studs
- Bad breath – bacteria produce foul-smelling gases
- Gingivitis – inflammation and bleeding of the gums
Oral piercing complications can destroy your smile. Be sure to rotate jewelry at least twice daily after eating and brushing to avoid issues.
Caring for oral piercings
To minimize oral health risks:
- Rinse mouth with antibacterial rinse after meals
- Gently brush post ends when brushing teeth
- Rotate jewelry more frequently if you smoke cigarettes
- See your dentist every 6 months to check for issues
Loss of Piercing
One of the most frustrating results of not rotating piercings is loss of the piercing altogether. As the healed fistula shrinks from scar tissue or migrates from jewelry pressure, the channel can close up completely. This may happen gradually over weeks or months.
Suddenly being unable to insert your earring or ring can be disappointing after investing time and money into the piercing. The only option may be to repierce once the closed site has stabilized – if there’s enough viable tissue remaining.
Preventing piercing loss
To avoid having your piercing close prematurely:
- Check piercings daily to ensure jewelry moves freely
- Rotate piercings during cleaning and periodic jewelry changes
- Avoid over-cleaning, harsh chemicals, or touching with dirty hands
- See your piercer for a jewelry adjustment if insertion becomes difficult
Remember that even healed piercings can shrink or reject suddenly. So maintenance through jewelry rotation is important long-term.
Conclusion
Rotating your new piercings is clearly critical for proper healing and avoiding complications. Without regular jewelry movement, you risk issues like infection, scarring, migration, tissue damage, and ultimately piercing loss. So be sure to factor rotation into your daily piercing cleaning routine.
Ideally, you should rotate your piercing several times daily in the first weeks after getting pierced. Most piercers recommend rotating for 30 seconds to a full minute during cleaning. As the piercing heals, you can decrease rotation to once daily or every few days.
The simple act of rotating your post, ring, or barbell maintains an open channel for drainage, discourages scar tissue, keeps jewelry from embedding, and promotes even healing. Pair jewelry movement with saline soaks and proper post-care, and you’ll be on your way to a successful piercing experience.
