If you are planning to get your very first piercing, or maybe you are now a parent, and you’d like for your child to have their first piercing handled with more gentleness and professionalism while also making sure that the healing process is seamless, you’ll want to make sure that you find not only the best and right person for the job but also the perfect earrings for first-time piercing.
With many options available, you may struggle to find what works best for you and, most importantly, what are the safest options for you, which is why we are here.
In this article, we’ll share insights into everything you need to know about the very best types of earrings for first, new piercings.
So, let’s get right into it.
What type of earrings for the first piercing?
Shopping for the first piercing earrings is an entirely different experience from your search for the perfect fashion or engagement ring.
This is the case because, unlike rings, bracelets, and necklaces worn outside the body, the first piercing earrings are worn in your body, inside a wound, and these pieces are in direct contact with your internal tissues.
These earrings are in direct contact with your bodily fluids, meaning that they interact with the cellular and tissue agents that would flood the body system if they detect intruders in the form of foreign bodies or allergens.
This means that the first piercing earrings should be safe and biocompatible in that they should not illicit a reaction or force the body to initiate a reaction, which would technically mean that your body is rejecting the newly introduced item.
This is essentially the most critical element for you to remember when searching for the perfect initial or piercing earrings; everything else is secondary.
These primary elements of the first piercing earrings are critical because they play an important role in your safety, as well as the compatibility of the earrings with your body.
It’s important to bear all these in mind because these determine the healing process and the healing time of the piercings.
And though different people have different features and will not react the same way, the materials that make up the piercing earrings, specifically the compatibility and safety of the earrings, you should take a little more time focusing on these details.
The secondary aspects of the earrings include the size, material, style, and also quality of the earrings. These are important features of piercing earrings, but you’d also settle on these features after determining that the jewelry in mind is safe for you.
Consider the jewelry’s material
The most important feature that determines the suitability of earrings for use in new and first-time piercings is the material that the jewelry in question is made of and its features.
Essentially, there are countless available materials that you can use for first-time piercings, but there are some pure elemental metals, as well as mal allows, that have proven to be quite effective and safe for use with these first-time piercings.
Most metal alloys that are used for piercings have also been approved for use medically, and they are often used as medical implants.
To this end, several specific designations are featured on these pieces of jewelry, and they all represent the precise standards of quality for the metals or alloys in question.
Often, the quality standard is determined by the International American Society for the Testing and Materials Standards and Standardization (ASTM) and, in other cases, ISO or the International Standards Organization.
The materials that are ideally used are gold or obsidian, although others like Titanium have been used quite a bit in recent years.
That said, the safest and most ideal materials you may want to use are notably inert, irritation-free, non-allergenic, and durable.
Some of the materials that you may want to consider using are as follows:
Surgical Steel – These earrings are made of different kinds of alloys, but most of the earrings used for body jewelry are made of biocompatible surgical steel options. The compliant versions of surgical steel are designed to be biocompatible, nickel-compliant, and ISO-Certified. One caveat is that there are numerous options that you can choose from, but the surgical steel earrings aren’t always the safest options.
Titanium – this is a common lightweight material that is preferred by most piercers, especially if you are looking for bio-compatible and hypoallergenic jewelry. Titanium is often the best option because it is sensitive to nickel. Also, it is preferable by most individuals thanks to the anodization, and you can find titanium jewelry pieces in different color finishes. With a large percentage of the population globally showing extreme sensitivity to nickel, this nickel-free option is often preferable. So, for new piercings, you may want to choose the nickel-free and 100% titanium jewelry varieties.
Niobium – this is the other safe metal preferred by most piercers for individuals getting their first piercings. This is the recommended option because it is quite affordable and safe on the skin. The only catch is that, just like titanium, niobium jewelry may fade after some time – but it will be safe on your skin throughout.
Platinum – this is a high-quality precious metal that boasts great qualities from the fact that it is an excellent form of body piercing and the fact that it is inert, which means that it makes great quality body jewelry. It is also a high-quality material that is also expensive and ideal for use on new piercings.
Gold – High-karat gold jewelry is also ideal for new piercings. Thanks to its biocompatibility and the fact that the high-karat gold pieces are nickel-free and safe on the skin, this material is ideal for persons with new piercings.
Polymers – Besides the metals, several other compatible materials are ideal for new piercings, including polymers like Bioplast, Tygon, and Teflon. Bioplast is the most common polymer used for new and healing piercings.
Glass – you could also use jewelry made of quartz or lead-free borosilicate, among other types of glass.
Overall, the type of jewelry you should get when getting a new piercing includes biocompatible and pure options made of hypoallergenic materials.
How to Choose Earrings When You Get Your Ears Pierced
I. Choose the earrings made of skin-friendly and hypoallergenic materials
Following the recommendations above for the best materials for new piercings, you should settle on the type of metals that will be safe on the skin – these pieces are ideally cobalt and nickel-free. Just choose jewelry that will not cause any kind of allergic reaction.
II. Settle for the small pieces of jewelry
For the new piercings, the safest earrings for you to wear are the small rings and hoops. These will ensure proper healing of the new piercings and also to prevent swelling. The ideal hoops or earrings for new piercings feature spring closure earrings or ball closure rings.
III. Stud earrings are ideal
Stud earrings are small and also cute, and they make for easy cleaning and overall maintenance to minimize the risk of infections.
IV. Right weight of the earrings
The right earrings for you are made of simple hoops or studs and are also quite lightweight. You should also avoid heavy earrings with your new piercings because the extra weight could mean damage to the new piercings, and also, the piercings will take much longer to heal.
V. Work with a professional piercer
Since you could easily end up buying the wrong earrings, we recommend working with a professional piercer who is much more knowledgeable when it comes to getting new, safe piercings.
Conclusion
Ear piercings are sensitive, but with the right piercing earrings and other good-quality jewelry, your piercings will heal properly, and you wouldn’t have to worry about irritation or an allergic reaction.
Read more piercing tips here or here!
Stephanie is a jewelry lover when she was a teenager. Her major was fashion design when she was in college. She is a jewelry designer at SOQ Jewelry and other design companies. Now she is also a writer for our website. She writes a lot of designs&brands posts with very actionable tips.