So – you are enjoying your long awaited piercing and then things begin to change…..
You may notice one or all of the following start to happen:

• the distance between the entry and exit holes begins to shrink – e.g you can see more of the bar or ring than before – this is the most significant sign
• your piercing feels sore, irritated or itchy
• it looks dry
• it looks shiny
• you can see the jewellery just under the skin

These are the signs of piercing rejection and unfortunately they don’t have a fixed time frame in which they may occur. Usually once a piercing reaches its first birthday, the chance of rejection is significantly reduced. Your body has adjusted to its new addition and you’ll probably have it now until (and if) you choose to remove it 🙂

Piercing introduces a foreign object into your body – something that we were not born with – and therefore it is the body’s natural response to try and get rid of it. This process is great if we get a splinter in our finger, or a blackhead in our skin – but it’s TERRIBLE when a much loved piercing begins to leave us 🙁
It is for this reason that extremely high quality materials are necessary for body jewellery, and unfortunately it is like everything else – you get what you pay for!

Since the late nineties there has been a flood of cheap quality jewellery that may sparkle (temporarily), jingle, flash, or show the logo of your favourite sports team, which then entices you to buy it. Usually body jewellery that is available from most shops that are not body piercing studios (and even some that are) is of this quality.

Low quality jewellery will dramatically increase the chance of your body seeing it as something to get rid of – and therefore – grow it out.  Incorrect size or style of jewellery for your initial piercing will also be a problem, incorrect aftercare, and if the initial piercing is too wide, deep, or shallow.

So what to DO if this happens to YOU?

• See your Piercer for advice promptly – there are things that can be done in some cases to stop this process. (If you think you may need a better Piercer please contact us for a referral)
• Don’t let the jewellery reject completely as this will increase the scarring and discomfort. Have the jewellery removed before it falls out, or it is torn out accidentally.
• Nothing you put on it will stop the process on its own.
• If it is an older (+1yr) piercing, think about any changes in your life such as illness, stress, or lifestyle that may have started the process. Everything in our bodies is connected.
• Even if a piercing rejects though, there are still times where it can be redone with a successful outcome. BUT – if nothing changes that may have caused the problem in the first place – then the result will usually be the same. Better/correct jewellery, better piercing, correct anatomy in the first place, good aftercare, and good health, will significantly increase the likelihood of you being able to enjoy a FANTASTIC piercing 🙂