You've set your heart on a conch or a bridge. Then it hits you: "Wait, I wear glasses every day." Or you ride a scooter with a helmet, or wear a face mask at work. Does all of that work with a new piercing? Usually, yes, as long as you know what to watch out for. Here's how.
Why pressure and a new piercing don't get along
A new piercing mostly needs peace and quiet. Anything that presses, rubs or pulls gets in the way of healing. Think of the arms of your glasses, the edge of a helmet, face mask elastics or headphones that are too tight. That kind of pressure can even make a cartilage piercing bleed again. It doesn't mean you can't do anything. It just means choosing smart.
Glasses: which piercings get in the way?
- Conch: the arms of your glasses can press against the jewellery. Make sure they don't touch it. An optician may be able to adjust your glasses.
- Helix and forward helix: the arm of your glasses runs right along your ear. Pick a spot with your piercer where it won't rub.
- Bridge: this piercing sits between your eyes, exactly where your glasses rest on your nose. Every bridge with us starts with an anatomy check, and we also look at whether glasses could affect healing. Make sure the frame doesn't touch the jewellery, sunglasses included.
- Nose piercings: do your glasses sit low on your nose? Tell your piercer, so we can take it into account when placing it.
Tip: just bring your glasses to your appointment, or put them on while we mark the spot. That way you'll see straight away if an arm or frame gets in the way.
Helmet, ski goggles or diving mask
A helmet presses and slides over your ears when you put it on and take it off. With contact sports or a helmet, a fresh ear piercing is extra vulnerable, so keep that in mind when choosing your spot. Put your helmet on and take it off slowly, cupping your ear a little with your hand. Going skiing or diving with a new bridge or other facial piercing? Check with your piercer first.
Face mask or scarf
Face masks with ear loops can rub against a helix, conch or tragus. Noticing that? Pick a mask that ties behind your head, or switch to another style. A scarf or turtleneck can also catch on a new piercing, especially when you pull it over your head quickly. Take it easy.
Choose smart: which side, which spot?
Do you wear glasses, a helmet, headphones or earbuds every day? Tell your piercer. It can affect the best placement. Your piercer looks at the shape of your ear or face and at what you wear daily. Sometimes a spot a few millimetres over is all it takes. Our page All about sizes explains jewellery thickness and length.
For a fresh piercing titanium is best, but gold is possible too: we often use a titanium bar with a gold attachment. Gold is fine for a new piercing too, but the first bar is longer and is later replaced with a shorter one. That's why we usually use a titanium bar with a gold attachment. Our gold is solid 14K and 18K gold (most in 18K). A flat labret disc on the back usually sits nice and flat in ear piercings, which helps when something runs along your ear. Planning more than one? Read Would you like to get several ear piercings at the same time?
Aftercare: keep it simple
- Wash your piercing with lukewarm water and pat it dry gently.
- Touch it as little as possible.
- Care for your piercing daily with the Aphraheals Piercing Aftercare Spray: it keeps your new or healing piercing clean. Beyond that, you don't need ointments or other products.
- No hairspray or cosmetics on or around your piercing.
- Don't cover it with a plaster. Only during sports is that OK, temporarily.
- Never take your piercing out yourself.
Keep your glasses, helmet and face mask clean too, as they get close to your piercing. All the tips are in our aftercare instructions. Not sure if something is normal? Drop by and we'll take a look. Worried about how it's healing? Contact your GP, as our aftercare instructions advise.
Come and see us
Between 12 and 16? Then a parent or guardian comes along and signs the consent form, and you both bring ID. From 16 you can come on your own, with your own ID. More on our minimum age page. For costs, check our studio price list.
Piercings Works has been piercing in Amsterdam since 1998, and has been on the Reguliersbreestraat since 2004. We have more than 2,000 reviews and our team speaks six languages: Dutch, English, Spanish, Italian, Croatian and Indonesian. Glasses on, piercing in: let's find the spot that suits you.