These are the worst ear piercing mistakes you make

EVERYONE makes the first one.

More is more when it comes to ear piercings this season. Gone are the days where getting two studs on one ear at Claire's was as adventurous as it got. Now it's all about layering studs, hoops and threads everywhere from your lobe to your helix (the rim of the ear).

Penny Burrows, piercer at the Maria Tash Studio at Liberty London, says, 'the big style at the moment is having more but less! This means having many piercings scattered around the ear, almost like a constellation, but using small discreet hoops or studs to keep the style classy and understated.'

Understandably, you don't want any infections ruining the beautiful jewellery on your ear, so we thought we'd grill Penny on the biggest mistakes you make with new ear piercings, and you've definitely made at least one of them.

Getting pierced with a gun

'From a piercer's point of view, the biggest and most often made mistake is getting pierced with a gun. They are extremely unhygienic and actually hurt a lot more than a proper piercing needle! I know we tend to rely our trust in practices of familiarity but trust me, it’s not ideal.' 

Being impatient

'One other mistake people make is not being realistic with yourself. Piercings take time to heal and can be slightly swollen when healing, so piercing with that tiny little cuff hoop might not be doable initially. '

Touching your ear

'A happy piercing is one that is admired, loved but is never touched or slept on. Also, never twist the bar in the ear while the piercing is healing, just let it do its thing. And if you're finding it tricky not to sleep on the pierced side, use a travel pillow!'

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Not cleaning ear piercings properly

'Regular saline compresses help to keep infections at bay. I find often when customers tell me their piercings are infected, it's actually a minor irritation that is easily treatable, so always consult your piercer before self-diagnosing.'

Using cotton buds to clean ear piercings

'This is a mistake nearly everyone makes, using cotton buds or pads to clean their piercings. Residue gets stuck in the piercing and can actually make it worse, so instead, you should just soak kitchen roll in saline and gently press it to either side of the piercing.'

And to finish off, you're going to love this nifty hack...

'I'm a massive believer in the healing properties of chamomile! It acts as an amazing natural anti-inflammatory and can massively help with unhappy piercings. Simply use one tea bag in a cup of pre-boiled water (obviously, let it cool down slightly), then do a compress with kitchen paper. Please note it shouldn't be used on piercings younger than two months.'