Exact Answer: Up to 12 months
Nipple piercing needs special care as the nipple tissue is very delicate. The nipple tissue is connected with many other important parts, ducts, and blood vessels of the body. Therefore, it would take around 12 months to heal completely. Piercing is done through the skin tissues which is the main shield against any other infection.
Some people can get healed in just 9 months, as it depends on how much care is taken of the pierced part. The days and a few weeks after the nipple piercing is very crucial for people. After the piercing is done, the area of piercing can catch infections very quickly. Everybody can ask the piercer for clarity about all the do’s and don’t after a nipple piercing.
How Long Do Nipple Piercings Take To Heal?
| Nipple Piercing | How Long Do Nipple Piercings Take To Heal |
| Minimum time | 9 months |
| Maximum time | 12 months |
There are many post-care for nipple piercing that can be done for the quick healing of nipple piercing. These are:
Clean the piercing- The person is supposed to clean the piercing area with warm water a few times a day. Make sure the water is clean and not extremely hot. Everyone can use soap without any scent or fragrance and with no chemicals. The piercer will give you better suggestions about which soap to purchase.
Use new and clean towels for wiping out the blood coming out from the piercing area. Sometimes the piercing part would bleed for a few days after the process is over. Try to do clean and rinse the piercing following the same way every time you go to have a shower.
Saline solution application- Many piercers would suggest applying iodized salt to the piercing nipple area several times a day. Use a very small glass for the application and make saline solution in it. You can use iodized sea salt for the procedure. Then make sure the nipple area gets immersed in the salt. Hold the glass for around 3 to 5 minutes before draining the saline solution.
Avoid wearing synthetic clothes- After the nipple piercing is done, try to wear loose-fitting clothes with cotton material. Cotton is quite safe for not catching any infection and letting the piercing part breathe. Avoid wearing tight clothes, as they would create pressure on the nipple piercing area.
Be careful while you are dressing up or wearing any outfit. The clothes may catch the piercing area till the piercing part is completely healed. Sometimes, it’s quite difficult to remove the fabric from the area, if the piercing is yet to be healed.
Why Do Nipple Piercing take This Long To Heal?
There are many signs and symptoms that would come during the healing process. These symptoms would take different times for different people.
Bleeding- People may experience slight bleeding from the nipple area after the piercing. This can be stopped by cleaning the nipple while having a shower with warm water.
Swelling- Swelling is another effect that may come after nipple piercing. If someone experience swelling with uncontrollable pain for many weeks, then it may catch many infections. Sometimes, high-intensity swelling will make the tissue die.
Uncomfortable periods- During menstruation, the nipples become sensitive. People who have done nipple piercing may experience some discomfort during the menstrual cycles. The discomfort would get lessen with each passing month.
These symptoms would get healed in 9 to 12 months. The intensity of pain would be from mild to high in people. People with high-intensity pain can have medications after talking to the piercer or an expert. Everybody can try doing iodized sea salt solution application and tea tree application for controlling swelling.
Cold compress therapy works pretty well for the healing process. The nipple tissues being extremely delicate need more time as compared to other parts of the body to heal.
Conclusion
If everybody does all the post-care correctly for nipple piercing, then it will get healed in one year or less. If the piercing is causing pain after one year, then there may be some issues. Always take suggestions of professional piercers or experts before trying out the nipple piercing. The nipple is one of the most sensitive parts of the body that may react in a different manner. The nipple changes occur in women during menstruation and pregnancy. Breastfeeding women should not try nipple piercing.
References
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J056v06n02_04
- https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM200211143472020
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