This document provides advice from a dermatologist on ear piercing, including what to expect from the piercing process, how to care for newly pierced ears, potential allergies to certain earrings, signs of infection, whether closed piercings can be repierced, and that bleeding is normal. It also shares ear piercing experiences from celebrities like Emma Watson and Victoria Justice, and twist magazine staff.

1. 56 twistmagazine.com
Pierced ears:
twist’s earring
alternatives
Magnetic
stud earrings
Claire’s, $7.50
claires.com Chandelier
clip-on earrings
Icing, $12.50, icing.com
Stick-on
earrings
Claire’s, $4
claires.com
Hoop clip-on
earrings Claire’s
$7.50, claires.com
Wear these if your ears
aren’t pierced!
G
etting your ears pierced may seem like a scary thing to do, but
it doesn’t have to be. In fact, twist called Dr. Debra Jali-
man, a private practice dermatologist in New York City who has
been piercing ears for 27 years, to get the scoop on what you should
really expect when you get your ears pierced for the first time!
The 411 on wearing earrings!
What will it feel like
when I get my ears
pierced? — Tiffany, 13
How should I take care of
my ears after I get them
pierced? — Tay, 14
Is it possible to be
allergic to certain
earrings? — Emma, 15
What are some signs
that my ears are getting
infected? — Sasha, 14
If my holes close up, can
I get them repierced?
— Britt, 15
Will my piercings bleed?
— Karina, 12
“It just feels like a little bit
of pinch and then some
slight burning.”
“For the first couple of months,
wash your hands before touching
your earlobes, and use rubbing
alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to clean
the front and back of the piercing twice
a day. You should also turn your earrings
twice a day for six weeks.”
“Yes, so one of the things
you don’t want to do is
buy earrings on the street
to put in your new piercing, be-
cause sometimes fake metal can
irritate your ears. You don’t have
to buy gold studs, but the earrings
used during the piercing should
be surgical stainless steel.”
“They’ll be very tender to the
touch. They’ll get red,
swollen and they’ll hurt —
puss may even come out of them.
If that happens, have your parents
take you to the doctor.”
“Yeah, it’s safe to get them
pierced in the same place again.
Some people’s piercings will
stay open for years if they don’t wear ear-
rings, while other’s close up faster.”
“They may bleed a little
bit, but that’s completely
normal.”
a Selena
loves to wear
big, bold
earrings!
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2. Speak up!
“I was older!”
“My ear got infected!”
“I was a baby!”
“I was nervous!”
“My piercings closed!”
“It’s a tradition!”
Ear piercing experiences revealed!
PHOTO:SELENA:JASONMERRITT/GETTYIMAGES;EMMA&VICTORIA:JASONLAVERIS/FILMMAGIC;STEPHANIE,MORGAN,MICHELLE:COURTESYOFBAUERTEENGROUP;AUSTIN:JAMIEMCCARTHY/GETTYIMAGESFORMTV
See which accessory is for you!
These sleek
earrings are
perfect for sassy
ladies like you!
They make a
bold statement
and give your
everyday outfit
some edge!
Girly girls like
you will look so
chic in these
fashionable
earrings.They’ll
dress up any
outfit and pop
even when your
hair is down.
Athletic chicks
like you should
rock stud ear-
rings!They’re
simple,yet
cute.Plus,they
won’t catch on
anything while
you’re playing!
Guy
buds
Yep!
Chapstick
Yes
START
Girl
BFFs
Jeans for
sure
Lip gloss
No,
that’s
not
me
Ariana
Grande’s
Nope
Miley Cyrus’
Stud Hoop Chandelier
Yeah,
they are
so much
fun!
“I had my ears pierced [after Harry
Potter wrapped] because I wasn’t
allowed to [while we were filming].”
— Emma Watson
“I got my cartilage pierced and it got
infected. I got this bump in the back, so
I took it out and the hole closed. I
definitely slacked off on the cleaning.”
— Victoria Justice
“I didn’t get my ears pierced until my
senior year of high school because I
was nervous it would hurt, but it didn’t.”
— Morgan McMurrin,Associate Editor
“I first got my ears pierced when I
was a baby, just 3 months old!”
— Stephanie Osmanski, Web Editor
“I forgot to put my earrings back in,
so [the holes] closed up and I had to
get them both repierced.”
— Austin Mahone
“It’s a tradition in my family that you get
your ears pierced when you’re 3 years
old, so that’s when I got mine done.”
— Michelle Haag, Editorial Assistant
Would you
stick your
tongue
out at your
crush?
The celeb
closet you’d
love to raid
would have
to be:
Would your
besties
describe you
as sporty?
Do you
have more
guy or girl
friends?
Do you like
attending
your school’s
b-ball
games?
Let’s talk
fashion:
Do you own
more dresses
or jeans?
Lip gloss
or
chapstick?
Probably
dresses
Not
really