5 Tips for Caring for Your Ear Gauges

Ear gauges have quickly moved from being counter-cultural to being a mainstream fashion trend. However, this is one fad that requires a little extra effort on your part. Keeping your earlobes healthy with gauges is not a difficult task, but it is one that will require some diligence. Use these five tips to ensure they stay clean and infection-free.

1. Clean them regularly.Be sure to clean your gauged earlobes regularly to avoid the buildup of debris and bacteria. Using an antibacterial soap, gently massage your earlobes and then rinse with warm water. Most people find it’s easiest to remember to clean them if they do it during their daily shower.
2. Give your earlobes time to breathe.Once your piercings have healed entirely, remove your gauges for an hour or two each day to give your earlobes time to breathe and increase circulation. Many people worry that removing jewelry will cause the piercing to close up, but that won’t occur in such a short amount of time.
3. Don’t use rubbing alcohol to clean your jewelry.It may seem like a good idea to use rubbing alcohol on your gauges because it works so well as a disinfectant, but it has the potential to irritate your earlobes. This is especially true if your piercing is still healing. Instead, simply use warm water and antibacterial soap to do your jewelry cleaning.
4. Give your earlobes a sea salt bath.Sea salt baths are frequently used as a method for keeping gauged earlobes healthy. To do this, combine a cup of warm water with one teaspoon of sea salt. Place the mixture in a small bowl and submerge your ear for about five to ten minutes. Repeat with the other earlobe.
5. Take precautions if your gauges become infected.While an infection is usually something you can manage on your own, it’s important to take extra precautions if this occurs. Begin by increasing your sea salt baths from one a day to three, and apply triple antibiotic ointment on a regular basis. You should also switch to a smaller sized gauge until the infection has resolved itself.

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