A PIERCING pro has revealed the five common mistakes he always sees people make.
Matthew Harris, 59, who owns piercing studio Metal Morphosis in London, has debunked several piercing myths, while also highlighting the things to avoid if you want your piercing to heal without infection.
First up, the piercing expert warns to never twist a new piercing.
"One of the main reasons for not twisting it every day is because you're normally twisting it with your fingers," he says, speaking to The Mirror.
"You've got germs and bacteria on your hands as soon as you do that and start twisting it, you're putting bacteria into the piercing. If it twists when you clean it with a cotton bud, then that's fine but you don't need to [twist it]."
Next, Matthew, who runs the studio with his son Ben, notes to never swap for a hoop too soon because this can disturb the healing process.
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According to the pro piercer, changing a straight piercing for a curved one can not only irritate the piercing, but could also be a breeding ground for bacteria.
Matthew also warns to avoid using a piercing gun – noting that it can destroy your cartilage and cause long-term damage, resulting in a piercing bump that's difficult to get rid of.
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The fourth mistake Matthew often sees people make is wearing 'fashion' jewellery.
He goes on to explain that if you've put new jewellery into a piercing and it's turned black, it's a sign that the metal is reacting to the lymph your body is still producing as it's healing.
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He suggests avoiding certain metals – warning that even "gold plated" jewellery can post problems.
"It's gold plated but it's on top of either silver or brass or so on and when that plate wears off, that's why people get a lot of problems with their ear turning black," he says.
"It oxidises on the skin and all of a sudden turns green."
Finally, Matthew says that all too many people stop cleaning their piercing before it's fully healed.
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