The healing process and body piercing aftercare

A new piercing will be sore, tender or red for several days up to three weeks. Complete healing normally takes several weeks or more. Below are more specific healing time estimates. During this period, care must be taken to avoid infection. Touching—or, for genital and oral piercings, sexual activity—is usually discouraged.

Primary healing usually takes about as long as is listed below; the jewelry should not be removed during this period. The healing time should not be rushed. Very often a piercing that seemed to be healed will start to have problems when it is handled roughly, exposed to mouth contact or unwashed hands before it has truly healed.

Full healing starts after primary healing is complete and usually takes about as long as primary healing, during this period the skin thickens and starts to gain elasticity. An additional "toughening up" period takes place after full healing is complete, this "toughening up" period also takes about as long as the primary healing time. During "toughening up" the skin remodels itself developing an internal texture in the fistula tube that replaces the shiny scar-like internal surface.

Approximate primary healing times:

Head	Torso	Female Genital Piercing	Male Genital Piercings
Monroe piercing: 3–6 months	Female Nipples: 4-6 months	Clitoral Hood: 2-4 weeks	Ampallang: 4–8 months
Bridge: 3–6 months	Male Nipples: 4–6 months	Clitoris: 4-6 weeks	Apadravya: 4–8 months
Frenulum: 3–4 months	Navel piercing: 4–8 months	Christina piercing: 3–4 months	Dydoe: 3–4 months
Cheek/Anti-Eyebrow: 3–6 months	Hand web: never	Fourchette: 2–3 months	Frenum piercing: 3–4 months
Ear cartilage: 4-12 months	Surface: 6–8 months	Isabella: 2-3 months	Guiche: 4–6 months
Ear lobes: 1-3 months		Labia Minora: 2–3 months	Prince Albert: 4–6 months
Eyebrow: 1-3 Months		Labia Majora: 2–6 months	Reverse Prince Albert: 4–6 months
Tragus: 6–12 months		Triangle: 2–3 months	Scrotum: 3–4 months
Lip / Labret: 3–4 months			Foreskin: 2–3 months
Nostril: 3–6 months			Pubic: 4–6 months
Septum: 3–4 months
Tongue: 2–3 months