This post may contain affiliate links. This means we may earn a small commission if you purchase something from a link. This does not cost you any extra and helps us keep the lights on. Thank you!
You should not put Vaseline or petroleum jelly on a healing piercing. This prevents oxygen from reaching your wound. Your piercing needs a healthy supply of oxygen for the healing process to continue. Vaseline can also form a layer of trapped bacteria against your piercing which can cause infection. Many people attempt to use Vaseline or petroleum jelly to soothe achy piercings or moisturize a dry piercing, but you should never put a product on your piercing.
Does Vaseline Help Piercings Heal?
Some people believe that Vaseline can help your piercing heal because you may use it for dry lips or cracked skin. While petroleum jelly can be very healing on dry skin, it should never be used on an open wound. Your top priority with an unhealed piercing should be to keep everything away from it. You don’t want anything to come in contact with an open wound because it may bring in bacteria that could cause an infection. Simply leave your piercing alone and it will heal just fine.
Can You Use Vaseline As Piercing Lube?
If you need piercing lube you’re likely attempting to gauge up your piercing. Hopefully if you’re increasing the gauge on your piercing, your piercing is already fully healed. With a fully healed piercing you don’t need to be as careful about touching products to it because it’s unlikely to get infected. However, Vaseline is still a poor choice for piercing lube. Even with fully healed piercings, you want the skin in your piercing to be able to breathe and have sufficient oxygen. Petroleum jelly leaves behind a thin covering that blocks the piercing from receiving oxygen and therefore should be avoided.
How to Lubricate a Piercing
Ideally for piercing lubrication you’ll want to use a single use sterile lubrication, like the kind used in medical procedures. However, most people don’t have access to this kind of lube. Don’t worry: water based lube marketed for sex works just as well. Because this type of lube is safe to use inside your most sensitive areas, its also safe to use inside man made holes.
If you’re gauging up and your jewelry will be a natural material such as bone or horn, you may instead prefer to use an organic lubrication. These aren’t as safe as water based lube you’d buy from the drug store and should only be used if your piercing is fully healed. A good example of organic lubrication would be grapeseed or jojoba oil.
What Can You Use to Moisturize Your Piercing?
You shouldn’t put any products on a healing piercing. Instead, if your piercing is dry you should investigate why. Piercings around the mouth tend to be dry naturally. For these types of piercings you could apply a small amount of coconut oil to the dry skin away from the piercing. If your piercing is not around the mouth, its likely dry because of something you’re doing to it. The most likely culprit is using a saline solution too often. Your piercing may also become dry if you apply another product to it, such as tea tree oil.
Conclusion
Never put Vaseline or petroleum jelly on a piercing, even if its fully healed. It will delay the healing process and could even cause infection. You shouldn’t use Vaseline as piercing lube for the same reason that you should never put it on any piercing – it cuts down on oxygen supply. Instead, use a water based lube or grapeseed oil. If you want to moisturize your piercing, you should instead investigate what is causing the dryness. If you’re frequently using saline solution, stop using it for a week to see if your piercing becomes more moisturized.
