Well, first off, the jewelry should not be removed during the first stage of healing unless the jewelry is of the incorrect size or shape, and even then, only under the guidance of a piercer. Piercing heals by producing tissue starting at each piercing hole and then growing toward the center. The only thing keeping it in line is the jewelry during the healing period. Think of it like two teams tunneling through a mountain with a piece of wire to guide them. If you take away the guide, then it is often hard to match the jewelry with the other hole.

Even after the piercing is healed, removing the jewelry for any extended period may cause the tissue in the center of the piercing to begin to shrink or reconnect, regardless of how long you have had the piercing. Both piercing holes may appear open, but chances are, tissue is blocking the center of the piercing. The time it takes for a piercing to close depends on the individual's health and the location of the piercing. It is best to remove the jewelry only when it needs to be replaced.

I do not charge to change or sterilize jewelry. Whenever you are nervous or unsure, see your piercer. Oftentimes, even with well-healed piercings, it can be challenging to change jewelry, especially if the jewelry is of a different type or size. Since it doesn't cost anything to have an expert do it, why take chances?

The most important thing is that if you can't get the jewelry back in, don't panic or try to force it in, as that may cause damage to the piercing. Sometimes, even when the jewelry has been removed for a couple of days, it can be reinserted using a taper pin.

It seems over the last few years, more and more high school and college athletic organizations have banned piercings. This is especially true of competitive cheerleading. I'm not going to get into a debate of whether these regulations are factually based decisions to protect the health and safety of those involved or just a desire to oppress individuality and focus on uniformity. The fact is that you will be required to remove jewelry for events. Depending on how healed the piercing is or the piercing itself, even removing the jewelry for a few hours may lead to damage to the piercing when the jewelry is reinserted or the piercing closes.

If you are involved in sports or another organized activity, I highly recommend speaking with your coach or the person in charge before getting a piercing. If possible, get something in writing that states that the piercing will not affect your ability to take part in that activity. If the answer is a flat no, you can't have that piercing. Do not just assume that if you get the piercing, they will just let it slide, because it is my experience that they will not. I've even spoken with coaches and school administrators who had no issue with the piercing, yet they've had referees and other officials overrule their decision.

It comes down to this: which is more important, having the piercing or taking part in the sport or other activity? You may very well have to choose between the two.

This is a tricky question, and it is one of those that has only one correct answer: it depends. To understand this, I think it would be essential to point out that the piercing goes through two stages of healing:

The first Stage of healing: During the first stage, your body produces a tunnel of tissue around the piercing and the jewelry. It is during this stage that the piercing is, in fact, an open wound and more prone to infections and scarring. Since everyone heals at different paces, the healing time could be shorter or longer than the average minimum healing time.

The Second Stage of healing: The second stage is called the seasoning or toughening period. During this stage, your body adds layer upon layer of tissue to the tunnel, making the piercing permanent. This stage can take anywhere from 1 to 3 years to complete, and removing the jewelry for extended periods can result in the loss or closure of the piercing. A good rule is to leave something in the piercing if you like it.

Also, an understanding of what healing a piercing is in fact. In the piercing process, the tissue is punctured(hypodermic needle, aka piercing needle, punctures the skin) to create two wounds, and then a foreign object(the jewelry) is placed through the two wounds. The body's initial reaction is to reject the foreign object and heal the wounds. This is why proper jewelry and placement are so essential. The more body-friendly the jewelry is and the resistance there is to reject the jewelry, the more your body is going to accept the jewelry and settle down to the job of growing tissue around the jewelry to close the wound.

Also, the less abusive the location of the piercing and the more pronounced the rim or ridge of the piercing area, the less the body will find the piercing harmful and in need of rejection. There's an old saying, "If it has two sides, pierce it. If it doesn't leave it alone."

Once the body has accepted the jewelry, it will begin the process of new skin growth in the form of scar tissue. This starts at the inside edge of the two wounds and moves inward. Since production and protection are greater in some regions of the body than others, the healing time is vastly different depending on the area and the depth or length of the piercing. Removing the jewelry during the first stage of healing increases the likelihood of the piercing closing or dislodging the skin growth that has formed. In other words, if you are thinking about getting an eyebrow piercing and you know or have a feeling that your employer is going to ask you to remove the piercing during working hours. You should consider another less visible piercing or no piercing at all. Even removing the jewelry for just a few minutes during the first stage of healing can result in loss of the piercing, prolonged healing, and an increased chance of infection or other complications.

At the end of the first stage of healing, your body has created a thin layer of scar tissue around the jewelry in the form of a tunnel. In sealing the wound, it is no longer prone to reopening and infection. However, since the tissue is fragile, it is prone to tearing and closing. If you remove the jewelry for long periods, the piercing will often begin to close up. Forcing the jewelry back in can reopen the wound and restart the entire healing process, if not part of the first stage of healing, all over again.

What happens when you remove the jewelry during the second stage of healing is that the body goes, "Hey, the foreign object is gone, let's heal this thing up and get things back to my genetic code design." Which, regardless of how much you wish upon a falling star, doesn't include a cool 10g hole through your left nipple.

Whenever the healthy body is left to its own devices, it will work its hardest to return to its natural form. Skin is an organ that nature chose not to have holes in it or pathways that lead to nowhere. Skin has the job of protecting the body from the environment around as a barrier and sensor. This function does not involve having a tunnel through the upper rim of your navel. The body will then begin to reverse its production of skin tissue from the middle of the piercing tunnel toward the skin's surface, kind of like filling in a hole.

OK, remember that neat thing that your body was doing? You know the thing we wanted it to do. It was adding layer upon layer of new scar tissue outward away from the piercing. Well, without the jewelry there to keep it from forming tissue on the inside of the piercing tunnel, it begins to do just that. Throws the thing in reverse and begins to connect the tissue in the middle of the piercing tunnel. Then, the tissue once connected will start to fill the tunnel with scar tissue. This is why the piercing will often appear to be still open, and then the jewelry will be stopped halfway through the insertion.

The rate at which the piercing will close depends on several factors. Including how well developed or thick the skin of the tunnel is, the rate of the production of skin cells in that area of the body, and the gauge of the jewelry itself. At the end of the second stage of healing, enough skin cells should have been produced to generate normal skin tissue. Even at this point, the body will begin to reverse the process slowly, but it will be a much slower process. In most cases, if the area of the body is slow healing, it shouldn't be a problem to remove the jewelry for short periods. Since some regions of the body, especially with mucous membrane in the mouth, will heal a great deal faster, it is not uncommon for even healed piercings to close even after being in for some years. A good rule is that the faster the first stage of healing, the quicker it will close.

Lastly, the gauge of the jewelry will dictate how quickly the piercing will close completely. It's basic logic that the bigger the tunnel, the longer it takes to close. With large-gauge piercing, even though the piercing may not close, a reduction in the gauge may be needed to reinsert jewelry.

All can be summed up like this: if you like the piercing and want to keep it, then leave something in it.

The most common reasons for removing jewelry are Medical, employment, and pressure from a partner or parent. Often, when the medical industry comes into contact with piercings, their reaction is to insist that the jewelry be removed. In most cases, this is due to the Doctor or other medical professional being uneducated regarding piercing. Over the years, I've heard everything from "It will never heal" to "Ms. Jones, the reason that you have migraines is the jewelry in your ear." Keeping this in mind, there are situations where removing jewelry is necessary.

With surgery, there are some risks, and often, if you push them hard enough, they will tape up the jewelry during the surgery. However, your best option is to replace the jewelry with glass retainers during the procedure.

Everyone should understand that having a facial piercing is going to affect your chances of employment. Even though several employers have started to accept visible piercings, most of these seem to be in the service industry. So, if you want to work at Quicky Mart for the rest of your life, don't worry about it, but do consider it before getting a visible piercing. Friends and family, whose body is it anyway? I say this with a few exceptions: if you are in a committed relationship and the piercing is sexual or may affect your chances of employment, then you should discuss this with your partner. A piercing can be a life-changing experience, and you should consider the effects and keep your loved ones in the loop. 

Signs of infection are: Redness, discoloration, swelling, heat/fever, on or around the piercings, pain the is throbbing and/or shooting/travels, pus and/or discharge that is unnatural in color like grayish. Yellowish and/or greenish. 

Keep in mind that if you see these signs in the first few days, it may be normal. However, if it is extreme, you may have an allergic reaction to the jewelry.

Contact your piercer or a doctor as soon as you can. Please do not delay getting the infection treated, as it can worsen and potentially spread, potentially becoming systemic. Yes, you can die from a piercing that is infected if it is not taken care of, and the bacteria enter your bloodstream and spread.

When in doubt, contact your doctor. I have over 30 years of experience solving problems with piercings, but if it's beyond my help. I'll be the first one to tell you to seek professional medical help.

Do not remove the jewelry. In a healing piercing, the jewelry is the only thing keeping the wound open. If you remove the jewelry, the wound will close and possibly trap the infection and fluids inside your body. This can create an abscess or cyst that will require lancing. Leaving the jewelry in will allow a drainage point for the infection and, in most cases, make it more treatable.