Can you put tea tree oil on belly piercing

Tree Tree Oil an essential oil known for it’s anti-fungal anti-microbial, and anti-bacterial properties but is it good for piercings?

You will see several sites, pins on Pinterest, and even Amazon sellers that recommend putting Tea Tree oil on piercings but what’s the truth? Today we will be talking about how this internet myth came all about, why Tea Tree oil isn’t good for piercings, and what you should be using on your piercings.

For those who are new, Hello! My name is Christina and I used to pierce ears for 5 years before turning to the internet to share my knowledge about piercings here on my blog and on YouTube!

Now back to this whole Tea Tree thing..

Like I mentioned before, Tea Tree Oil is known for it’s anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-microbial properties. It pulls moisture out of the cells and because of this people like to apply it to what is called Keloids. The problem here is that with piercings, bumps are common, but that does not mean every bump equals a keloid. So people are putting Tea Tree Oil on these “bumps” could be making your piercing worse..

What are Keloids?

Keloids are scar tissue. It’s a way of some peoples bodies healing after a cut, piercing, etc. They are raised above the skin and can last for several years. For example, my boyfriend got the chicken pox really bad as a kid.. so bad that he was left with keloids. He still has them 20+ years later and Keloids are a very common thing in his family. Keloids are genetic. If you’re gonna get them.. you’re gonna get them.

Piercing “Bumps”

Now “piercing bumps” or “irritation bumps” are a different. These piercing bumps are very common with piercings and are often caused by some type of irritation such as:

1. Poor Aftercare

2. Unsafe/Poor Quality Jewelry

3. Poor Angle of Piercing

4. Trauma - like hitting it while your sleeping

Once the irritation cause is found and addressed, the piercing bump will go away… unlike a Keloid. Putting Tea Tree Oil on these piercing bumps will only make your piercing worse..

1. Essential Oils are TOO harsh for piercings. They are VERY concentrated and cause things such as blisters, redness, burning, and irritation. This is for all essential oils.. not just Tea Tree Oil.

2. TOXIC -Something to remember is that piercings are open wounds. They are not meant to be ingested in any form. Putting Tea Tree oil on a cut/would/piercing can be toxic if it were to get into your body and into your blood stream. Don’t believe me.. check out the poison controls website.

   Usually when people add essentials oils to the skin 1. They use it topically like for acne 2. They use a barrier oils such as coconut oil but oil is also not good for piercings so there’s no getting around this..

3. Oils are NOT regulated by the FDA. Essential oils are tricky for the FDA to regulate due whether the essential oil is being sold as a cosmetic or drug. If it’s being sold as a cosmetic the FDA does NOT have to approve it. With that, it makes it very easy to sell on websites such as Amazon. There are many private sellers on Amazon who have their products manufactured in China. Do you know what they are using and are their standards the same as the US?

   If an essential oil is being advertised as something good for piercings. RUN. A thing to remember is that a REPUTABLE piercing studio will never recommend using Tea Tree Oil on piercings. They are very passionate when it comes to piercings and truly want nothing but the BEST for you and your piercing.

4. Tea Tree Oil dries out your piercing. Tea Tree oil is an astringent and pulls moisture out of the cells. Like alcohol and peroxide, Tea Tree Oil dries out your piercings which is not an ideal situation.

With all that being said, what do you clean your piercings with?

1. Saline Would Spray

2. H2Ocean

These are meant to clean/flush out debris and allow your body to do it’s job of healing.

If you’ve been applying Tea Tree Oil to your bump, keep in mind that without knowing the true cause of your bump, it will keep returning. Figure out what’s been causing your bump and it will go away =)

Like to watch video instead? Check out the video below and Subscribe for more videos!

If you believe you have a true keloid, consult with a dermatologist or if you believe you are infected, consult with your physician.

Essential oils allow people to choose more natural solutions to certain minor problems, like dry skin, heartburn, or other everyday stress. They can provide fantastic benefits, and many people swear by the improvements that they’ve felt by using them.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that essential oils aren’t foolproof, and they should be used carefully. If used incorrectly, they could present uncomfortable side effects.

The same goes for tea tree oil. Although it’s commonly touted as an excellent product for piercing aftercare, even by medical resources like Healthline, a plethora of piercers agree that tea tree oil should not be used on healing piercings.

Here’s why.

What is tea tree oil?

Tea tree oil is an essential oil that comes from the leaves of the tea tree—or the Melaleuca alternifolia—a tree native to Australia.

As an essential oil—a concentrated version of the tea tree leaf—it’s often used on the skin as an anti-inflammatory, an antiseptic, a natural deodorant, an insect repellent, and more. It’s known to help make the skin glow and look and feel healthy. Overall, tea tree oil is pretty handy to have around.

Essential oils, like tea tree oil, are simply concentrated versions of the plants they’re made from.

Because tea tree oil is an anti-inflammatory and has antibacterial properties, it would seem as though tea tree oil would be perfect for piercing aftercare. After all, the majority of aftercare is dedicated to minimizing uncomfortable symptoms, like swelling, and keeping the piercing free from bacteria. However, the way tea tree oil works with your skin can produce side effects that can actually hinder healing instead of helping it.

Why is tea tree oil bad for healing piercings?

A major reason why tea tree oil has its antiseptic properties is that it draws moisture from the area. In a healing piercing, where the skin is delicate, this can cause discomfort, peeling skin, rashes, and other complications. It can even encourage scarring. 

In any healing piercing, most piercers will advise you to only use a piercing aftercare saline solution on your piercing and stay away from everything else as much as possible, including soap. This is because there are tons of chemicals found in these products that can irritate your piercing. Tea tree oil, although natural, also has properties that will have the same effect.

What should I use instead of tea tree oil on my healing piercings?

As mentioned previously, piercing aftercare saline solution is the only thing that you should be using on your healing piercing. 

Saline solution is good for healing piercings because it only uses two ingredients that are safe for your delicate, skin: salt and water. The best thing that you can do for your healing piercing is to make sure that this is the only solution you use for your aftercare.

The only thing you need for your healing piercing is a proper mixture of sea salt and purified water.

If you’re only using piercing aftercare saline solution on your new piercing, and you still see some issues emerge, then you should talk to your piercer. They’ll be able to better diagnose the issue, and they’ll be able to direct you toward a safe solution (often something like reducing or increasing daily cleanses or changing your jewelry). You should never try to self-diagnose and fix the problem on your own.

When can I use tea tree oil on my piercings?

In a healed piercing, tea tree oil may offer some benefits. Some piercers have recommended it to minimize the appearance of hypertrophic scarring or pustules. 

However, tea tree oil should only be used as directed. Before you go out and buy some to use on your healed piercing, you should talk to your piercer. They’ll be able to let you know whether tea tree oil is a good solution, and they’ll direct you on the proper dilution and how often you should apply it. Essential oils are concentrated versions of their respective plants, so they can be quite strong. Because of this, it’s easy to use too much and irritate the area.

Keep in mind that many of the issues that might benefit from tea tree oil usually go away on their own. Often, it’s better to simply let your body do its thing rather than using tea tree oil. The most important thing you can do is to seek counsel from your piercer and listen to their guidance.

While tea tree oil has numerous benefits, overall, it’s probably best to keep it away from your piercing. If you have some at home, and you’re tempted to use it to treat an issue in a healed piercing, make sure that you discuss it with your piercer first. Most likely, you should save your tea tree oil for chapped hands and glowing skin rather than as a treatment for piercing complications.

Shop while you heal

Ready to be done with your aftercare? Unfortunately, the best thing that you can do for your piercing is to remain vigilant and patient. While you wait for your piercing to heal, it helps to dream of the new jewelry you’ll be able to wear when your healing is complete. Here are some of our favorites.

Can I use tea tree oil on belly button piercing?

Does tea tree oil sting on piercings?

Do you have to dilute tea tree oil for piercings?