You can remove nipple piercing jewelry at home with basic tools and clean hands, and in most cases the hole will begin closing on its own within hours to days. The process is straightforward, but doing it safely requires attention to hygiene before, during, and after removal to avoid trapping bacteria inside a closing wound.
Before You Start: When Not to Remove It Yourself
If your piercing is actively infected (red, hot, swollen, or leaking yellow or green discharge), do not remove the jewelry on your own. Taking out the bar or ring from an infected piercing can allow the hole to close over the infection, trapping bacteria inside and potentially forming an abscess. See a piercer or doctor first so the infection can drain while being treated.
If your piercing is healthy and you simply want it gone for good, you can safely do this at home.
What You’ll Need
- Soap and hot water for hand washing
- Ring opening pliers if you have a captive bead ring (CBR). Needle-nose pliers wrapped in masking or electrical tape work as a substitute, since the tape protects the metal from scratching and prevents the tool from slipping.
- A clean towel laid flat on your work surface to catch any small beads or balls that pop loose
- Sterile saline wound wash (0.9% sodium chloride, no other ingredients) for aftercare
Step-by-Step Removal
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water, then dry them completely with a clean towel or let them air dry. If you touch anything else between washing and removing the jewelry, wash again. Bacteria transfer quickly, and your hands are going directly near an open wound channel.
The removal technique depends on your jewelry type. For a straight barbell, unscrew one of the balls by turning it counterclockwise. Most barbells are threaded on both ends, so either ball will work. Hold the bar steady with one hand and twist the ball with the other. Once the ball is off, gently slide the bar out through the piercing. For a captive bead ring, use ring opening pliers to gently pry one side of the ring apart just enough to release the captive bead. Once the bead pops free, slide the ring out of the hole. Lay the towel beneath your work area before you start, because those small beads love to bounce and disappear.
You should feel little to no pain during removal if the piercing is fully healed. A slight tugging sensation is normal. If the jewelry feels stuck or crusted in place, soak the area with warm saline for a few minutes to soften any dried material before trying again.
How Fast the Hole Closes
Nipple piercings are among the fastest piercings to close. A newer piercing (under a year old) can start closing within minutes of removing the jewelry. Even piercings that are several years old can close within a week without jewelry in place. In rare cases, a well-established piercing may leave a small visible channel for much longer, but for most people, the hole will seal shut relatively quickly.
This works in your favor if permanent removal is the goal. You don’t need to do anything special to encourage closure. Just keep the jewelry out and let your body do the work.
Aftercare for the Closing Hole
The Association of Professional Piercers recommends continuing to clean the site even after jewelry is removed, treating it like a healing wound until the hole fully closes. Spray the area with sterile saline wound wash once or twice a day. Look for saline labeled as a wound wash with 0.9% sodium chloride as the only ingredient. You can find this at most pharmacies.
Avoid touching the closing hole with unwashed hands, and don’t apply alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or antibiotic ointment to the site. These can irritate the tissue or slow healing. Wear a clean, breathable bra or shirt to reduce friction. If you notice any crust forming around the closing hole, a gentle saline soak will loosen it without you needing to pick at it.
Most people can stop the saline routine once the surface is fully sealed over, which typically takes a few days to a couple of weeks depending on how old the piercing was.
What to Expect With Scarring
Almost every closed nipple piercing leaves some visible mark. This is usually a small dimple or dot on each side where the jewelry entered and exited. The tissue inside the piercing channel is scar tissue, and while the surface closes, that internal scarring is permanent. You may be able to feel a small firm line or knot inside the nipple even years later.
If raised or bumpy scarring develops around the old piercing site, it’s likely a hypertrophic scar. These are common with piercings and tend to flatten and fade on their own over time without treatment. Over-the-counter silicone scar sheets or onion extract creams (like Mederma) are sometimes used to speed this along, though evidence for onion extract specifically is limited. For more prominent scars, a dermatologist can offer corticosteroid creams or laser treatments that remove or resurface the top layers of skin.
For most people, the remaining marks are subtle enough that they’re only noticeable up close.
If You Change Your Mind Later
Repiercing through the same spot is possible, but you’ll need to wait for the tissue to fully heal first. Most piercers recommend a minimum of two months, though many prefer to wait closer to six months before repiercing a nipple. The exact timeline depends on how much scar tissue has formed and how well the site has healed. A professional piercer will assess the tissue before deciding whether it’s ready, since piercing through dense scar tissue can affect placement and healing.