Cartilage piercings are a fun fashion statement but they require a lot of care while they heal. Be gentle with your piercing and always wash your hands before touching it. Clean the area twice a day with a salt water solution and remove loosened crust formations.
People also ask, does salt water heal piercing infections?
Using a saline solution or sea salt solution to keep it clean can be one way to keep your piercing site free from infection as it heals.
In respect to this, can I use regular salt to clean my piercing?
Do not use table salt, kosher salt, Epsom salts, or iodized sea salts. Non-iodized fine-grain sea salt is best for avoiding additives, as well as its ability to dissolve into a solution. Do not make the solution too salty, as that can be irritating to the piercing and the skin.
How do I know if my cartilage piercing is healing correctly?
Signs that the piercing is fully healed include the site of the piercing being normal colored and not red, swollen, or tender; no clear or yellowish fluid draining; and no pain when the area is touched. The earliest a cartilage piercing heals for most people is 3 months.
How can I make my cartilage piercing heal faster?
USE WARM SEA SALT WATER (SALINE) SOAKS – MORNING AND EVENING
Soaking your piercing with a warm, mild sea salt water solution will not only feel good, it will also help prevent infection, reduce the risk of scarring, and speed the healing of your piercing.
How do you heal an irritated piercing?
Gently pat dry the affected area with clean gauze or a tissue. Then apply a small amount of an over-the-counter antibiotic cream (Neosporin, bacitracin, others), as directed on the product label. Turn the piercing jewelry a few times to prevent it from sticking to the skin.
Will an infected piercing heal on its own?
Minor pierced ear infections can be treated at home. With proper care, most will clear up in 1 to 2 weeks.
Does cartilage piercing ever heal?
Cartilage piercings typically take anywhere from 4 to 12 months to heal completely. They heal from the outside in, which means that it may look healed on the outside long before the healing process is actually complete. Unfortunately, bumps are relatively common with cartilage piercings.
Why is my cartilage piercing not healing?
Cartilage piercings are apparently significantly slower to heal than earlobe piercings because there is no direct blood supply to deliver “healing nutrients.” For this my doctor prescribed two antibacterial treatments: mupirocin ointment (similar to Polysporin) and chlorhexidine rinse.
How do you shower with a new cartilage piercing?
Can I clean my piercing with just water?
To make sure the healing process goes as smoothly as possible, wash your hands before you touch your piercing or jewelry. Don’t soak your piercing in any water (other than saline solution) until it’s fully healed.
What can I use instead of sea salt to clean my piercing?
It is best to use table non-iodized salt instead of sea, rock or coarse types of salt as those do not dissolve well and have other minerals and impurities that might interfere with wound healing.
Why is iodine bad for piercings?
Make sure you use non-iodized salt instead of regular table salt to make your saline solution. Table salt contains iodine and other additives, which can irritate your piercings, even though iodine is a necessary mineral for the body to function.
