How do I treat an infected ear piercing?

Treating New Pierced Ear Infections (during first 6 weeks):

1. Don’t take out the earring! Clean the infected area 3 times a day.
2. Wash hands with soap and water before touching the ear or earring.
3. Use cotton swab (“Q-Tip”) dipped in pierced ear solution (see #3 below).
4. Clean exposed earring (both sides).

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Likewise, people ask, how do I know if my new piercing is infected?

Your piercing might be infected if:

1. the area around it is swollen, painful, hot, very red or dark (depending on your skin colour)
2. there’s blood or pus coming out of it – pus can be white, green or yellow.
3. you feel hot or shivery or generally unwell.

Herein, what happens if you leave an ear piercing infection untreated?

“Untreated infection could lead to more complicated infections that require drainage and oral antibiotics,” Fusco said.

Will an infected ear piercing heal on its own?

Most infected ear piercings can be treated at home and will improve within a few days, although, in some cases, antibiotics may be necessary. If symptoms do not improve, the infection spreads, or there are other symptoms, a person should speak to a doctor.

7 Related Question Answers Found

What is a good saline solution for piercings?

Make a soaking solution by mixing sea salt and distilled water. Use pure sea salt (non-iodized) and not table salt, which contains extra chemicals that can irritate your piercing and dextrose (sugar) that can cause yeast infections.

How do you know if your body is rejecting a piercing?

Symptoms of piercing rejection

• more of the jewelry becoming visible on the outside of the piercing.
• the piercing remaining sore, red, irritated, or dry after the first few days.
• the jewelry becoming visible under the skin.
• the piercing hole appearing to be getting larger.
• the jewelry looking like it is hanging differently.

Should I clean the crust off my piercing?

Crusting after body piercing is perfectly normal—this is just the result of your body trying to heal itself. 1? Dead blood cells and plasma make their way to the surface and then dry when exposed to air. While perfectly normal, these crusties do need to be cleaned carefully and thoroughly whenever you notice them.

How can I make my ear 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.

What to do if a piercing gets infected?

Treating the infection at home

1. Wash your hands before touching or cleaning your piercing.
2. Clean around the piercing with a saltwater rinse three times a day. …
3. Don’t use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or antibiotic ointments. …
4. Don’t remove the piercing. …
5. Clean the piercing on both sides of your earlobe.

How do I treat an infected 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.

How long does it take for a piercing to get infected?

But infection symptoms won’t pop up the moment your piercing is exposed to bacteria. “Surprisingly, piercing infections do not typically happen until three to seven days after the initial piercing, sometimes more,” Dr. Mankarious says. “Bacteria need time to proliferate.”