Treating the infection at home
- Wash your hands before touching or cleaning your piercing.
- Clean around the piercing with a saltwater rinse three times a day. …
- Don’t use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or antibiotic ointments. …
- Don’t remove the piercing. …
- Clean the piercing on both sides of your earlobe.
Correspondingly, how do you reduce piercing inflammation?
Home Treatment
- Stop any bleeding by applying direct pressure to the piercing site.
- Apply a cold pack to help reduce swelling or bruising. …
- Wash the wound for 5 minutes, 3 or 4 times a day, with large amounts of warm water.
- Elevate the piercing area, if possible, to help reduce swelling.
Additionally, how do you stop a helix piercing from getting infected?
To prevent infection and encourage healing:
- Clean oral piercings with mouthwash. If you’ve had your tongue, lip or cheek pierced, rinse with an alcohol-free, antiseptic mouthwash after each meal and before you go to bed. …
- Clean skin piercings. …
- Avoid swimming. …
- Don’t fiddle with your piercings. …
- Keep the jewelry in place.
Is it normal for a helix piercing to swell?
Swelling is a normal part of the healing process for every piercing. … Some people swell very little, while others need to get even longer jewelry than they were pierced with to allow for excessive swelling of the pierced area. If your jewelry looks or feels uncomfortably tight, come back and talk to a piercer.
How do I know if my helix piercing is infected?
Symptoms of an infected ear piercing include:
- swelling.
- redness.
- pain.
- tenderness.
- burning.
- itching.
- yellow discharge.
Is my piercing infected or just irritated?
According to Thompson, the telltale signs of an infection are simple: “The area around the piercing is warm to the touch, you notice extreme redness or red streaks protruding from it, and it has discolored pus, normally with a green or brown tint,” Thompson says.
Can I take out an irritated piercing?
Touching your piercing, changing the jewelry before it is ready and slight trauma can lead to a piercing irritation. … If you suspect either an irritation or infection, DO NOT REMOVE YOUR JEWELRY.
How can I make my 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.
Will my helix piercing ever heal?
Cartilage ear piercings may take up to a year to fully heal, but generally take 3-6 months (as opposed to the ear lobe, that takes just 4-6 weeks). They heal from the outside in, so even if it looks fine on the outside, you should not assume it is fully healed. … Always speak with a professional about your piercings.
When should I see a doctor for an infected cartilage piercing?
Call your doctor if you experience any of these infection symptoms: Fever. Red, swollen skin around the pierced area. Pain when touching the pierced area.
How do you remove an embedded piercing?
How long does it take for a helix piercing to stop hurting?
two weeks
What not to eat after piercing?
Don’t eat spicy, salty or acidy foods or liquids while you are healing. Avoid hot drinks such as hot chocolate, coffee, and tea. Eat cold foods and drinks as they lessen swelling. Be extra careful when eating crunchy foods.
How do you clean a helix piercing?
How to Actually Take Care of Your Piercings
- As a preventative measure, ask your piercer to use a needle, not a “gun. …
- Be healthy. …
- To care for a fresh piercing, wash with soap and water or saline solution—not rubbing alcohol—twice a day. …
- Create a routine for yourself.