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.
Furthermore, can a cartilage piercing infection spread?
Left untreated, these infections can spread into your body (called a systemic infection). In some cases, an infection can cause your piercing to close up.
Moreover, is my cartilage piercing infected or 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.
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 long does it take for a piercing infection to clear up?
What You Should Know About Infections in Newly Pierced Ears: Minor pierced ear infections can be treated at home. With proper care, most will clear up in 1 to 2 weeks.
How do I get my cartilage piercing to stop hurting?
Apply a warm compress or do a sea salt soak
A warm compress can help the infection drain and relieve pain and swelling. Soaking the infection in a warm salt solution can also help the infection heal.
Do I need antibiotics for infected piercing?
Most infected ear piercings are caused by a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and so you need an antibiotic that covers this bacteria, such as ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin.
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.
What does an infected piercing look like?
Your piercing might be infected if: the area around it is swollen, painful, hot, very red or dark (depending on your skin colour) there’s blood or pus coming out of it – pus can be white, green or yellow. you feel hot or shivery or generally unwell.
How can I make my cartilage piercing heal faster?
How to Heal a Helix
- GO TO A PROFESSIONAL. …
- SAY NO TO THE GUN. …
- CHOOSE YOUR JEWELLERY WISELY, AND DON’T CHANGE IT. …
- GET ONE DONE AT A TIME. …
- KEEP IT CLEAN. …
- TREAT YOUR PIERCING TO REGULAR SALT BATHS. …
- CONSIDER EMU OIL. …
- AVOID.
Why do cartilage piercings flare up?
‘Most of the time if an ear piercing is flaring up, 9 out of 10 times it’s not an infection (they’re actually really rare) it’s an allergic reaction to the nickel in the jewellery. ‘
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.
Should I take my piercing out if it’s infected?
When to remove a piercing
If a new piercing is infected, it is best not to remove the earring. Removing the piercing can allow the wound to close, trapping the infection within the skin. For this reason, it is advisable not to remove an earring from an infected ear unless advised by a doctor or professional piercer.
Is my piercing infected or rejecting?
If your body is rejecting a piercing, you may experience the following symptoms: The jewelry has noticeably moved from its original place. The amount of tissue between the entrance and exit holes gets thinner (there should be at least a quarter inch of tissue between holes).
