Treatment / Management
Conservative treatment of minor local infections includes warm compress and over the counter or prescription topical antibiotics such as bacitracin or mupirocin. Oral antibiotics such as cephalexin or clindamycin provide coverage for streptococcus and staphylococcus.
Furthermore, how do you treat an infected cartilage piercing?
Follow these steps to take care of a minor piercing infection:
- 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.
Regarding this, do Antibiotics help ear piercing infection?
As long as your infection is minor, you may be able to take care of it at home. If you’ve had a cartilage piercing and it seems infected, seek medical treatment. These types of infections are harder to treat and may require oral antibiotics. Significant infections of the cartilage can require hospitalization.
What do doctors prescribe for infected piercings?
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.
Is antibiotic ointment good for piercings?
DO NOTapply any ointment such as Bacitracin, Neosporin or any other “triple antibiotic” ointment on your piercing. These prevent oxygen from reaching the wound and form a sticky residue, which can cause complications. They are NOT designed for use on healing 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.
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.
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.
Can I use Neosporin on my cartilage piercing?
NEVER USE: Bacitracin or Neosporin. Petroleum based ointments CLOG the piercing and make it difficult for your body to heal. … SEA SALT AND WARM WATER SOAKING: Soak your piercing three to five times a week in sea salt and water for 5-15 minutes.
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 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.
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.
Should you squeeze the pus out of an infection?
Do not squeeze the pus out of the abscess yourself, because this can easily spread the bacteria to other areas of your skin. If you use tissues to wipe any pus away from your abscess, dispose of them straight away to avoid germs spreading.
How can I prevent my cartilage 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.
