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.
One may also ask, how long should my cartilage piercing be swollen?
These are all typical symptoms of the body beginning to heal the wound. Although it can sometimes take around 8 weeks for the wound to fully heal, these symptoms should not last more than 2 weeks. Infection may be present if a person experiences: swelling that does not go down after 48 hours.
Just so, how do you know if your cartilage is infected?
Check if you have an infected piercing
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.
Can you put ice on a swollen cartilage piercing?
Turn the piercing: Rotate the piercing several times each day so that your earlobe does not swell around it. Ice: Ice helps decrease swelling and pain. Use an ice pack, or put crushed ice in a plastic bag. Cover it with a towel and place it on your earlobe for 15 to 20 minutes every hour or as directed.
How do I get my cartilage piercing to stop hurting?
Give a saline bath to your ear once a day. Pour a bottle of store-bought saline water into a bowl. Dip the pierced area in it for 2-5 minutes a day. Avoid touching your ear piercing.
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.
Why is my cartilage piercing throbbing?
Pain scale
Cartilage piercings can have major differences in pain level and healing time. Cartilage is thick, hard tissue that doesn’t pierce as easily as soft earlobes. … This intense throbbing pain will last for at least a few days before easing up. You can expect to have some difficulty sleeping the first few nights.
Is it normal for piercings to swell?
This can cause redness, swelling, and a little bit of pain. You might even see some white or clear fluid from the piercing — this is lymph fluid, not pus. Dr. Wexler adds that this is normal and may be noticeable for several days after your piercing.
What causes swollen ear cartilage?
Perichondritis is an infection of the tissue that wraps around the ear’s cartilage. It may be caused by ear piercing, injury to the ear, insect bites, or even surgery. Your ear will be swollen, red, and tender near the cartilage.
How long does ear swelling last?
This is the most common type of external otitis. It can last for up to 3 weeks, and it affects the entire ear canal. A rash can extend to the outer ear and the eardrum.
What to do if piercing swells?
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.
Will a cartilage piercing infection go away?
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.
Should I go to the 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.
