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.
Also to know is, why is my helix piercing red and swollen?
A cartilage piercing creates an open wound. As it heals, it may look swollen, lumpy, or like a bump. In the days immediately following a cartilage piercing, the body’s immune system triggers inflammation and swelling to heal the wound, sometimes leading to a cartilage bump.
In this regard, 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.
Should I ice my swollen cartilage piercing?
Second, icing your piercing for the first few nights will help reduce swelling and soreness. An easy way to fit icing in is to do it when you have some down time. Ice it while reading, watching TV, or relaxing. I always ice my new piercings for the initial week or so, and it drastically reduces soreness and tenderness.
Should I pop the bump on my cartilage piercing?
The short answer to whether you should pop the bump near your cartilage piercing or not is, “no.” You shouldn’t be popping anything, especially something close to a new piercing, regardless of why it developed. Popping a sore creates an open wound right next to your piercing, which, technically, is also an open wound.
Can I ice my helix piercing?
How can I make a cartilage piercing swelling go down? Use a hot compress – get a small towel or washcloth, soak it in hot water, squeeze out any excess water and gently press it to the piercing. You can also ice it or take ibuprofen to help reduce swelling.
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.
Why is my helix piercing throbbing?
pulsating, throbbing, aching are normal with cartilage… especially if it’s thick, or if it needed a lot of manipulation when putting in the jewelry. cartilage takes 6–9 months to fully heal (longer if u have issues). the first 3 months are when you need to be the most careful with it.
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.
Why does my helix piercing still hurt after a year?
It is possible. It can take up to two years, or more, for a piercing to completely heal. It may have felt like it healed on the outside, but was still working towards it on the inside. It’s normal for a piercing to feel completely healed before it really is.
