Is my cartilage piercing infected?
I just got my cartilage pierced a little over a week ago and I think that it may be infected. It gets like disgusting and crusty and has a bump on the back of my ear. It will drain like a clear-white fluid sometimes. It’s itchy and bothersome, not so much painful, but a little bit when I clean it. I use soap and water to clean it and Neosporin after. I did not get it done with a piercing gun because I already know what that does to cartilage like it can shatter it and leave it very, very painful. I’m actually going to see if I can go to my piercing fairly soon to see if it is infected and his tips on how to treat it, but some answers here would be nice too for the time being. No alcohol and peroxide on piercings, I know. I do not want to take the piercing out because I like it a lot.
What is the chance of a cartilage getting infected?
Well, if you do get your cartilage pierced, I have two main pieces of advice: -make sure to clean it EVERY day, twice a day, just like they tell you. (I tried to slack off, and my ear is still infected, 8 months later) -DO NOT get both ears pierced at the same time, even if you intend to get them both pierced at some point. Cartilage piercings aren't like lower ear piercings--they leave your ears alot more sore. Mine would hurt just from something as simple as my glasses brushing the back of the earring. I made a hasy decision and got both pierced, and I couldn't sleep for 3 days (because I sleep on my side, and I couldn't lay my head down). If you stick to the cleaning instructions they give you (and keep cleaning them AT LEAST once a day even after the 2 months is up and you can take them out) they have little chance of infection. If you don't, you're in trouble. I got my ears pierced in january, and if I forget to clean them, then they'll go back to infected, but as soon as I start again, the infection goes away. It really takes a year for cartilage to fully heal, so make sure to keep cleaning them every 1-2 days until then. (especially after shampooing). And make sure you get a professional to pierce your ears, so that you don't hit an artery, or get an infection from unsanitized tool. =) Other than that, you should be fine. hope that helps!
Is my cartilage piercing infected?
Ok, so I got my cartilage on my ear pierced roughly 8 weeks ago. I changed the jewely shortly after, then after 4ish weeks I moved up to an 18g. I'm having the following issues. One, it's sore, not the actual piercing but the area around it, like the top of my ear above the piercing is a bump that is very tender. When I take my piercing out the hole is swollen and I can feel the whole area swollen when I hold it on both sides. Also when it's out at first I will bend my ear and yellowish ooze will come out of the hole. So is it infected? or just sore from healing or what? And what can I do to fix this if it is infected without having to get it re pierced? Was not fun the first time.
Are cartilage piercing infections common?
from my experience and seeing others they are much easier to get infected then other piercings.
Infected Cartilage Piercing -- how to heal?
Sea salt soaks will fix it right up. I know it sounds like it wouldn't do much, but it's really great for your ears. It helps kill the bad bacteria without destroying all the good bacteria that lives on your skin. Twice a day just mix 1/4 tsp of sea salt and 8 oz of warm water, then dip cotton balls in it and hold them on both sides of the piercing, giving a little bit of pressure. It might help to take the jewelry out and soak it in alcohol while doing this one of the two times, just to be sure to get the hole good and soaked with salt water. If you do this, though, you have to be sure to wash the jewelry off really really well with the salt water before putting it back in your ear. The alcohol is incredibly terrible for your ears. Taking them out would actually be bad. The jewelry is holding the holes open and allowing the pus and bad stuff to drain out. If the hole were closed up, you'd end up with an abscess that would have to be cut open and drained, and I have heard lots of horror stories about that. Definitely keep the jewelry in, it's keeping you from all kinds of horrors. It might take a little while for the cartilage piercings to get over the infection, though, there's not a lot of blood flow in that area. Keep it really, really clean, and if you start seeing the swelling spreading into the rest of the cartilage on your ear, you need to go to a doctor. As long as it's localized around the piercing itself, you're fine.
How do you treat an infected cartilage piercing?
Do you know it's infected? What is your evidence for it? Chances are it is simply irritated and has healing difficulties rather than being infected.Infection in piercing is a truly dangerous thing but luckily it is very rare and ALWAYS has the same symptomsGreen plasma or pus around the site or dark black tissue (not just white or yellow- White and yellow pus is a normal thing)Extreme pain (like extreme not just itchiness or soreness)Discolouring of your skin from rashes to dark purple colour appearing around not just the site but expanding away from itIf you see these signs or symptoms then yes it is infected. Go to a hospital immediately as it is life threatening.If of course you don't see these signs (and as a professional of over 6 years I never ever have) you simply have irritation and you have either misdiagnosed infection or heard that diagnosis from a friend or a professional who doesn't appreciate body modification(this is so super common)So don't fear- go see your piercer and make sure you clean it using warm mild saline and nothing more! (Maybe change your earring too)
My cartilage piercing is infected. How do I remove the infection without the piercing closing?
What works for me is a salt water soak. Get a small bowl and fill it with boiling hot water and dissolve some salt into it. Wait until the water cools enough so that it doesn't burn your ear. Then using a cotton wool ball soak it in the water and place it on the site of the infection (do not remove the earring) and hold it there! Much love—Crystal
Is my cartilage piercing infected? I'm scared!?
Lily and Kathryn w; you are both idiots. Don't answer questions when you don't know what you're talking about. It doesn't sound infected at all, but you need to stop twisting it. Twisting piercings is soooo bad for them! It drags bacteria into the piercing and irritates it from all the movement which ultimately may cause infection. It's fine to sleep on it, it just might cause it to stay or become irritated although that's completely normal for a piercing, especially a cartilage piercing and even more especially cos its done with a gun. Cartilage piercings done with a gun can take up to 12 months to heal, even longer! Unfortunately. There's nothing you can really do besides continuing to clean it properly and try be more careful and gentle with it. If it was infected, it would generally produce dark yellow, or green pus, the pus would smell, it would be a really bad and odd pain, it would become quite swollen and quite red. Similar ish to irritation which I think is why people get confused. Unless its producing the dark yellow or green pus then its most likely just irritated.
Is a sore throat a sign of a pierced cartilage infection?
No. It means you have a sore throat, but not from the pierced cartilage.