What should I do about my messed up piercing?

Question

I got my third holes pierced in my ear lobes a couple weeks ago. They're still sore to lay on them to sleep or touch them at all. Then about half a week ago, they were bleeding. Now there is dried blood or scabs, something like that, stuck on my lobes, pretty much over the hole and near it. I got them done with a needle at a tattoo shop, and I got captive bead hoop earrings put in when it was done and have not taken them out. I've been using peircing cleaning solution from Claires daily most of the time. I probably have an infection, don't I? Should I take out the earrings and replace them with studs? I don't even know how to take out the earrings. I've had 2 peircings in each of my lobes before and never had these problems. Thanks for any help, it's greatly appreciated.

But I don't want to take it out because then it would close up.

Answer 1

There's a lot of terrible advice here!

You should NOT take the earrings out. Doing that can cause the infection to get trapped inside, since the outside will probably heal faster than the inside, creating a lovely pocket of infection.

Do NOT use alcohol or witch hazel. These just dry out your piercings and don't allow them to heal themselves.

Instead, you should use Dial (or a similar antibacterial liquid soap) no more than 1-2 times a day to clean the area, and then soak them with a solution of warm water and sea salt (it's easiest if you soak a cotton ball in the solution and then hold it to your ear). Alternately, you can get lavendar oil and put that on the piercing instead of doing sea salt (it sounds kind of like a hippie thing, but that's the advice I got when I got my rook pierced in Australia, and it works way better than sea salt for me).

Don't try to take the earrings out yourself. CBRs are very hard to get out unless they're a tiny gague (like an 18) and have been loosened up a lot. Tugging on them will only aggravate your piercings more. They're ideal healing jewelery, since there is nothing obscuring the piercing and you can effectively clean it - much easier than trying to work around the front and back of a post earring.

If they're still bothering you in a week or so, go back to the shop where you had them done and get your piercer's opinion.

Answer 2

Problem one: the ear solution from Claire's is gentle saline, it really won't do much for your ears. You should have been using Dial (Satin or Proven also work well) and sea salt soaks.

The bleeding is a sign of trauma, not necessarily infection. Infection is usually heat in the general area, highly swollen neck and underarm lymph nodes and a bright greenish yellow pus. Chances are, something is irritating the piercing inside. I suggest you use sea salt soaks immediately. Get a cup of warm water, add 1/4 teaspoon salt and mix. Add salt until the solution tastes like tears and SOAK your ears in the solution for 10-15 minutes about 3 times daily. If you think you have an infection, you can get antibiotics, but leave the earring in to ensure that the infection can drain out of your body. You should probably see your piercer, since its easiest to figure out the problem while looking at the piercing.

Do not change this jewelry. Studs are harder to clean and trap more bacteria than the CBRs you were pierced with.

Answer 3

if u dont feel right about the poercing then ake out the earring...medicate the piercing with alcohol and bacitin until it heals..i think whenever u question a piercing u should just undo it until it heals..better that than an infecte piercing...just my opinion

Answer 4

Definitely sounds like you have an infection. Take out the piercings and let the skin heal. Use rubbing alcohol to sterolize the area and keep it dry. If it doesn't heal soon, go see your doctor.

Answer 5

You might want to check it out with a plastic surgeon. If no work is done I don,t think it costs and if so the charge is within reason. At least see a doctor.

Answer 6

try gold or sterling silver,cheap earrings will cause it to get infected and use either witch hazel or alcohol morning and night and apply neospryin as well (this will help the infection and yes you can still wear the earrings,just avoid taking them out alot and avoid twisting them alot.And keep them clean with the alcohol.

Answer 7

sounds like you have an infection....take the earing out and leave it out...let it heal up. if its to bad you should get to your doctor for an antibiotic.
Hope this helps and good luck!

Answer 8

It would probably be best to let your doctor check them out.

Answer 9

i've had problems with my piercings too and I found that using Neosporin helped alot.