I got my cartilage pierced about 4 days ago and the first couple days it was fine. It only hurt to sleep on it and if someone touched it. I was told to clean it twice a day with alcohol and to twist it around. I did everything I was told, but it started to kill last night. I woke up this morning and it is extremely swollen, red, and it hurts so much. I don't have a clue what to do. I put a bit more alcohol on it, put some neosporin on, and twisted it a little, but it's still not better. I tried to take it out for just a second and then I was going to put it back in, but it hurt so much when I tried to take it out, I just stopped trying. I really like it so I don't want to take it out and have it close up on me, but I'll do whatever it takes to have my ear feel better. Please let me know if anyone has ANY advice whatsoever. Thanks a bunch!
2007-02-23 03:37:14 · 13 answers · asked by Nicole 2 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Pain & Pain Management
Take it out!!!!
i had mine pierced and it went all red and purple and swollen and then the front of it almost disapeared into my ear!!!!
It did actually go in.. i couldn't see it and i nearly had to go down to A+E to get the top bit of my ear cut..
i had to BEG the peircing place to push it out.. and it was AGONY!!!!!!!
Just take it out. if you can't get it out yourself ... go to the shop and ask them
You can always get it repierced okay.. It's not worth getting infected or getting blood poisoning..
2007-02-23 03:42:19 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like it is infected, and if you let the skin close without getting it taken care of you could close up the infection in your ear.. The same thing happened to me... This is what I did: I took the stud out and left the ear alone for about 2 days...Then I soaked my ear in sea salt water, or saline solution for a couple of minutes. I dried it. Then after washing my hands and using Purell I swabbed my ear in hydrogen peroxide. Then I soaked the stud in hydrogen peroxide, and swabbed my ear with Neosporin then I swabbed the stud with Neosporin, the shaft the back, everything. Then I put it back in.with the Neosporin still on it...Yes it hurt, but once it was in, it felt fine. I cleaned it every 3 hours, and I never never never touched it unless my hands had been washed and covered in Purelle. After that my ear was fine, and I haven't had any pain since.. I do have a scar, but it's on the back of my ear so I don't care...It is recommended that you take the stud out and see a doctor.. If it is too badly infected you could get really sick...Once I took my stud out that first time the swelling and pain went away so I knew I wasn't that bad off..So I didn't go to the doctor, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't. I just thought I'd tell you what I did...Good Luck..
2007-02-23 03:48:33 · answer #2 · answered by All I Hear Is Blah Blah Blah... 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't immediatley take it out. If it's infected you risk having the skin close over the infection if you do (not good).
Go back to where you got it pierced, or to an actual tattoo parlour. Show them. They's probably recommend the same product I got when mine did the same thing. Alcohol is not really good for it. The stuff I got (which I can't remember the name of, sorry) is a thick balm that smells a little like eucalyptus.
try that first before taking it out. Like I said, if you take it out now, the infection will stay INSIDE your ear and it will not go away.
Also, you may have to change the jewellery to a nickle free piece (they should have used surgical steel and if they didn't, you're probably allergic.)
Good luck!!
2007-02-23 03:51:17 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I had the same thing happen to me. Was the piercing real? If you are allergic to certain metals it could cause a reaction that should get better after you take the piercing out. If the piercing was done through a vein, like it was on me, there is nothing you can do but get it re pierced. I delt with pain for 4 months hoping it would get better, but it Never did.
2007-02-23 03:44:19 · answer #4 · answered by gstfox 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, my piercing got infected too. It didn't hurt much but I got that little lump on my ear. I would recommend to take it out and let it heal. The lump on my ear did go away, you just gotta keep taking care of it. Try going back to the piercing place and see if they can hook you up the next time for the re-piercing.
2007-02-23 03:54:56 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had the same thing happen to me, the best thing that I can tell you is antibiotics, you need antibiotics for this to heal. Even with that after it heals you will need a doctor to go in behind your ear and lance the large lump out. I didn't have a doctor do it and about 12 years later, it burst, it drove me crazy with a large lump on my ear for twelve years, until I was sitting in a dining facility looking at a menu, constantly messing with it and suddenly it burst, nasty.... So, that's why I recommend antibiotics and having it lanced out once your ear is healed to touch. Good Luck
2007-02-23 03:58:06 · answer #6 · answered by Cheryl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it sounds infected, sometimes using an astringent will help clean it good and you can keep it it. There was one called Seabreeze, that made it feel cool and tingly,maybe it's still on the market. If you do decide to take it out, it will hurt like hell to get it peirced again because of the bump it leaves. Use alot of ice cubes on it as well to ease the swelling. Good luck.
2007-02-23 03:49:57 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take it out!!! You are probably allergic to the metal that the earing is made of, trust me you can get them repeirced. I've had mine done 2 or 3 times in each ear I can't remember. That happened to my mom and it was the metal the earing was made out of. She let it heal and then got it repeirced with a metal called paladium and it never inflamed again. Just take it out, wait a few weeks and get it done again with a different type of metal.
2007-02-23 04:11:05 · answer #8 · answered by schs_spartan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try to rub with olive oil, sometimes alcohol will make it swollen, olive oil will make the hole for piercing much more easy cleaning.
2007-02-23 03:47:20 · answer #9 · answered by ironlady42 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How can we help?? Go back to where you got it pierced and have them help you.
Sounds like you're getting a massive infection. Could even lead to gangrene and you'll need to get something cut off.
2007-02-23 03:45:24 · answer #10 · answered by parsonsel 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋