Should I give up on my infected industrial piercing?

Question

I got an industrial piercing almost a year ago (april 2006) and I am having a hard time getting it to heal. I had two separate pieces of jewelry put in instead of a barbell because of the way my ear was shaped. It seems that when one piercing seems like it's almost healed, the other one becomes infected. I wash them everyday with antibacterial handsoap. I try not to sleep on them but sometimes I do without knowing it and I think that's why they are becoming sore and infected so easily. Sea salt soaks seem to help a bit but I'm starting to think that maybe they are never going to heal and I should just face reality. Any suggestions?

I also have a bubble forming around one of the piercings. It seems to be going down but I'm not sure why it formed.

Answer 1

I have multiple piercings in my ears, as well as my navel and my eyebrow. I still have one of the three piercings in my right cartilage but I had to remove the other two because they REFUSED to heal up!!!! Sounds to me like you're going to have the same problem! Sometimes our bodies just reject foreign objects. It happens to people a lot!

One thing I would suggest trying differently: you really should NOT be using antibacterial handsoap on an unhealed piercing. Any good piercer would have told you that. You should swing by a piercing parlor and get some antimicrobial soap like Satin. Hand soaps are usually too harsh and will dry out the tissue that is trying to heal- which slows it down!!! Also, (for the same reason!!), don't use rubbing alcohol or peroxide. Just find a better soap and keep doing sea salt soaks once or twice a day (but make sure you're doing it long enough to make it count...if once a day, about 10-15 minutes!). Oh- and try using pillows to keep yourself from rolling onto the side of your piercing during your sleep, because that really is going to irritate even a piercing that is healing in a healthy way!

And no matter what happens- follow your intuition! If it's very painful all the time, starts bleeding or leaking pus, or just downright feels wrong...PLEASE see a doctor. Ears are a dangerous place to get an infection!!! They can offer antibiotics. ------- If you take out the piercing and it has infection, without antibiotics and proper cleaning it will heal the outside and trap in the infection!!!!!!!!!!!! ---
[[sorry this is so long! good luck!]]

Answer 2

Yes. Yes you should. Don't get me wrong. I am all for piercings and body modifications, but this is and could turn into an even more serious medical issue. You could lose the ear altogether, and I would hate to see that happen to you. I had to take out my cartilage piercing because it just doesn't want to keep the ring in.
Please for health's sake, take them out and let them heal-but go to the doc to make sure you don't need any antibiotics.
Get a tattoo there instead once it heals! I seen some really nice little ear tattoos on a couple people. JUST a couple. Not many have that done.

Answer 3

Sounds like you're getting a keloid scar around one of your piercings. I would take the the barbells out and let your ears heal as your body is fighting infection constantly. It also sounds like you've built up a resistance to antibacterial soaps...

Answer 4

I had piercings in both of my ears up in my cartiledge?sp? neither of them ever freaking healed. One stayed infected, and one stayed sore, and both of them had to go in the end. If you dont mind keeping up with the maintenance then keep them, but if its more trouble than its worth, screw it. There are plenty of other neat piercings you can try, and without the crummy one in the way, theres more room for more metal!!!!

Answer 5

Why do you think you need help making this decision and why did it take you a year to get this far??

1--Infections that last this long can migrate to the blood, infecting your entire system and killing you.

2--Guys don't think weeping, pus-filled piercings are sexy or even cute.

Don't "just" take them out. Go to see your doctor and have him treat the infection.

Answer 6

empsom salts helps ...
also dont mess with it at all other than cleaning
the bubble is due to irritation
[same happened to me with my belly button]
other than that keep doing what you are doing ... but if it keeps up do to a doctor and see if he can help at all without taking it out

Answer 7

Please listen to your sensible and mature side and take those blasted things out off your ear . I bet you are really nice looking and you need those disgusting hanger's-on like a hole in the head .( no pun intended);
That is an awfully long time to put up with the trouble it is causing , the time you must spend tending to it and always watching how to sleep and also I bet it does hurt some .
Reward yourself with a good piece of jewelry, like a nice ring or a locket .
How about it !?

Answer 8

Yuck! Take that metal out of your ear!! It obviously wasn't mean to be there in the first place!!