Is my cartilage piercing infected??

Question

I got my cartilage pierced on Sunday nite by my friend with her piercing gun. It was fine up until Yesterday morning and by nite it was bothering me so much, I had to take it out. My other friend came over to help me, and she said it looked like I had my earring pushed back really far, so much that it was irratating my cartilage and once I took it out she always mentioned that there was a cut back there. I woke up not long ago and my ear is STILL red, throbbing, and it looks like theres a yellow puss where my ear was pierced. (When I cleaned my ear last nite there was some yellow stuff that came off also.)

From reading up on this, it seems like my ear is infected, but what do I do? I'm really scared. I REALLY don't want to go to the doctor? What will make it heal on it's own? Will I be okay if I don't go to the doctor?

Please help!! Thanks.

Answer 1

You'll be fine. You don't need to go to see a doctor.

Bathe the piercing twice a day using a cotton wool ball soaked in salt water. Try and use sea salt not table salt. I've always been told sea salt is the best thing for cleaning piercings with. It's a natural antiseptic so it's good for any kind of mild infection. A mild anti-bacterial soap would also be good but IME sea salt water is more effective.

Do NOT use alcohol, peroxide or anything like that to clean it with. That kind of stuff is way to harsh for cleaning piercings, even good, non-infected ones. It can even damage your skin.

Getting it pierced with a gun was a bad idea in the first place. Every time someone is pierced using a gun, tiny micro-particles of skin, blood and other body fluids spray on to the gun. Piercing guns cannot be properly sterilized in an autoclave like other, safe piercing equipment. So, this micro-spray stays there and you are at a much higher risk of infection. Cartilage piercings using guns are an even worse idea. The force of the gun can actually crush the cartilage in the area surround the piercing. As you can imagine this is painful and can sometimes have the same effect as a cauliflower ear, though perhaps on a smaller scale.

Bathe it a least twice a day and wait for it to heal. Cartilage can take a long time to heal. My Upper ear piercing took about 6 months and that was without the complication of infection. So, be patient.

If you decide you want anything done like that again in the future, go to a reputable piercer and get it done with a needle.

Answer 2

Well, this is iffy. I would give it a bit more time before going to a doctor. I recommend taking the earring out(sounds like you already did that.) I would be putting alcohol on the piercing everyday and then putting neosporin on it. If after a week it doesn't get better then make a visit to the doctor. Some antibiotic might be the remedy. You don't want the infection to get out of hand where permant damage might be a problem like having a surgeon having to cut out parts of your ear because of infection. So please just keep an eye on it. Alcohol and neosporin for now. If it doesn't get better go to the doctor. Good luck and take care.

Answer 3

okay, don't panic. it probably is infected, but you don't need to go to the doctor. just keep the ear clean with the formula they probably gave you when you pierced it, or you can use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to keep the piercing clean. keep the earring out for a while, or if you want to put it in, soak it first in one of the solutions mentioned above. as long as you keep after it and keep it clean, then it will heal up fine.

Answer 4

an infection is a threat, regardless of the undeniable fact that it may basically be a buildup of dermis cells and water from showering or swimming. basically save cleansing it each nighttime with cleansing soap and sea salt and take it out each so usually to squeeze out the pus. If it nevertheless seems contaminated after some months, you will possibly basically choose to maintain the earring out till it heals.