Gently pat dry the affected area with clean gauze or a tissue. Then apply a small amount of an over-the-counter antibiotic cream (Neosporin, bacitracin, others), as directed on the product label. Turn the piercing jewelry a few times to prevent it from sticking to the skin.
Similarly, what antibiotics treat ear piercing infection?
Most infected ear piercings are caused by a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and so you need an antibiotic that covers this bacteria, such as ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin.
Likewise, people ask, what do you put on an infected ear piercing?
Treating the infection at home
- Wash your hands before touching or cleaning your piercing.
- Clean around the piercing with a saltwater rinse three times a day. …
- Don’t use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or antibiotic ointments. …
- Don’t remove the piercing. …
- Clean the piercing on both sides of your earlobe.
What ointment is good for piercings?
DO NOTapply any ointment such as Bacitracin, Neosporin or any other “triple antibiotic” ointment on your piercing. These prevent oxygen from reaching the wound and form a sticky residue, which can cause complications.
Is my piercing infected or irritated?
According to Thompson, the telltale signs of an infection are simple: “The area around the piercing is warm to the touch, you notice extreme redness or red streaks protruding from it, and it has discolored pus, normally with a green or brown tint,” Thompson says.
What does an infected piercing look like?
Your piercing might be infected if: the area around it is swollen, painful, hot, very red or dark (depending on your skin colour) there’s blood or pus coming out of it – pus can be white, green or yellow. you feel hot or shivery or generally unwell.
How long does an infected piercing take to heal?
Minor pierced ear infections can be treated at home. With proper care, most will clear up in 1 to 2 weeks.
Should I take my piercing out if it’s infected?
When to remove a piercing
If a new piercing is infected, it is best not to remove the earring. Removing the piercing can allow the wound to close, trapping the infection within the skin. For this reason, it is advisable not to remove an earring from an infected ear unless advised by a doctor or professional piercer.
Can you put hydrogen peroxide on a piercing?
Do not use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. (Both slow the healing of pierced area by drying and killing new healthy cells.) Do not use bacitracin or other ointments. … Twice a day saturate a cotton swab or Q-Tip with the cleaning solution, apply to the pierced area, let soak for a few minutes.
How do you salt soak a piercing?
How to do a sea salt soak
- Pour 1 cup of warm water into a cup or bowl. Use distilled or bottled water.
- Add 1/8 to 1/4 of a teaspoon of the sea salt, and allow it to dissolve. …
- Dip squares of clean gauze or dressing into the sea salt solution and allow them to saturate.
- Apply them to your piercing.
What saline solution is good for piercings?
Make a soaking solution by mixing sea salt and distilled water. Use pure sea salt (non-iodized) and not table salt, which contains extra chemicals that can irritate your piercing and dextrose (sugar) that can cause yeast infections.
How can I make my ear piercing heal faster?
USE WARM SEA SALT WATER (SALINE) SOAKS – MORNING AND EVENING
Soaking your piercing with a warm, mild sea salt water solution will not only feel good, it will also help prevent infection, reduce the risk of scarring, and speed the healing of your piercing.
How long do ears hurt after piercing?
It’s normal to have some redness, swelling or pain for a couple of days after getting your ears pierced. But your ears should look and feel better each day. If you find that your ears do great and then suddenly start to become red, inflamed or crusty a week or two later, that’s usually a sign of infection.
