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.
Keeping this in consideration, how do you treat an infected ear lobe?
A cold compress can decrease blood flow to the area, which can ease swelling symptoms. If you suspect you have a cyst on your earlobe, a warm compress can help. If your earlobe is painful, over-the-counter pain medication can also be helpful. In the case of bacterial infections, you’ll need antibiotics.
Similarly one may ask, what happens if you leave an ear piercing infection untreated?
“Untreated infection could lead to more complicated infections that require drainage and oral antibiotics,” Fusco said.
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.
Is my piercing infected or just healing?
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.
How do I clean an infected piercing?
First wash your hands with soap and water. Then prepare a saltwater solution of 1 cup (0.24 liters) water with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir until the salt dissolves. Leaving the piercing jewelry in place, soak a cotton ball in the solution and place it on the affected area.
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.
What saline solution is good for piercings?
Warm Sea Salt Soaks
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.
What piercing gets infected the most?
That said, some spots are riskier than others. “Piercings that go through ear cartilage are much more likely to become infected and are more difficult to treat than infections through the ear lobe or the soft tissues just above the lobe,” Dr. Kaplan says.
Is isopropyl alcohol good for piercings?
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. (Ointments attempt to heal the skin & may slow oxygen transport to the tissue).
Should you squeeze the pus out of an infected piercing?
You should never try to drain pus or fluid from the infected area. This can make the infection worse. If your symptoms are severe, see your doctor. They may prescribe antibiotics to help clear the infection.
How long does ear piercing infection last?
With proper care, most mild earlobe infections will clear up in 1 to 2 weeks. It is common to have mild infections come back without daily earring care.
Do ear infections clear on their own?
Most ear infections cure themselves without the help of antibiotics. “An ear infection is a bacterial or viral infection that affects the ear. It becomes painful when buildups of fluid and inflammation occur in the air-filled space behind the eardrum,” says Leanna Munoz, Mayo Clinic Health System nurse practitioner.
Should I clean the crust off my piercing?
Crusting after body piercing is perfectly normal—this is just the result of your body trying to heal itself. 1? Dead blood cells and plasma make their way to the surface and then dry when exposed to air. While perfectly normal, these crusties do need to be cleaned carefully and thoroughly whenever you notice them.
