It is normal for the skin around the piercing to swell, turn red, and be painful to touch for a few days. You may also notice a little bleeding. If the swelling, redness, and bleeding last longer than 2-3 days, contact your doctor. You should keep inspecting the pierced area for at least 3 months.
Considering this, what is the normal healing process for a cartilage piercing?
Cartilage piercings typically take anywhere from 4 to 12 months to heal completely. They heal from the outside in, which means that it may look healed on the outside long before the healing process is actually complete.
Secondly, can I touch my cartilage piercing?
It’s also important to avoid touching or upsetting your piercing as much as necessary, as irritation could cause inflammation or even, in some cases, infections. Earnest also says that if you have to touch your piercing, you should wash your hands first.
How can I make my cartilage 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.
What helps cartilage piercing pain?
Apply a warm compress or do a sea salt soak
A warm compress can help the infection drain and relieve pain and swelling. Soaking the infection in a warm salt solution can also help the infection heal.
Why is my cartilage piercing throbbing?
Pain scale
Cartilage piercings can have major differences in pain level and healing time. Cartilage is thick, hard tissue that doesn’t pierce as easily as soft earlobes. … This intense throbbing pain will last for at least a few days before easing up. You can expect to have some difficulty sleeping the first few nights.
Is my cartilage 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.
Why is my cartilage piercing not healing?
Cartilage piercings are apparently significantly slower to heal than earlobe piercings because there is no direct blood supply to deliver “healing nutrients.” For this my doctor prescribed two antibacterial treatments: mupirocin ointment (similar to Polysporin) and chlorhexidine rinse.
How fast do cartilage piercings close?
It may take up to 6 months or even 1 year before a helix or tragus piercing is fully healed. While your piercing is still healing, don’t take your jewelry out for an extended period. Doing so may cause the hole to close.
Why does cartilage take so long to heal?
The lack of active blood flow is the major reason any injury to cartilage takes a long time to heal. Cartilage has no nerve innervation, and hence there is no sensation when it is injured or damaged. When there is calcification of cartilage, the chondrocytes die.
When can I take my cartilage piercing out to clean?
Earlobe piercings (6 week healing period): never go more than 24 hours without wearing an earring or your piercing may close. Cartilage piercings (12 week healing period): wear earrings 24/7 to keep your piercing from closing.
What can I clean my cartilage piercing with?
How can I prevent my cartilage piercing from getting infected?
How to prevent infections in new piercings
- choose a qualified, experienced and licensed piercer.
- clean your piercing twice a day.
- use warm, salty water to soften any crusting.
- gently turn the jewellery while cleaning the piercing.
- use a clean paper towel to dry the piercing.
Where should I get my cartilage pierced?
Helix: Your standard cartilage piercing and the most popular style, located on the upper, outer rim of your ear. Rook: This piecing is located in the upper ear through what is known as the antihelix — aka the fold that’s right beneath the rim, or helix of the ear.
