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If a piercing is red or swollen, it may be infected. This wikiHow article will give you tips for treating an infected piercing and preventing an infection from occurring.
Steps
Treating an infected piercing
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Know the symptoms of an infected piercing. Infection most often occurs when you have a piercing at home or by negligence during the piercing process. If any of the following symptoms appear, you may have an infection: [1] X Research Source
- Pain or soreness
- much red
- Swelling
- There is pus, blood or discharge
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Do not delay treatment. Infections can progress very quickly if left untreated, and most infections can be cured quickly with the right care early and often. Call your piercer if you have any questions. When in doubt, you should always wash your piercing with warm water and soap.
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Rinse the ear with a saline solution. This simple disinfectant is available at most piercing clinics, but you can also make your own easily at home. Mix 1/8 tablespoon of non-iodized sea salt with 1 cup of water and stir to dissolve. Soak the piercing in a saline solution, or dip a clean cotton ball in the solution and place it in your ear for 20 minutes, twice a day.
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Apply antibiotics to the piercing site. You can use an over-the-counter ointment such as ppymyxin B sulfate (Ppysporin) or bacitracin to fight bacteria in the area of the infection. Use a cotton swab or cotton ball to apply a thin layer of ointment to the wound twice a day. [2] X Trusted Source American Academy of Family Physicians Go to Source
- Stop applying the ointment if skin rash or itching develops. The rash may be caused by an allergic reaction.
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Apply cold to reduce swelling or bruising. An ice pack will help reduce swelling around the piercing, which will also help fight infection. However, you should never apply ice directly to the skin to avoid tissue damage. Place a layer of cloth or towel between the ice pack and the skin.
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Call or visit a piercer. They will give you advice based on the type of piercing and symptoms. Often, they will repeat the cleaning process after the piercing to quickly treat the infection.
- For mild infections, your piercer will advise you to treat yourself.
- In more severe cases, they will send you to the doctor with detailed information about the wound, the type of piercing and possible solutions.
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See your doctor if the infection persists for more than 48 hours or if you have a fever. Most likely, your doctor will prescribe medication to treat the infection, usually an oral antibiotic. If your condition does not improve or your symptoms worsen after treating your infection at home, you should see your doctor promptly. Watch out for the following symptoms: [3] X Research Source
- Muscle or joint pain
- Fever
- Chills
- Nausea or vomiting [4] X Research Source
Prevent piercing infection
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Clean the piercing regularly. Dip a washcloth in warm soapy water and gently rinse the new piercing. Do not allow dust, dirt and bacteria to enter the wound to prevent infection. [5] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source
- Remember to wash your piercing after exercising, going outdoors, cooking, or cleaning.
- Although rubbing alcohol can kill bacteria, it also dries out the skin and can cause infection.
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Wash the piercing with a saline solution twice a day. Although you can buy saline solution at a piercing facility, you can also make your own at home with just 2 ingredients. Mix 1/8 tablespoon non-iodized sea salt with 1 cup distilled water and stir until dissolved. You can either soak the piercing in salt water or dip a clean cotton ball in the solution and apply it to the wound for 20 minutes, twice a day. [6] X Research Source
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Keep hands clean. Dirty hands are the number one culprit for infection, so always wash your hands before touching or handling your piercing. [7] X Research Sources
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Avoid tight clothing around the piercing. If your piercing is constantly rubbing against your clothes, wear loose clothing. This is especially important for navel, genital, nipple, or other body piercings.
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Avoid swimming pools, hot tubs, or gyms for 2-3 days after your piercing. Those places are hot spots that are moist and full of bacteria that often cause infections. Piercings are open wounds, where bacteria enter much more easily when the skin is broken.
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Know that all piercings will be inflamed for days. Don’t panic if you experience pain or redness for the first few days after your piercing. It is the body’s natural response to injury. Inflammation is normal and can be easily treated by applying ice and taking ibuprofen. [8] X Research Source However, if the inflammation persists for more than 3-5 days, you may have an infection.
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Do not remove the piercing if you suspect an infection. While it may sound counterintuitive, you should avoid removing your piercing if you see signs of an infection, such as pus, because removing the piercing will cause the piercing to heal and the infection to become trapped inside. It is important that the piercing is open so that it can drain on its own; otherwise, the wound may become an abscess or become worse. [9] X Research Source
Advice
- Do not remove the piercing from an infected piercing. If you do, the piercing will heal while the infection is still trapped under the skin and will be much harder to heal.
- Soak in salt water at least once a day. Your piercing will dry out if you soak it in salt water more than twice a day.
- For piercings in places like nipple piercings, mix sea salt with hot water and soak the piercing for 5-10 minutes.
- Always wash your hands before touching your piercing.
- Apply hot compresses for 20 minutes each to reduce swelling and allow the infection to drain on its own.
- Act quickly when infected, as infections can spread very quickly.
- Even if you don’t worry about infection, you should clean your new piercing regularly to help it heal properly.
- You should consider wearing only pure gold or silver jewelry. Other materials (stainless steel, etc.) can be the cause of the problem.
- If you have long hair and pierced ears, don’t let your hair touch your ears. Bacteria can attach to the hair and spread to the wound, making the infection worse, so tie your hair back to avoid touching the infected piercing.
- Don’t wear silver jewelry in your new piercing. Silver is actually a low quality metal and can cause problems. Titanium jewelry is the best choice due to its high quality and hypoallergenic properties. [10] X Research Source
Warning
- Do not remove the piercing.
- See your doctor if you have severe pain or fever, as you need medical attention to treat an infection.
- Go to the doctor right away.
Things you need
- Sea salt
- 1 cup of water
- Recommend
- Wound wash solution provided by the piercer. Remember not to overuse this solution.
X
This article is co-authored by a team of editors and trained researchers who confirm the accuracy and completeness of the article.
The wikiHow Content Management team carefully monitors the work of editors to ensure that every article is up to a high standard of quality.
There are 9 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 63,449 times.
If a piercing is red or swollen, it may be infected. This wikiHow article will give you tips for treating an infected piercing and preventing an infection from occurring.
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