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What To Do If Ear Piercing Is Infected

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S In Treating Minor Ear Piercing Infection

How to Treat an Infected Ear Piercing

Step 1: If you touch or clean your piercing, make sure you wash your hands.

Step 2: Clean your piercing with a saline rinse thrice a day. If you can’t find a good product online, you can create your own by combining ¼ teaspoon of salt and mixing it with 8 ounces of distilled water.

Step 3: Don’t attempt to use antibiotic ointments, hydrogen peroxide, and even alcohol, as this will only irritate your skin and worsen the infection.

Step 4: Never attempt to remove your jewelry. The hole could close up and trap the bacteria.

Step 5: When cleaning your piercing, make sure you clean both sides of your ears and then pat it dry with a clean paper towel.

When the infection has cleared up, don’t stop cleaning the piercing. Continue to do it but taper it down to twice a day up to 8 weeks. Routine care is also essential to keep infection at bay.

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We use advanced technology on our swabs for easy application. Each pack contains thirty-six medicated swabs that are proven and tested to promote your body’s natural healing process while preventing infection. Contact us today,or check out our website if you want to learn more about our products.

How Are Infected Ear Piercings Treated

Your healthcare provider may recommend a variety of treatments to help an infected ear piercing heal. These may include:

  • Applying a warm compress to the infected earlobe or cartilage.
  • Rinsing the infected earlobe with sterile saline.
  • Using antibiotic ointment on the affected area.
  • Taking oral antibiotics for more severe infections.

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How To Treat Infected Piercings

This article was co-authored by Karissa Sanford. Karissa Sanford is the Co-owner of Make Me Holey Body Piercing, a piercing studio based in the San Francisco Bay Area that specializes in safe and friendly body piercing. Karissa has over 10 years of piercing experience and is a member of the Association of Professional Piercers .There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, several readers have written to tell us that this article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,195,765 times.

If one of your piercings looks red or swollen, it may be infected. This wikiHow will give you tips on how to treat infected piercings and how to prevent them from occurring.

Salt Or Chamomile Soaks

Infected earlobe from ear piercing

A salt or chamomile soak serves a dual purpose. For one, it relieves the swelling, redness, and pain. Secondly, it helps to clean the infected piercing. A salt soak is generally more effective, but chamomile is better for sensitive skin. You can do as many chamomile soaks per day as desired, but only 2 salt soaks are recommended per day.

How to make a soak:

  • Boil 1 cup of water
  • Add ¼ teaspoon of sea salt and stir until dissolved OR brew 1 chamomile tea bag
  • Perform a salt soak by dipping a cotton pad into the solution and appling to the infection for 2 minutes
  • For a chamomile soak, dip a cotton pad into the solution, or use the tea bag, and apply to the infection until it cools.

For both, you want to use hot water, but let it cool down enough that you wont hurt or damage your skin before dipping the cotton pad.

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How Can I Prevent An Ear Piercing Infection

A huge factor is choosing a piercing shop thats sanitary. In general, the more experience someone has in doing piercingswith a reputation for good resultsthe better the odds of a favorable outcome, Dr. Kaplan says. Read reviews on the shop and on your piercer beforehand if you can find any. And if you go into a piercing shop and it seems like its not clean or you just dont get a good vibe, go someplace else.

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The spot on your ear that you choose to pierce matters, too. No physician will ever recommend piercing the cartilage of the ear, Dr. Kaplan says. Of course, that’s never stopped anyone. That’s why following your after-care instructions if so crucial, even after it seems like your piercing is all healed up. Not strictly adhering to the post-piercing care instructions would increase the odds of infection, Dr. Kaplan says.

Most Common Infection Locations

Almost every part of the outer ear can be pierced for the insertion of jewelry. That means that all the parts of the ear can get infected if there is any lapse on the hygiene side after the piercing has been made.

The most common part of the ear infected is the earlobe. The reason for this is that a large number of ear piercings are made on the earlobe. The good news is that infections on the earlobe clear out faster than other parts of the due to less rigidity and being supplied with more blood vessels than, for example, the cartilage.

The rest of the ear is more or less made up of cartilage which too can be pierced and thus likely to be infected. Cartilage will on average take longer than an infected earlobe to heal.

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Er Or Not: Infected Ear Piercing

Your recent ear piercing is red and swollen and you suspect it might be infected should you go to the emergency room? On this ER or Not, emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen discusses the potential serious complications that can come from an infection of the ear, including hearing loss and hospitalization. Learn what you need to look for and when to seek immediate care.

Interviewer:

Dr. Troy Madsen is an emergency room physician at University of Utah Health. All right, here is today’s ER or Not. You’ve got your ear pierced. Now you believe that there might be an infection in the ear. ER or not?

Dr. Madsen:

So the ear is made of cartilage. If you get an infection that’s spreading up beyond just the site of the piercing, where the full ear appears red and swollen or just even the lower half of it, then I would be a lot more concerned about an infection in the cartilage itself, and that would definitely be a reason to go to the ER.

Seattle Children’s Urgent Care Locations

How To:Treat An Infected Ear Piercing

If your childs illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.

Minor Infection in Newly Pierced Ear in Last 6 Weeks

  • What You Should Know About Infections in Newly Pierced Ears:
  • Minor pierced ear infections can be treated at home.
  • With proper care, most will clear up in 1 to 2 weeks.
  • Here is some care advice that should help.
  • Treating New Pierced Ear Infections :
  • Don’t take out the earring! Clean the infected area 3 times a day.
  • Wash hands with soap and water before touching the ear or earring.
  • Use cotton swab dipped in pierced ear solution .
  • Clean exposed earring . Also, clean the ear lobe.
  • Then turn the earring 3 times. Reason: To prevent the skin from sticking to the post.
  • Pierced Ear Solution:
  • Minor Infection in Ear Pierced More Than 6 Weeks Ago and Healed

  • What You Should Know About Infections in Well-Healed Pierced Ears:
  • Minor pierced ear infections can be treated at home.
  • With proper care, most will clear up in 1 to 2 weeks.
  • Here is some care advice that should help.
  • Clean Earring with Rubbing Alcohol:
  • Wash hands with soap and water.
  • Remove the earring from the ear.
  • Clean the earring and post with rubbing alcohol.
  • Do this 3 times per day.
  • Clean Earlobe with Rubbing Alcohol:
  • Then wash away any crusting from the earlobe with soap and water.
  • Use rubbing alcohol and some gauze to gently clean around the hole. Do this on both sides of the earlobe.
  • If the alcohol stings, use pierced ear solution instead.
  • Antibiotic Ointment:
  • Then put the earring back in.
  • What to Expect:
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    What You Need To Know About Pierced Ear Infections

    Preventing earring hole infections all starts with proper hygiene both right after a piercing, and for years to come. If you recently got a piercing, make sure to wash hands thoroughly before touching the piercings to avoid exposing the area to any unwanted bacteria.

    Piercings should also be soaked twice a day for two to five minutes with a saline or salt solution. A soaked, clean gauze can be used to gently clean the area, said cosmetic dermatologist Sejal Shah, founder of SmarterSkin Dermatology in New York City.

    If your piercing is fully healed, make sure to clean both the earrings and piercing site whenever you remove your jewelry. Keep earrings clean by wiping them down with an antiseptic cleanser , Purell, soap and water or even mouthwash in a pinch. And do so often because buildup of any sort in your earrings can spell trouble.

    Dead skin can build up around the backing as a result of dandruff or infrequent removal and serve as a nidus for germs, said Dr. Francesca Fusco of Wexler Dermatology in New York City.

    Antimicrobial Piercing Infection Cleanser

    • CLINICALLY PROVEN to Support HEALING of CUTS, BURNS, INCISIONS, PIERCING AFTERCARE, SCRAPES and WOUNDS, including Skin…
    • SAFE and Non-irritating ANTIMICROBIAL WOUND CLEANSER to help prevent infection using ANTIBACTERIAL functions and be used…

    Not only is this product great for aftercare, but it also heals piercing infection quickly and efficiently. We love it because the large bag accommodates several uses, so your money stretches a long way with this! The mixture has several uses other than infection treatment, so even once you heal your piercing, you wont need to throw it away.

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    When To See An Ent Specialist For An Ear Infection

    Make an appointment with an ENT specialist. As mentioned, a minor infection of an ear piercing can be treated at home successfully. However, if the following symptoms below develop, be sure to get medical assistance. A fever develops. Beyond the piercing site, the infection, or redness and inflammation, spreads. If within 2 days the infection doesnt improve with home treatment. The earring is immovable. The earring clasp is embedded in your skin.Remember, with proper care and cleaning, you can reduce the risk of ear piercing infections. In the event you experience an extreme case of infection, for assistance.

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    Age For Piercing Ears

    Woman
    • Parents often wonder what a good age is to have ear piercing done. It is best to wait until a child can play an active role. Most often, this is past age 8.
    • Children under 4 years may touch the earrings a lot. Playing with the earring with dirty hands can lead to infections.
    • Younger children also can get the earrings out and put them in their mouth. This can lead to swallowing or choking on them.

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    How To Treat A Minor Ear Piercing Infection

    You may be able to take care of it at home with minor infections. However, seek medical treatment if youve had a cartilage piercing and it seems infected. Oral antibiotics may be required as these infections can be difficult to treat. In severe infections, hospitalization may be necessary. To treat a minor infection, follow the steps below.1) Before treating your infection, wash your hands well.2) With a saltwater rinse, clean around the piercing 3 times a day. Be sure use a sterile saline or make it by mixing /4 tsp. of salt with 8 oz. of distilled water.3) Avoid using hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, or antibiotic ointments as they can impede the healing process and cause further skin irritation.4) Do not take out the piercing, otherwise, you risk letting the hole close and trap infection.5) On both sides of your earlobe, do not remove the piercing. With paper towels, pat the area dry. Do not use other materials or fibers can remain behind.6) Continue this cleaning regimen twice a day until the piercing is totally healed once the infection appears to have cleared. Routine care is vital during the 6-8 weeks of healing for an initial piercing.

    Is Infected Ear Piercings Common

    Unfortunately, ear infections are common. Every year, millions of people have their ears pierced, but the majority of them do not develop complicationshowever, some experience mild irritation and piercing infections. But, not all piercings heal the same.

    Earlobes have a good blood flow, which means they heal quickly, reducing the risk of disease. On the other hand, the ear cartilage is thicker and harder with lesser blood flow. It goes without saying that cartilage piercings are more prone to infection.

    Read Also: How To Clean Out Ears Naturally

    My Piercing Is Infected Should I Take My Jewelry Out

    You should only remove your jewelry if you are doing so to replace it with higher quality metal. Other than this, you wont need to remove it at all. If you do, you run the risk of having the hole close up and losing your piercing as a result. The piercing hole also allows for ample drainage of any discharge that may be present.

    What Factors Contribute To Infected Ear Piercings

    How to recognise, manage and treat an infected ear piercing | Doctor O’Donovan explains…

    The main reason why your piercings get infected is when bacteria is introduced into the open wound. Bacteria can make its way into your piercing if you do the following:

    #1 getting your ears pierced by an amateur in an unhygienic studio

    #2 playing with your new jewelry with dirty hands

    #3 prematurely removing your jewelry even if the piercing hasnt completely healed

    #4 forgetting to clean your piercing as recommended

    #5 swimming in a hot tub, river, lake, or pool while the site is still healing

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    Fever Chills Or Upset Stomach

    Ear piercing infections can present themselves as fever, chills, or an upset stomach. In this case, we would recommend seeing a doctor especially if youre experiencing other signs of infection or if your piercing is still in the healing process. Make sure to tell your doctor that you have a new piercing so they can determine whether or not this is the cause.

    Is it infected?

    These symptoms are pretty common outside of piercing infections. So there is a possibility that the timing is merely a coincidence. Consider your recent eating habits and any contact with sick people.

    Regardless of whether the infection is piercing related, its worth a trip to your health provider if the symptoms persist. Nobody likes being sick.

    How Do Ear Piercings Even Get Infected

    Anyone can get an infected ear piercing, but it usually happens due to one of two major reasons. Either your piercing site wasnt adequately sterilized before you were pierced, or you kinda-sorta-definitely didnt take great care of it after you were pierced, explains Kenneth A. Kaplan, MD, an otolaryngologist with ENT and Allergy Associates in New Jersey.

    Touching your piercing a lot, while it’s still a new, open wound, can also expose it to bacteria that can cause an infection.

    Recommended Reading: Does My Child Have An Ear Infection

    Treating The Infection At Home

    As long as your infection is minor, you may be able to take care of it at home. If youve had a cartilage piercing and it seems infected, seek medical treatment. These types of infections are harder to treat and may require oral antibiotics. Significant infections of the cartilage can require hospitalization.

    Follow these steps to take care of a minor piercing infection:

  • Wash your hands before touching or cleaning your piercing.
  • Clean around the piercing with a saltwater rinse three times a day. Use sterile saline or combine 1/4 tsp. of salt with 8 oz. of distilled water.
  • Dont use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or antibiotic ointments. These can further irritate the skin and slow the healing process.
  • Dont remove the piercing. This can cause the hole to close up and trap the infection.
  • Clean the piercing on both sides of your earlobe. Pat the area dry with paper towels.
  • After the infection appears to have cleared, continue this cleaning regimen twice a day until the piercing is totally healed. Remember, an earlobe piercing can take six to eight weeks to heal. Routine care is important during that time.

    Usually, a minor infection of an ear piercing can be treated successfully at home. But if any of the following symptoms occur, seek medical attention:

    • The earring doesnt move.
    • The earring clasp becomes embedded in your skin.
    • The infection doesnt improve with home treatment within two days.
    • You develop a fever.

    Ear Piercing Infection Treatments And Healing

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    Depending on the location of your ear piercing, it may be hard to reach. The best treatment option for hard to reach places is a sea salt spray. This will work to disinfect and hydrate the area without irritating it further as a result of applying pressure.

    Making sure that you have a strict personal hygiene routine will help to speed your healing process up. This ensures that you are not introducing new bacteria to the area while you are treating it. Keep your hair pulled back and be careful not to get any product on your piercing if you want to avoid further irritation.

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