The BIG DAY has finally arrived, and you’re ecstatic to see how your piercing is going to turn out. But, before you celebrate, make sure you know the risks involved.
Although ear piercings are generally safe, sometimes they can get infected. Remember that a piercing is an open wound. Any break in your skin is prone to infection, which is why keeping your piercing clean should be a top priority, especially during the healing period. It’s important to identify signs of infection so you can treat the problem early before it gets worse. Trust us; you wouldn’t want it to get worse.
What Causes Piercing Infections?
Did you know that even if you diligently care for your new piercings, statistics reveal that 20% of earlobe piercings and 30% of cartilage piercings still get infected? Why does this happen? According to studies, ear piercing infection is mainly caused by bacteria that has entered the wound. This can happen in many ways.
- Your piercer did not use sterile equipment. The equipment used to puncture your ear has to be sterile; otherwise, your piercer could accidentally introduce bacteria into the site. The environment in the studio has to be clean as well.
- If you handle your piercing with dirty hands, you’ll expose your piercings to harmful bacteria that will cause an infection.
- How often you clean your piercings also matter. If you don’t clean your piercings twice a day, they’ll surely get infected.
- Changing your jewelry too soon, even if your piercing hasn’t healed yet, is a recipe for disaster. Most of the cases of piercing infection and irritation were due to taking the earrings out before the piercings had healed.
How Do You Know If A Piercing Is Infected?
Normal Symptoms
Piercing infections should not be taken for granted because if the infection spreads to your bloodstream, it can result in sepsis, which can be fatal. It’s normal for your piercings to feel tender and itchy during the first few weeks. Sometimes it may even look reddish.
Furthermore, you may find a crusty discharge on the area as it continues to heal. Don’t panic; all these will subside over time.
If you’re getting a cartilage piercing, don’t be surprised to find a tiny bump around the area. This bump is called a granuloma. You shouldn’t worry because this bump is perfectly normal. You can minimize the bump by applying a warm compress on the site once a day.
Signs of An Infected Piercing
The following are some of the signs of an infected piercing that you need to look out for:
- Redness and swelling that continues to worsen
- The piercing site feels warm
- Greenish or yellowish discharge coming out of the site
- Itching
- Pain
- Fever develops
- The earring is stuck in the ear
- Ear Piercings Overview
Takeaway
If you ever decide to get an ear piercing, your number one concern is to find a credible and experienced piercer. Experienced piercers use sterile and clean equipment to minimize the risk of infection. We also suggest you select high-quality jewelry.
Choose gold jewelry pieces since they are less likely to cause irritation and infection in new piercings. When you choose a credible piercer and good-quality earrings, you dramatically reduce piercing infection.
FYI, ear piercings take between 4 and 6 weeks until they are fully healed. You should take appropriate steps to take good care of your fresh piercings during the healing period.
Removing your jewelry is highly discouraged. You should only remove them once the site has healed. We also do not recommend playing, fidgeting, or touching your piercings unless you clean them. Also, before cleaning your piercing, you must wash your hands with soap and water. Taking care of your piercings means you should clean them two times a day using saline solution.
Looking For An Aftercare Piercing Cleaning Product?
If you’re looking for a safe and effective product you can use to clean your piercings, you may want to give Dr. Piercing Aftercare's medicated swabs a try. These swabs are designed to soothe, clean, and protect your piercing while it heals. It’s saline-based. Each pack contains 72 medicated swabs.
At Dr. Piercing Aftercare, we've developed convenient medicated swabs that you can use to clean your piercings and keep infection away. We are proud of our products. They are made and tested in a cGMP compliant and FDA-registered facility in America.
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 to learn more about our products
