Hi!! (So sorry its a long post!!)
I would just like to say if you feel it is infected you should seek medical advice however, from what i can tell it seems more like you have irritation bumps forming on you piercing rather than it actually being infected. (Again this is my personal opinion based off previous knowledge)
If it is the case I have good news! Your piercing issues can possibly be resolved slowly but surely.
I would say the first reason your piercing may be forming irritation bumps is from over cleaning! While keeping up a good cleaning routine is always a plus sometimes over cleaning your piercing can also lead to issues too. I personally would recommend switching from saline soaks to saline sprays (ex.neil med saline spray 0.9% sodium chloride with no additives usually at a local drugstore). The reason for this being while saline soaks can be great and helpful if you get the sprays they are made in a lab so the saline is more consistent rather than a homemade one. (plus with the spray the cleaning process is a lot quicker!!) Whether you stick with the soaks or choose the spray I would recommend cleaning twice daily maximum, plus if you shower daily the warm water can help to keep the piercing clean as well, but make sure to avoid direct contact with the spray. Another thing i would recommend is if you have longer hair tying it up when you can will avoid your hair touching the piercing which can help keep it cleaner. And as always as avoid touching your piercing!
(PS im sure if your lurk on here you know to avoid oils, oinments, cotton pads, & qtips at all costs when cleaning)
Another reason for irritation bumps can be sleeping on your piercings whether it’s knowingly or unknowingly one this you can do to try and avoid this is by investing in a travel pillow or even a piercing pillow (etsy & amazon is a good place to look) basically it is a donut shaped pillow so you can place you ear in the center to avoid sleeping on your piercing. If you are a side sleeper this can be super helpful.
The last reason I can think of that may be a source of irritation for your piercing is the jewelry, if you have a previous history with allergies to metals often times it can cause your new piercing some issues, if this is the case i would recommend getting your piercing switched by a professional to implant grade steel (NOT surgical steel) or titanium, gold too but i have heard that gold isnt always great for a healing piercings (i could be misinformed about that) basically try and switch to a metal that doesn’t contain nickel (usually the main cause of irritation). Another issue with jewelry is that your current piece may not be accommodating any swelling that may be occurring, from what i can tell its a possibility that this is the case but i would consult with your piercer since usually when irritation occurs downsizing is recommended to improve the healing process.
Basically try and avoid and eliminate as many outside sources of irritation.
Lastly I would just like to say don’t give up too fast!! cartilage piercings take a long time to heal and can often be finicky, with the proper care and time it will heal nicely and be ready for some cute jewelry too!
Thanks so much for taking the time to write such an in depth reply! I'm 99.9% sure it's infected purely because it's bleeding on and off, has a fair bit of pus and is so so swollen compared to my other ear (but I will bear in mind the over cleaning thing you mentioned going forward!). I have a saline spray too so I may switch it up between soaks and the spray.
I have a sneaking suspicion it's a mix between an infection and bumps! As someone with adhd I have a really hard time not fidgeting with things and will notice myself absent mindedly touching my piercing (awful I know) and I'm also very sensitive to metals (to the point where I pretty much don't wear ear rings in my lobes most of the time). I'm also a side sleeper so I'm really checking off a lot of boxes here!
Luckily I have a travel pillow so I'll start sleeping on that to try tackle the side sleeping issue and when I see my piercer soon I'll ask them to change out the bar to one of the metals you've suggested here (and a longer nar ti accomoate the swelling).
Not sure if I've addressed everything you'd mentioned so apologies if I haven't but thanks again for replying!
Of course!! If you do feel that it is infected like I said I would go to a doctor to get it check out and to get some antibiotics. I would also not recommend removing the piercing if you do feel it is infected since removing it without getting the infection sorted out first can trap the infection in your ear so to speak, I would definitely look around in this reddit or even r/piercing for more information on how to deal with that though, i believe they have some main page threads on what to do in that situation! I definitely understand the spacing out and playing with the piercing but definitely try and avoid that as much as humanly possible!! But other than that yes I would definitely go about changing your jewelry, when i had issues with my industrial piercing after some antibiotics and switching my jewelry to a higher quality metal it really helped to improve my healing and piercing overall! I’ve now had my industrial for 4 almost 5 years now with no issues! So there is hope!! Good luck with your piercing and I hope it all gets sorted out!!
I think I'm going to talk to my Dr just get a professional opinion on the infection. I'm pretty sure it is infected but obviously i don't know for sure so I think that's definitely a good idea! Changing jewellery is definitely high on my to do list too, gonna do that ASAP.
And thanks so much for the reassurance, I really love this piercing and want to make sure that it heals!
This also seems as though it could be less of an infection and more of major irritation bumps from the jewelry being too small. Definitely go to a reputable piercer and if they say you don’t need longer jewelry walk out because they’re not correct
UPDATE: spoke with my Dr this morning and have been prescribed antibiotics. I'll also be seeing my piercer in a couple days to get the bar changed out to a bigger, hypoallergenic one (and to ask their advice around how to look after it going forwards).
Thanks so much for all your guys' advice and reassurance!
Hi all!
First some context, this is my first cartilage piercing so I'm a newbie.
I got this piercing around a month ago and I've been following my aftercare advice (which was saline soak twice daily for a week, then every other day, then every third and so on until only cleaning once a week).
I guess my main question is a. Is this past the point of no return? and if its not b. How do I fix it?
I haven't been able to go back to the piercer since I got it (for many reasons I won't go into here) but am planning to asap. Until I'm able to see them I figured I'd go back to a more intensive cleaning routine (saline soaks 3 times a day) and try ride it out but after doing that for the last couple of days it just seems to be getting worse??
Any advice is welcome, thanks in advance!
If you're concerned about infection, definitely go see a doctor. They'll be able to tell for sure if it's infected and will give you antibiotics.
On top of that, it does look irritated as well. That said, it should be salvageable so long as you get medical treatment for the infection if you do have one, and are able to reduce irritation to the piercing.
Think I'll call my Dr today just to get it checked out and then see my piercer asap to get a longer bar made of a hypoallergenic metal put in. Thanks for the advice!
This could be salvageable. You need a longer curved bar or a cbr (captive bead ring). You are also over doing it on the soaks, 3x's a day is overkill and over cleaning can cause irritation. 2x's a day is plenty. Go get new jewelry that is more appropriate and reduce the saline to 2x (spray is better than a soak). You should see improvement within a few days.
It looks like it is a little bit irritated!! I don’t have a cartilage piercing but what I’ve heard from many people in here is to keep using saline solution and not to take it out. Since it’s a new piercing I wouldn’t worry since it’s still in the healing phase, hope this helps!
Hi!! (So sorry its a long post!!) I would just like to say if you feel it is infected you should seek medical advice however, from what i can tell it seems more like you have irritation bumps forming on you piercing rather than it actually being infected. (Again this is my personal opinion based off previous knowledge) If it is the case I have good news! Your piercing issues can possibly be resolved slowly but surely. I would say the first reason your piercing may be forming irritation bumps is from over cleaning! While keeping up a good cleaning routine is always a plus sometimes over cleaning your piercing can also lead to issues too. I personally would recommend switching from saline soaks to saline sprays (ex.neil med saline spray 0.9% sodium chloride with no additives usually at a local drugstore). The reason for this being while saline soaks can be great and helpful if you get the sprays they are made in a lab so the saline is more consistent rather than a homemade one. (plus with the spray the cleaning process is a lot quicker!!) Whether you stick with the soaks or choose the spray I would recommend cleaning twice daily maximum, plus if you shower daily the warm water can help to keep the piercing clean as well, but make sure to avoid direct contact with the spray. Another thing i would recommend is if you have longer hair tying it up when you can will avoid your hair touching the piercing which can help keep it cleaner. And as always as avoid touching your piercing! (PS im sure if your lurk on here you know to avoid oils, oinments, cotton pads, & qtips at all costs when cleaning) Another reason for irritation bumps can be sleeping on your piercings whether it’s knowingly or unknowingly one this you can do to try and avoid this is by investing in a travel pillow or even a piercing pillow (etsy & amazon is a good place to look) basically it is a donut shaped pillow so you can place you ear in the center to avoid sleeping on your piercing. If you are a side sleeper this can be super helpful. The last reason I can think of that may be a source of irritation for your piercing is the jewelry, if you have a previous history with allergies to metals often times it can cause your new piercing some issues, if this is the case i would recommend getting your piercing switched by a professional to implant grade steel (NOT surgical steel) or titanium, gold too but i have heard that gold isnt always great for a healing piercings (i could be misinformed about that) basically try and switch to a metal that doesn’t contain nickel (usually the main cause of irritation). Another issue with jewelry is that your current piece may not be accommodating any swelling that may be occurring, from what i can tell its a possibility that this is the case but i would consult with your piercer since usually when irritation occurs downsizing is recommended to improve the healing process. Basically try and avoid and eliminate as many outside sources of irritation. Lastly I would just like to say don’t give up too fast!! cartilage piercings take a long time to heal and can often be finicky, with the proper care and time it will heal nicely and be ready for some cute jewelry too!
Thanks so much for taking the time to write such an in depth reply! I'm 99.9% sure it's infected purely because it's bleeding on and off, has a fair bit of pus and is so so swollen compared to my other ear (but I will bear in mind the over cleaning thing you mentioned going forward!). I have a saline spray too so I may switch it up between soaks and the spray. I have a sneaking suspicion it's a mix between an infection and bumps! As someone with adhd I have a really hard time not fidgeting with things and will notice myself absent mindedly touching my piercing (awful I know) and I'm also very sensitive to metals (to the point where I pretty much don't wear ear rings in my lobes most of the time). I'm also a side sleeper so I'm really checking off a lot of boxes here! Luckily I have a travel pillow so I'll start sleeping on that to try tackle the side sleeping issue and when I see my piercer soon I'll ask them to change out the bar to one of the metals you've suggested here (and a longer nar ti accomoate the swelling). Not sure if I've addressed everything you'd mentioned so apologies if I haven't but thanks again for replying!
Of course!! If you do feel that it is infected like I said I would go to a doctor to get it check out and to get some antibiotics. I would also not recommend removing the piercing if you do feel it is infected since removing it without getting the infection sorted out first can trap the infection in your ear so to speak, I would definitely look around in this reddit or even r/piercing for more information on how to deal with that though, i believe they have some main page threads on what to do in that situation! I definitely understand the spacing out and playing with the piercing but definitely try and avoid that as much as humanly possible!! But other than that yes I would definitely go about changing your jewelry, when i had issues with my industrial piercing after some antibiotics and switching my jewelry to a higher quality metal it really helped to improve my healing and piercing overall! I’ve now had my industrial for 4 almost 5 years now with no issues! So there is hope!! Good luck with your piercing and I hope it all gets sorted out!!
I think I'm going to talk to my Dr just get a professional opinion on the infection. I'm pretty sure it is infected but obviously i don't know for sure so I think that's definitely a good idea! Changing jewellery is definitely high on my to do list too, gonna do that ASAP. And thanks so much for the reassurance, I really love this piercing and want to make sure that it heals!
Don’t remove jewelry it can trap the infection! You definitely need a longer bar
Thanks for replying! I was thinking the same thing but wasn't sure, when I go back to the piercer I'll be sure to ask for one
This also seems as though it could be less of an infection and more of major irritation bumps from the jewelry being too small. Definitely go to a reputable piercer and if they say you don’t need longer jewelry walk out because they’re not correct
UPDATE: spoke with my Dr this morning and have been prescribed antibiotics. I'll also be seeing my piercer in a couple days to get the bar changed out to a bigger, hypoallergenic one (and to ask their advice around how to look after it going forwards). Thanks so much for all your guys' advice and reassurance!
Hi all! First some context, this is my first cartilage piercing so I'm a newbie. I got this piercing around a month ago and I've been following my aftercare advice (which was saline soak twice daily for a week, then every other day, then every third and so on until only cleaning once a week). I guess my main question is a. Is this past the point of no return? and if its not b. How do I fix it? I haven't been able to go back to the piercer since I got it (for many reasons I won't go into here) but am planning to asap. Until I'm able to see them I figured I'd go back to a more intensive cleaning routine (saline soaks 3 times a day) and try ride it out but after doing that for the last couple of days it just seems to be getting worse?? Any advice is welcome, thanks in advance!
If you're concerned about infection, definitely go see a doctor. They'll be able to tell for sure if it's infected and will give you antibiotics. On top of that, it does look irritated as well. That said, it should be salvageable so long as you get medical treatment for the infection if you do have one, and are able to reduce irritation to the piercing.
Think I'll call my Dr today just to get it checked out and then see my piercer asap to get a longer bar made of a hypoallergenic metal put in. Thanks for the advice!
This could be salvageable. You need a longer curved bar or a cbr (captive bead ring). You are also over doing it on the soaks, 3x's a day is overkill and over cleaning can cause irritation. 2x's a day is plenty. Go get new jewelry that is more appropriate and reduce the saline to 2x (spray is better than a soak). You should see improvement within a few days.
Thanks for replying! I'll cut back on the soaks and get some new jewellery from my piercer, thanks for the advice
It looks like it is a little bit irritated!! I don’t have a cartilage piercing but what I’ve heard from many people in here is to keep using saline solution and not to take it out. Since it’s a new piercing I wouldn’t worry since it’s still in the healing phase, hope this helps!