Why Does My Ear Piercing Hurt So Bad

A new ear piercing is an open wound that can take several weeks to fully heal. During that time, any bacteria that enter the wound can lead to infection. Taking good care of your piercing is key to preventing infection.

An ear piercing is a hole through your earlobe or the cartilage in your middle or upper ear. Ear piercing infections may be red, swollen, sore, warm, itchy or tender. Sometimes, piercings ooze blood or white, yellow or green pus.

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A new piercing is an open wound that can take several weeks to fully heal. During that time, any bacteria that enter the wound can lead to infection.

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Your upper ear is cartilage, a thick, stiff tissue with less blood flow. Piercings in your upper ear are more likely to become infected, and infections in your upper ear are sometimes serious.

Millions of people get their ears pierced every year, and most of them have no serious complications. Mild irritation and infections are common, however, for new piercings. In most cases, infections aren’t serious and clear up quickly.

Some pain and redness are part of the normal healing process for pierced ears. It can be easy to confuse those with signs of infection.

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If there’s a bump on the back of the ear piercing, it’s not necessarily infected. Small bumps called granulomas can sometimes form around the piercing. These bumps are trapped fluid that you can treat by compressing them with warm water.

If bacteria get into a new piercing, it can lead to infection. You may expose your new piercing to harmful bacteria by:

Many things can increase your risk of getting an infection from an ear piercing. Certain health conditions can affect your body’s immune system and your ability to fight infection. These conditions include:

Is My Ear Piercing Infected?

Upper ear piercings are more likely to get infected. Left untreated, these infections can lead to a condition known as perichondritis. An infection can also spread into your body (systemic infection).

If you see signs of an infected cartilage piercing, you should contact a healthcare provider. The provider can assess the severity of the infection.

A healthcare provider can tell you what to do for an infected ear piercing. They may recommend a variety of treatments to help heal an infected ear piercing. Ear piercing infection treatment may include:

Infected Ear Piercing: Symptoms, Treatment, And Prevention

With good care, most infections clear up within a few days. If your infected ear piercing isn’t improving, you should see a healthcare provider.

Getting your ears pierced is most often a safe, simple procedure. Be sure to go to an experienced piercer who practices proper hygiene. Keep your new piercings clean, and don’t remove your earrings until your piercings have healed completely. Be patient — by preventing an infection now, you can enjoy your healthy piercings for years to come.

Getting

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. PolicyWorried about ear piercing pain? Don’t worry; I’ve felt that too. I’ve had multiple piercings done so I can speak from experience to help you decide what works for you based on your personal pain tolerance level, from least to most.

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11. Lobe piercings are in the fleshy lower area that feels the least amount of pain. The initial pinch will be the smallest of all piercings, and it also heals the fastest in about 6 weeks! Definitely the first choice for a first-time experimenter.

10. Rook piercings, due to their location in the folded upper ear, are a little more painful than previous options. The healing process can take up to 10 months, especially with its relatively difficult cleaning location. Take care!

9. The helix piercing, also known as cartilage piercing, are a bit less painful than other locations due to the relatively thinner area. The healing time is about 12 months, far less than some of the more unique piercings such as industrial.

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8. Tragus piercings are in a very small location, so the pain is lesser than some of the other entries on this list. The cartilage is thick, so it will feel more painful than a lobe piercing at the time, and the healing process can take up to 6 months.

7. The forward helix area, being so small, is slightly more painful than the regular helix piercing. The healing time will be at least 3 months, depending on the individual. Many people choose double or triple piercings for this location, which can add to the time.

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6. Orbital piercings are a bit more painful than the others since it often involves 2 punctures. You can do them separately, of course, since it may be uncomfortable to have the needle go through twice. The payoff is very worth it, with that unique circular look, but be prepared of what to expect!

Is Your Piercing Infected

5. Snug piercings are a little more on the painful side of the scale as they are located in the middle of the outer rim of the ear. Since it pierces both the inner and outer parts of the ear, the pain can be quite intense at the start, and the healing process can take up to 6 months.

4. Daith piercings are a tiny more painful since it’s in the inner cartilage of the ear, but still relatively high overall. The healing process will take about 3-9 months.

3. Flat piercings have go through a very thin later of cartilage, which actually can be more painful than other areas. It is a smaller piercing where the healing process can take 3 to 6 months.

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2. Conch piercings require a large amount of pressure to go straight through a thick layer of cartilage. While the initial intense pain doesn’t last too long, the healing time can last anywhere from 3 to 9 months.

1. Industrial piercings are, by far, the most painful piercing due it requiring two separate piercings through sensitive cartilage. The healing time is about 9 months, so it’s definitely a large commitment for this level of beauty! 

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Overall, you must choose what is best for you. Some people have different pain tolerance levels, and that’s ok—we’re all unique and we all have our own lifestyles. As always, make sure to practice proper hygiene and cleaning every day and you should be fine. Make the educated choice and stay beautiful and safe!Whether it's your first time or you are a seasoned ear piercer there's still important things to remember every time you go for a piercing. From what piercing is what, will it hurt to the all important aftercare, we've asked jewellers Rubirox for their ultimate tips for getting the ear stack of your dreams. 

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So avoid those piercing guns of our childhood, get yourself to a proper piercer and take the hassle out of getting your ears pierced, then come shop the Claire Hill Designs earring collection.  

A: Whether you can commit to the aftercare requirements, it’s not that difficult to stick to, but things like whether you have a holiday coming up should be considered beforehand. This is because things such as sun cream, prolonged sun exposure and sweat can aggravate a new piercing – plus we recommend swimming is avoided for four weeks post piercing so best to wait so you can properly enjoy your holiday!

A: I think lobes will always be the most popular, but a curated ear look is so popular so we do lots of cartilage piercings too!

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A: This is tricky because everyone is different. However, generally, piercings shouldn’t be too painful. Cartilage is often more painful than a lobe piercing, but the pain doesn’t last long – I would describe it as a hot sensation, your ears feel hot like they’ve been pinched! With proper aftercare, pain shouldn’t be a problem.

A: We always recommend you eat beforehand. Painkillers are up to you but always check with a medical professional before taking anything if you are unsure.

What

A: A traditional spring pressed gun can cause significantly more swelling as it is launched into the ear, this can often lead to inaccuracy and a longer healing period. A needle allows for a cleaner, more precise piercing that causes less damage to the ear, thus a shorter healing time. Therefore, a needle is often preferred. However, needles often evoke fear, meaning the experience may be more distressing. For this reason, some prefer guns. Fortunately, more modern equipment combines the benefits of both methods. The Inverness Piercing System boasts precision and cleanliness for a fast, gentle, almost painless experience. The innovative system safely pierces using a hand-pressed instrument and sterile hypoallergenic piercing earrings which feature a needle-like back. This means that the process has the same precision and safety of a needle, without the daunting look. This is the system we use at Rubirox and our customers all say it makes for a better experience than either a needle or a gun.

Infected Ear Piercing: Symptoms And How To Treat It

A: Yes – cartilage piercings take longer to heal than lobe piercings. This is because the body has to work harder to heal the cartilage than it does to heal the soft-tissue of the lobe. Generally, lobe piercings take 6 weeks to heal, while a cartilage takes