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Karen L. Hudson is a tattoo artist and contributing writer for . She has been an amateur artist as a hobby since grade school, and served a 12 month tattoo apprenticeship in a tattoo studio.
The Signs Of An Ear Piercing Infection And How To Treat It
Blair Murphy-Rose, MD is a board-certified dermatologist in New York who specializes in leading-edge facial rejuvenation techniques. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery and the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. She is a Castle + Connolly Top Doctor and Super Doctor of NY 2021-2023.
Piercings are a fun way to express yourself, but they aren't without added stress. From the cleaning and upkeep associated with a fresh one to the fear that you've let a hole close, with cute jewelry comes not-so-cute problems.
One of the most dreaded piercing woes is the infection. With symptoms like pain and drainage, an infected piercing isn't just annoying—it can potentially pose a real health risk. But fortunately, things don't have to escalate to that level. To get the 411 on infected piercings, we spoke to board-certified dermatologists Y. Claire Chang, MD, and Alicia Zalka, MD.
Infected Ear Piercing: Symptoms, Treatment, And Prevention
The first order of business is determining if your piercing is actually infected. According to Chang, signs of an infected piercing include:
It's worth noting that some piercing sites are more prone to infections than others. My experience is that bellybutton piercings are most at risk for infections. The second most common would be nose piercings, says Zalka.
Additionally, sometimes a jewelry allergy can be mistaken for an infection. If you have a nickel sensitivity, you may not be able to handle jewelry made of nickel-laden metals. It's best to see your dermatologist or other health care provider, as an infection can be mistaken for an allergic reaction and vice versa, says Zalka. Some people react to the metal in the piercing object. This can happen to those with a nickel allergy.
Effective Home Remedies For Ear Infections
Silver, gold, and steel may still contain small amounts of nickel, enough to bother someone very sensitive. In this case, niobium or titanium jewelry may be necessary. You may also have allergic reactions to other kinds of metals, even if they don't contain nickel. Always consider the jewelry first if you're having a problem, and have it changed to a high-quality metal if you think that could be the cause.
An infection does not necessarily mean you need to remove the jewelry and jump ship from your new piercing. Many infections will clear up with extra care, and you can keep your new jewelry. Minor infections can be managed conservatively with saltwater or sterile saline soaks, and it is not necessary to remove the jewelry, says Chang.
It can be tempting to want to turn, twist, and touch the infected piercing to keep the hole from closing up—but you must refrain. Avoid excessively touching or manipulating the infected site as this can worsen the irritation and inflammation, warns Chang. Only manipulate the piercing site when cleaning it; otherwise, leave it alone to heal.
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Easy Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Pimple In The Ear
You'll need to touch your piercing to make sure you do not have a fever or swollen lymph nodes, which suggests you should seek a doctor for further evaluation, notes Chang. But you must do so with clean hands: If touching the area, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly beforehand, she adds.
If you don't think the jewelry is the culprit, then the source of the infection is probably bacterial. The way to fix that is to kill and clear the bacteria. Try cleaning the area twice a day and doing sea salt soaks twice a day—basically, treat it like a brand-new piercing.
Avoid alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to the affected area, as these can further irritate the skin and slow the healing process, says Chang.
Tea Tree Oil For Piercings: Effect On Bumps, Keloids, Infection
Applying a topical antibiotic ointment recommended by a dermatologist can be a great way to help heal the infected area. After cleaning, gently pat the area dry and dot a small amount of the ointment over the infected area.
If the piercing is hot to the touch and painful, consider applying a warm-water compress. You can do this right at home by taking a washcloth, running it under warm water, and then applying directly to the infected site. Just make sure that the cloth is not burning hot. Keep the compress on for 20-30 minutes and repeat as necessary. It's healed when the skin returns to normal color and is no longer painful or swollen, and there is no longer any yellow discharge, says Zalka.
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More serious infections can lead to other serious problems, so if you are oozing thick or green pus or if the area is seriously swollen and hot to the touch, you should not attempt to clear the infection yourself. Improvement in redness, warmth, pain, and drainage suggests that the infected site is healed. If you develop an abscess, spreading infection, fever, chill, or malaise, please notify your board-certified physician for evaluation and treatment, says Chang. Advanced infections may require jewelry removal and antibiotic treatment, so please see your doctor.
Home Remedies To Heal Infected Piercings
Skin infections should be evaluated and treated professionally (usually with something bacterial, bacteriostatic, or bactericidal). Remember, only your doctor can assess the severity of your infection and determine the best course of treatment.
Takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.We and our 1609 partners store and/or access information on a device, such as unique IDs in cookies to process personal data. You may accept or manage your choices by clicking below, including your right to object where legitimate interest is used, or at any time in the privacy policy page. These choices will be signaled to our partners and will not affect browsing data.
Store and/or access information on a device. Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles to personalise content. Use profiles to select personalised content. Measure advertising performance. Measure content performance. Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources. Develop and improve services. Use limited data to select content.
Infected Ear Piercing
Eden Stuart is an editor at . She covers all beauty and wellness topics, with a special emphasis on makeup, skincare, and haircare.

Karen L. Hudson is a tattoo artist and contributing writer for . She has been an amateur artist as a hobby since grade school, and served a 12 month tattoo apprenticeship in a tattoo studio.
Blair Murphy-Rose, MD is a board-certified dermatologist in New York who specializes in leading-edge facial rejuvenation techniques. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery and the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. She is a Castle + Connolly Top Doctor and Super Doctor of NY 2021-2023.
Have An Infected Ear Piercing?
If you feel a bump on a piercing, there's no need to panic. Even if you're meticulous about your care and serious about the healing process, a piercing bump can rear its head. It's important to understand before you get a piercing that it takes a level of patience and dedication to earn your piercing wings, says pro piercer J. Colby Smith.
Still, the bump needs to be properly treated. To do that, you have to identify the type of bump you're dealing with, where it is located on your body, and how it got there in the first place. After that, simple remedies, time, and patience will help you cure any unsightly swelling. Read on to learn exactly how to care for a piercing bump straight from the experts.
Piercing bumps can be the body's immune system responding to the wound from the piercing, causing some localized inflammation which, in turn, causes the bump, explains board-certified family nurse practitioner Alexandra Moench, DNP of Schweiger Dermatology Group. She notes while this process is sometimes benign, in some cases, the underlying cause may be something other than inflammation and may need medical intervention to resolve. Some specific types and causes of piercing bumps include:

How To Get Rid Of A Piercing Bump, According To Dermatologists
The bad news: Many things can lead to the formation of a piercing bump. As such, it's important to investigate what actions and aspects of your day-to-day routine could be irritating.
It can be helpful to eliminate
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