After your piercing, you may be unsure whether what you are experiencing is a normal recovery stage or an infection. So learn how to spot an infection in your piercing so you can treat it properly to keep it healthy and beautiful. Watch for symptoms of pain, swelling, redness, heat, discharge of pus, and other more serious symptoms, and make sure to always use proper treatment techniques to avoid infection as much as possible.
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Method 1 of 3: Recognizing Signs of Infection
Step 1. Notice the skin tone is getting redder
It's normal to have a pink tint to your new piercing because your skin was recently pierced. However, if the red color is getting deeper or wider, this may indicate an infection. For that, observe whether the red color of your piercing improves or worsens over a day or two.
Step 2. Notice the smell
The area around your new piercing will usually smell bad for about 48 hours as your body adjusts to the wound. After that, the swelling of the wound should decrease. However, swelling that gets worse, reappears after improving for a while, and is accompanied by pain and redness are signs of infection.
Swelling can cause impaired body functions, such as if the tongue swells to the point where it is difficult to move. If the area around the piercing is too painful or swollen to move, you may have an infection
Step 3. Pay attention to the pain
Pain is the body's mechanism to inform a problem. The original pain from the piercing should subside in about 2 days, along with less swelling. Stinging, stinging, sore sensations are normal. However, pain that lasts longer than a few days, or pain that gets worse and worse, may indicate an infection.
Of course, if your new piercing is accidentally irritated, you will feel pain. Just be aware of the pain getting worse or not getting better
Step 4. Feel the heat around the piercing
Redness, swelling, and pain in the skin will be accompanied by heat. If your piercing is inflamed or infected, you may feel heat in the area. If you want to check the temperature around the piercing area, be sure to wash your hands first.
Step 5. Observe the pus coming out
It is normal and healthy to have a clear or whitish discharge from the piercing which then drains around the earring. This is lymph fluid, and is part of the body's recovery process. On the other hand, a thick white discharge or a colored fluid (green, yellow) may be pus. Pus may also emit an unpleasant odor. A thick white or yellow/green discharge may be a sign of infection.
Step 6. Consider the age of the piercing
Discomfort the same day you get your piercing may not be a sign of infection as it can take a day or more to develop. Meanwhile, the chances of infection in old piercings that have healed are also small. However, infection with older piercings is possible if the area has an injury such as a cut or open wound in the skin that allows bacteria to enter.
Step 7. Consider the location
If the piercing is located in a part of the body that is prone to infection, you will be able to detect it more quickly. Ask the piercer how likely it is that your piercing is infected.
- Piercings in the navel should be cleaned properly. Warm, sometimes humid locations are at higher risk of infection.
- Tongue piercings have a higher risk of infection due to the presence of bacteria in the mouth. Due to its location, an infection in the tongue can lead to serious complications such as an infection in the brain.
Method 2 of 3: Avoiding Infection
Step 1. Clean the new piercing properly
The piercer should provide detailed instructions on how to clean the piercing. Different piercings sometimes require different cleaning techniques. So, write down how to clean your piercing in detail. In general, follow these simple guidelines:
- Clean your piercing with warm water and a fragrance-free antibacterial soap like Dial.
- Do not use alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on new piercings. Both fluids are too harsh and can damage or irritate the skin.
- Avoid using antibiotic creams or ointments. This product can trap dirt and dust, as well as block airflow through the piercing.
- Don't use table salt to clean your piercing. Use a saline spray sold specifically for cleaning wounds, or non-iodized sea salt dissolved in warm water.
- Clean the piercing according to the frequency recommended by the piercer, no less and no more. Uncleaned piercings can cause dirt, dust, and dead skin cells to get trapped in them. Meanwhile, cleaning your piercing too often can make your skin dry and irritated. Thus, both have a negative impact on the recovery process.
- Gently slide or turn the earring while cleaning the piercing so that the cleaning solution can enter and coat it. This step is not necessary for some earrings. So, first consult with your piercer.
Step 2. Follow the new piercing care guide
Apart from cleaning properly, caring for your piercing can also help prevent pain and infection. Some guidelines you can follow for caring for your piercing in general are:
- Don't sleep on top of the piercing. The earrings in the piercing will rub against the blanket, sheets, or pillows, causing irritation and making them dirty. Sleep on your back if the piercing is on your face, or use a neck support pillow to hold it in place.
- Wash your hands before touching the piercing or the area around it.
- DO NOT remove the earring until your piercing has healed. This can cause the piercing to close, and if infected, the infection will become trapped within the layers of the skin.
- Try to prevent the new piercing from rubbing against clothing. Also, do not twist the earrings unless they are being cleaned.
- Stay away from swimming pools, lakes, rivers, hot tubs, or soaking in water until the piercing heals.
Step 3. Choose a professional piercer
About 1 in 5 piercings becomes infected, usually the result of an unsterilized piercing or poor care. So, use the services of a trusted professional piercer in a clean studio. Before getting your piercing, ask the piercer to show you where and how to sterilize the equipment. They should have an autoclave, and clean all surfaces in their studio with bleach and disinfectant.
- The piercer must use a new, sterile piercing needle. Never use needles repeatedly. In addition, the piercer should also wear new sterile gloves when working.
- A piercing gun should only be used to pierce the earlobe. However, other piercings, including ear cartilage piercings, must be done with a needle.
- Check local regulations regarding piercer licensing or training.
- DO NOT pierce yourself or ask a friend who is not trained to do it.
Step 4. Wear hypoallergenic earrings
Although an allergic reaction to jewelry is not the same as an infection, anything that irritates your piercing can increase your risk of infection. A severe allergic reaction may also require you to remove your earrings. So, it's best to wear hypoallergenic earrings to maximize your chances of recovery.
Choose jewelry made of stainless steel, titanium, niobium, or 14 or 18 ct gold
Step 5. Know the recovery period for your piercing
There are many parts of the body that can be pierced through different tissues with different volumes of blood flow. As a result, the recovery period for your piercing will vary greatly. So, get to know the location of your piercing specifically to find out how long you will need to provide extra care (for piercings not listed below, consult your piercer):
- Ear cartilage: 6-12 months
- Nostrils: 6-12 months
- Cheeks: 6-12 months
- Nipples: 6-12 months
- Navel: 6-12 months
- Surface/dermal piercings: 6-12 months
- Earlobe: 6-8 weeks
- Eyebrows: 6-8 weeks
- Nasal cavity wall: 6-8 weeks
- Lips: 6-8 weeks
- Prince Albert: 6-8 weeks
- Foreskin clitoris: 4-6 weeks
- Tongue: 4 weeks
Method 3 of 3: Coping With Infection
Step 1. Try using home remedies if your infection is mild
Dissolve 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of non-iodized sea salt or Epsom salt in 1 cup (250 ml) of warm water. Use clean cups or disposable plastic cups in each treatment. Soak the piercing or make a compress with a washcloth soaked in salt water. Do this treatment 2-3 times a day for 15 minutes at a time.
- If your infection doesn't improve within 2-3 fingers, or if your symptoms worsen, seek help from a piercer or seek medical attention.
- Be sure to thoroughly wet the piercing with salt water, on both sides. Continue to clean your piercing regularly with salt water and a mild antibacterial soap.
- You can also apply a small amount of antibiotic ointment to the piercing if there is an infection.
Step 2. Call a piercer if you have minor issues
If there are signs of a minor infection, such as redness or swelling that doesn't go away, you can contact your piercer and ask for treatment advice. You can also visit her right away if there is fluid coming out of the piercing. Piercers have handled many piercings so they can tell the difference between normal and non-normal recovery.
This step only applies if you have your piercing by a professional piercer. If not, discuss your questions with your doctor
Step 3. See a doctor if you have a fever, chills, or stomach pain
The infection in the piercing is usually localized around it. However, if it spreads to the bloodstream, a systemic infection that endangers safety can occur. In cases of severe infection, you may experience fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness.
- If the pain, swelling, and redness around the piercing feel widespread, see a doctor immediately. This may indicate that the infection is getting worse and has spread to other parts of the body.
- Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to prevent severe infections. If the infection has reached your bloodstream, you may need to be hospitalized and given antibiotics through an IV.
Tips
- Watch for infections in facial or mouth piercings. The close proximity to the brain makes infections in this area very dangerous.
- The scaly edges of the piercing are not always a sign of infection. Generally, this is part of the body's recovery process.
