As you know, I got my ear cartiledge (sp?) pierced almost 4 weeks ago.
A few days ago, I noticed that instead of hurting less, it was hurting a lot more. Ugh!! I really took good care of it too. I used the sh***y solution that they gave me, I realize now that I really should've trusted my instinct and used alcohol all along.
Anyway, I have been meticulously cleaning it (4-5 times daily) with alcohol and using leftover Bactroban cream from when dd had a skin infection (which happens to be expired). I haven't been to the doctor in almost three years for a checkup and I know that if I call they will insist that I come in. What else can I do to kick the butt of this infection?
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I was never able to rescue a piercing that got infected. I guess try the treatment you're doing for one more day and if it doesn't get better, take the piercing out, that always fixes mine.
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My cartiledge got infected pretty bad too. Doc said Bactine (which I also used for all my other piercings) and he put me on antibiotics. Worked like a charm.
As you know, I got my ear cartiledge (sp?) pierced almost 4 weeks ago.
A few days ago, I noticed that instead of hurting less, it was hurting a lot more. Ugh!! I really took good care of it too. I used the sh***y solution that they gave me, I realize now that I really should've trusted my instinct and used alcohol all along.
Anyway, I have been meticulously cleaning it (4-5 times daily) with alcohol and using leftover Bactroban cream from when dd had a skin infection (which happens to be expired). I haven't been to the doctor in almost three years for a checkup and I know that if I call they will insist that I come in. What else can I do to kick the butt of this infection?
Stop using the alcohol! And the Bactroban!!
Seriously, you're doing more harm than good here.
For cartilage piercings I've found that saline or actual salt water soaks are best. If you feel you need something to fight infection, use tea trea oil or lavender.
The best thing you could do is leave it totally alone and stop cleaning it so many times a day. Once morning and then soak it a few times a day if you feel you must do something in saline and clean again and apply TTO before bed would be your best bet.
<-------------Tongue, nose, and ear cartilage pierced.
I had a heck of a time getting my ear to heal and even after a few years it's still prone to infection if I mess with it too much.
I was over cleaning too. We have a great piercer and he slapped me silly (not really but he gave me a stern talking to) and made me promise to use nothing but saline and TTO as needed and it healed quickly.
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Ouch, I"m sorry! I really don't know. I get weirded out by infections and usually go to the dr.
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I was never able to rescue a piercing that got infected. I guess try the treatment you're doing for one more day and if it doesn't get better, take the piercing out, that always fixes mine.
Ack! Nooooooooo.
Taking the jewelery out is the worst thing you can do. It removes the pathway for the infection to drain and can create a really nasty abscess. It's not hard to clear up an infection, but you need to distinguish the difference between infection and allergic reaction to the jewelery used!
I have a daughter who developed an allergy to gold in her second set of holes. We didn't know until too late that what we thought was infection was simply an allergic reaction.
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Ack! Nooooooooo.
Taking the jewelery out is the worst thing you can do. It removes the pathway for the infection to drain and can create a really nasty abscess. It's not hard to clear up an infection, but you need to distinguish the difference between infection and allergic reaction to the jewelery used!
I have a daughter who developed an allergy to gold in her second set of holes. We didn't know until too late that what we thought was infection was simply an allergic reaction.
Interesting..... okay, so what's the difference?
I've had my ears pierced since I was six years old and don't have an allergy to gold, nickel, anything.
It is not a yucky infection - yet. My symptoms are: slightly swollen, I can tell because there used to be more room to move the earring back and forth, and pain. It is not red and there is nothing blechy coming out of it.
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Interesting..... okay, so what's the difference?
I've had my ears pierced since I was six years old and don't have an allergy to gold, nickel, anything.
It is not a yucky infection - yet. My symptoms are: slightly swollen, I can tell because there used to be more room to move the earring back and forth, and pain. It is not red and there is nothing blechy coming out of it.
For my dd we got them close to cleared up then switched from gold to silver and all the problems resolved.
She'd had her ears pierced for almost 5 years and had no issues at all. Had her ears doubled pierced with gold and from the start there were issues. She can still wear gold in the bottom holes, just not the tops.
I have a devil of a time not fiddling with my cartilage piercing. Strangely enough I had a reaction to the captive bead ring they pierced my ear with and once I changed to gold the frequency of nasty icky infection went way down. But to this day if I mess with it too much, especially with dirty hands, it will go through the painful, swollen phase and then develop a huge infected blister on the back side.
I've had my nose pierced for almost a year now and I had the same problem with the initial piercing jewelery, switched to gold and had substantially less problems.
My favorite piercing is my nose. tiny gold stud with a diamond, but in the left nostril. The meaning behind it is what shoved me over the edge into getting it done:
The left side is the most common to be pierced in India, because that is the spot associated in Ayuvedra (Indian medicine) with the female reproductive organs, the piercing is supposed to make childbirth easier.
I will say that getting it done was more painful than pitocin induced, but otherwise unmedicated childbirth
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Interesting..... okay, so what's the difference?
I've had my ears pierced since I was six years old and don't have an allergy to gold, nickel, anything.
It is not a yucky infection - yet. My symptoms are: slightly swollen, I can tell because there used to be more room to move the earring back and forth, and pain. It is not red and there is nothing blechy coming out of it.
Argh, gateway timeou!
For us determining the source came about from a change of jewelery after someone mentioned the possibility of gold allergy.
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Alright, I have tea tree oil and Simply Saline spray in my bathroom. I'll start using those. It just HURTS so much! Tell me it won't take long to start feeling better ~ please!
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Alright, I have tea tree oil and Simply Saline spray in my bathroom. I'll start using those. It just HURTS so much! Tell me it won't take long to start feeling better ~ please!
It should feel better in a day or two, or it may come to a head and the pressure will release once the pocket opens.
What I can offer in the meantime is to make sure you're keeping hair products, makeup etc off it and to change your pillow case if you sleep on that side nightly. To sleep more comfortably take a clean washcloth and roll it up from one end to the other so you have a washcloth tube and then form that around your ear so that it doesn't touch your ear and then sleep on it that way. It'll keep the pressure off your ear and likely allow you to get more sleep.
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Alright, I have tea tree oil and Simply Saline spray in my bathroom. I'll start using those. It just HURTS so much! Tell me it won't take long to start feeling better ~ please!
Pretend you're in labor ....breathe and go to your happy place
Sorry, I hope the pain stops.
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