Just got my ear cartilage pierced. Scared of infection!!! help?
Question:
Also, the place where I got it pierced sold me a bottle of Sea-Salt water to apply it on with a cotton ball 3-4 times a day. All I do is just pat it down around the area and turn my earing. Is there something else I should use, and am I even cleaning it correctly? I love this earing & don't wanna take it out!
Answers:
clean it with soap and water (no rubbing alcohol!), keep turning it. It should be fine, it'll take awhile to heal. Try not to sleep on it, or if you have to, be careful. Be careful about getting hair caught in it. Cartilage piercings take a lot longer to heal than other ear piercings. Don't take the earring out for an extended time until they told you to or else it will close up.
Once you can take the earring out, make sure that you keep the area clean with soap and water, and clean the earring every once in awhile.
If it hurts a lot for awhile, there's pus for an extended period of time, lots of swelling, etc. after a few weeks, you should go see a doctor. They might have to give you something stronger to put on it. But you should be fine.
Other Answers:
Last time my earring hole got tender, I used rubbing alcohol. It stings, but it disinfects. I would not use both, and I would wash it good with soap and water before switching to a different disinfectant.
That's normal and you're looking after it well. Try a product called "hibitane" it's a red disinfectant used on piercings. Also try to avoid sleeping on that particular ear as it might get irritated by being squashed against your head during the night.
when I got my cartilage pierced I couldn't sleep on that ear for 4 months...so yes, you're probably experiencing normal pain and discomfort (cartilage is one of the more painful areas to pierce). It's also normal to experience some redness and swelling for a few weeks or more. If the swelling increases, the area becomes hot or you notice any strange discharge - see your doc as it could be infected. I'm not familiar with the cleaning solution they gave you...do a web search, I believe there are other gentle cleansers you can use to clean the area (such as 50/50 Hydrogen peroxide/Water solution -or ask your doc). If you don't find anything better, continue with the solution you receieved....the reason why they tell you to turn the earring is so that the skin does not grow into the metal (causing it to be very painful to remove).
Some of the products we use in Emergency Medicine for cleaning are Iodine (but not recommended for use in this situation), however Benzoalkium Chloride is an excellent disinfectant that will minimize irritation, and is often sold as a cleaner for earrings and the likes.
Had my ear cartilage pierced in 1986!! Hurt for six months, and of course everyone wanted to touch it. Still hurts a bit today (Oh my god, I've had it for twenty years!! Yikes!) if I sleep on it wrong (if the hoop flips up rather than down). You'll be okay, be patient. Remember, it's not just skin like an earlobe, it's the same stuff that holds your nose up! It takes a lot longer to heal.
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