Dont use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or antibiotic ointments. Get useful, helpful and relevant health + wellness information. Ear and face piercing aftercare. In a perfect world, youd get your ears pierced and spend the rest of your life effortlessly rocking cute earrings. 8 tips for treating an infected nose piercing. "Minor infections can be managed conservatively with saltwater or sterile saline soaks, and it is not necessary to remove the jewelry," says Chang. Physicians should remain nonjudgmental so that patients are not reluctant to report a problem. In one study, as many as 35% of people with pierced ears had one or more of the following complications: Some pain and redness are part of the normal healing process for pierced ears. See a doctor if it doesnt get better, or the earring is stuck. Treat the infection at home by cleaning the infection with a saline solution 3 times per day. Wash your hands before touching or cleaning your piercing. You May Like: Over The Counter Antibiotics Oral. You may need antibiotics if your piercing is infected. Doing so can crush the skin and cause more injury than a piercing performed with a hollow needle. Read Also: Over The Counter Antibiotics For Piercing Infections, Is My Piercing Infected? Dont receive a piercing from a reusable piercing gun that does not have sterilized disposable cassettes. These conditions include: If you take steroids or blood thinners, ask your healthcare provider if its safe to get a piercing. If you develop an abscess, spreading infection, fever, chill, or malaise, please notify your board-certified physician for evaluation and treatment," says Chang. Oral antibiotics, such as cephalexin or clindamycin, can be used to treat streptococcus and staphylococcus. If theres a bump on the back of the ear piercing, its not necessarily infected. You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. Chlamydia is a common STD/STI caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Mild infections can be treated easily enough at home. This is a common way infection starts. Embedding may be prevented by using longer earring posts with adjustable backings. Treatment with 2 percent mupirocin ointment (Bactroban) or oral antistaphylococcal antibiotics may be warranted. 4th ed. it can be treated with antibiotics and proper care. Discover the health risks associated with tattoos and piercings, tips for having a safe procedure, and, Women have specific nutrient needs that change throughout their life span. This decreases the risk of infection. If you clean your ears without washing your hands first, you run the risk of exposing your piercings to bacteria. 3+ day shipping. 3+ day shipping. Birthmarks, freckles, and moles are among the individual characteristics that make us unique, like the wood grain in a piece of burled walnut. However, you can. Minor infections can often be treated at home, but it's important to make sure you are doing so with clean hands. Lacerations to the ear may occur after falls, motor vehicle crashes, contact sports, person-to-person violence, or accidental pulling of an earring. A person viewing it online may make one printout of the material and may use that printout only for his or her personal, non-commercial reference. They may recommend a variety of treatments to help heal an infected ear piercing. Routine care is also essential to keep infection at bay. It will only worsen your infection and cause skin damage. Add three to four drops of tea tree oil to your saline or sea salt soak. In addition, young children have juvenile and poor judgments which may make them begin to pull the piercing jewelry earrings or bars. Taking good care of your piercing is key to preventing infection. The Crusty, Dry Skin Around Your Piercing Is NormalHere's Why, If You're Getting a Belly Button Piercing, Here's What You Should Know, The Complete Guide to Getting a Double Ear Piercing, Nose Piercings Explained: Cost, Pain Level, and Placement Options, What to Know Before Getting a Forward Helix Piercing, Hip Piercings: Everything You Need to Know, What to Know Before Getting a Nape Piercing, Expert Piercers Weigh In on Getting Rid of a Piercing Bump, What to Know Before Getting Your First Snug Piercing, The 9 Piercings That Heal the Fastest (and How to Care for Them), Want to Get a Smiley Piercing? Leaving the piercing jewelry in place, soak a cotton ball in the solution and place it on the affected area. Even though there are people who will argue that piercing guns cause less pain, there is a need to understand that any external object that is exposed to your blood supply is likely to cause problems. Redness, swelling and pain in your earlobe or cartilage. Mayo Clinic offers appointments in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota and at Mayo Clinic Health System locations. "My experience is that bellybutton piercings are the ones most at risk for infections. Continue to do it but taper it down to twice a day up to 8 weeks. You may need antibiotics if your piercing is infected. Instead, see a dermatologist, who will likely swab the area for a culture and start a course of topical and/or oral antibiotics to treat the infected skin piercing. You should call a healthcare provider if you experience: You may want to ask your healthcare provider: Getting your ears pierced is most often a safe, simple procedure. The doctor wouldn't stop recommending that I should take the piercing out. Gently rotate your earrings daily after applying antibiotic ointment or petroleum jelly to lubricate the piercings. Abscess formation has been reported following nipple piercing.10 Except for case reports of cellulitis and spread of infection around an implant,32,33 little information is available about nipple piercing after breast implantation or chest wall augmentation. Can my ears get infected even after the piercing heals. The vendor should also assure you they only use sterile tools and hygienic practices. Ear piercing infection treatment may include: Applying a warm compress to the infected earlobe or cartilage. Do not remove the piercing. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Clean the piercing on both sides of your earlobe. Swelling can cause loss of function, like if your tongue gets swollen and doesnt move easily. Put a warm compress on the infected cartilage or earlobe. Use a cotton swab to apply the diluted oil directly to your piercing one or two times per day. Luckily, infected ear piercings arent the norm and, if you get pierced at a reputable place and practice solid piercing after-care, youre probably going to be just fine. It helps make sure all tools are clean before they touch your body. Antibiotics are highly recommended when cellulitis occurs. The first thing you should check is the symptoms. Any minor infection on any ear piercing can be successfully cured at home for some fundamental ways. They may recommend a variety of treatments to help heal an infected ear piercing. How will I know when the infection has cleared? Tea tree oil. Antibiotics After Hip Replacement For Dental Work, What Antibiotics Are Safe To Take With Kidney Disease, Over The Counter Antibiotic Cream For Folliculitis. Cleanse the Spot with a Saline Solution A mixture of salt and water is the most universal yet mild antiseptic. An ear piercing infection can be painful and uncomfortable, but in most cases, (Read: Can i drink expired boost?) If you have a major infection or. Just use twice a day for a week or two if you need to get rid of ear or nose piercing infection. Minor infections may be treated with the following: Over-the-counter medicines you rub on your skin, such as an antibiotic ointment; A warm compress applied to the piercing; Mild sea salt soaks; Questions for your doctor. Typically you would use mupirocin or polysporin ointment, but for a severe infection, your doctor might prescribe an oral antibiotic instead, adds Dr. Evans. Family physicians should be familiar with body piercing practices and associated health risks (Table 1114). $7.47. Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization and proceeds from Web advertising help support our mission. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Taking oral antibiotics for more severe infections. Getting your ears pierced in an unhygienic environment or with unsterilized equipment. Now, if you're using it for the right reasons, the problems it could cause aren't worse than the problem your combating. A piercing is essentially an open wound. Recommended Reading: One Time Dose Antibiotic For Uti. If you add a couple of drops of tea tree oil to the salt solution, it might aid healing. Oral antibiotics are preferable for treating infected piercings. There are a few treatment options that will help the healing process of an infected ear piercing: 1 If the infection is severe, oral antibiotics could be prescribed. Most infected ear piercings are caused by a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and so you need an antibiotic that covers this bacteria, such as ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin. 1998-2023 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). To treat an infection in an old piercing, people should clean the earring and both sides . (n.d.). Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Clinical presentation. Removal of oral and nasal jewelry also is recommended before nonemergent surgical procedures. Sometimes, piercings ooze blood or white, yellow or green pus. Apply rubbing alcohol and/or antibiotic ointment to the area twice daily. "Avoid alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to the affected area, as these can further irritate the skin and slow down the healing process," says Chang. Any suspected infection should be treated. Navel, nipple, and genital piercings often have prolonged healing times. "Its 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. body . The person doing the piercing will insert a piece of jewelry into the hole. Prolonged wearing of heavy jewelry also may result in an elongated tract or bifid deformity of the earlobe. If gentle probing fails to locate an embedded ear-ring, a small incision under local anesthesia (without epinephrine) may be necessary to locate and remove the earring or backing. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our. Getting a tattoo or piercing is a big decision. As it heals, it may look swollen, lumpy, or like a bump. The nose can be pierced in the fleshy nares or through the cartilaginous septum. A weak solution of sea salt or kosher salt in warm water is the best gentle disinfectant for crusty piercings. A piercing may be infected if you notice redness, swelling, pain or tenderness, warmth, crusting, and yellow drainage around the piercing site, says Chang. See your doctor if your piercing has pus around it. Remember, only your doctor can assess how severe your infection is and determine the best course of treatment. Expert Answer. Know when it's an emergency Redness, warmth or swelling around your piercing. Be sure to ask about their infection prevention protocol. Most times, the infection can be treated without losing the piercing. 1. Piercings in your upper ear are more likely to become infected, and infections in your upper ear are sometimes serious. Salt helps to disinfect, chamomile has natural healing properties, and the warmth can help with blood flow to the area of cartilage. These types of infections are harder to treat and may require oral antibiotics. The infection doesnt improve with home treatment within two days. Although there is a risk of infection because of the vast amounts of bacteria in the mouth, the infection rate actually is low. Upper ear piercings are more likely to get infected. In most cases, infections arent serious and clear up quickly. 1. They also penetrate well into the cartilage. 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