How do you treat an infected second ear piercing?

Treating the infection at home

Wash your hands before touching or cleaning your piercing.
Clean around the piercing with a saltwater rinse three times a day.
Don’t use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or antibiotic ointments.
Don’t remove the piercing.
Clean the piercing on both sides of your earlobe.

How do you know if your second piercing is infected?

Symptoms of an infected ear piercing typically include:

Redness or swelling at the piercing site or redness that continues to expand past the piercing.
Crusty discharge.
Heat felt in the area around the piercing.
Thick pus that can be yellow or green.
Pain or itching.
Fever or feeling unwell.

Should I take my earring out if it’s infected?

If a new piercing is infected, it is best not to remove the earring. Removing the piercing can allow the wound to close, trapping the infection within the skin. For this reason, it is advisable not to remove an earring from an infected ear unless advised by a doctor or professional piercer.

How long does it take for an infected piercing to heal?

Minor pierced ear infections can be treated at home. With proper care, most will clear up in 1 to 2 weeks.

Will an infected piercing heal on its own?

Can a piercing infection go away on its own?

Does salt water help infected ear piercings?

Using a saline solution or sea salt solution to keep it clean can be one way to keep your piercing site free from infection as it heals.

Can you fix a rejecting piercing?

Ask the piercer about using a different piece of jewelry. Thicker-gauge jewelry or a different shape or material may help the piercing heal and settle into place better. Do not try to treat the rejection at home with bandages or coverings.

What does it mean when your ear piercing is infected?

When the piercing in your air is infected, you will notice a difference in the healing process, the amount of pain and other such symptoms of an infection. By infection it means that microorganisms have invaded the open wound and started growing and spreading from it. Most often, the infection is caused by bacterial infestation.

Can a cartilage piercing turn into an infection?

Cartilage piercings, which take place on the harder part of your ear, generally take longer to heal and can be more prone to infection. There are several ways your ear piercing can get infected. Any bacteria left to fester can quickly turn into an infection. If you touch your piercing with dirty hands or instruments, you can introduce an infection.

What happens if you leave an ear piercing untreated?

Leaving an infected piercing untreated can result in a more severe infection or an abscess (a swollen area filled with pus). Upper ear piercings are more likely to get infected. Left untreated, these infections can spread into your body (called a systemic infection). In some cases, an infection can cause your piercing to close up.

When to remove an earring from an infected ear?

For this reason, it is advisable not to remove an earring from an infected ear unless advised by a doctor or professional piercer. Once the wound has healed — usually after 2 to 3 months in the case of earlobe piercing or longer in cartilage piercings — a person can safely remove an earring.