Even with proper care, about 20% of earlobe piercings become infected and 30% of cartilage piercings become infected. Most commonly, an infected ear piercing is caused by bacteria entering the wound, which can happen in several ways. Handling with unclean hands.
Infection, specifically, is relatively rare, especially if you're strict about the aftercare. But it can definitely still happen because, as with any type of piercing, you're essentially cutting a hole in the skin and inviting bacteria to crash the area.
Of all the body sites commonly pierced, the navel is the most likely to become infected because of its shape. Infections can often be treated with good skin hygiene and antibiotic medications. With this type of infection, jewelry generally does not have to be taken out.
Signs of an infection
Your piercing might be infected if: the area around it is swollen, painful, hot, very red or dark (depending on your skin colour) there's blood or pus coming out of it – pus can be white, green or yellow. you feel hot or shivery or generally unwell.
With proper care, most mild earlobe infections will clear up in 1 to 2 weeks. It is common to have mild infections come back without daily earring care.
For ear piercings, it is recommended to wait 6-8 weeks before attempting to change your earring. This is recommended as 6-8 weeks is the length of time that it takes for a piercing to heal.
9. DON'T: Take out the piercing until it's completely healed. You should never swap out your jewelry before your piercing has completely healed. Doing so can lead to infection, scarring and even a rejection of the jewelry.
Touching your piercing a lot, while it's still a new, open wound, can also expose it to bacteria that can cause an infection.
Ear piercings are generally safe but can become infected if they are touched with dirty hands or not cleaned every day. If an infection does occur, there may be swelling, redness, pain, warmth, and a pus-like discharge from the piercing.
Along with the nostrils and belly button, the earlobes are the safest and most common body part to be pierced. The flesh of the earlobe heals well when the area is cleaned regularly and the piercing is done at the proper angle.
Surface piercings have the highest rejection rate. Surface piercings such as microdermals as well as eyebrow piercings and navel piercings reject the most because they are closest to the surface of the skin.
Diabetics and those with a compromised immune system are especially vulnerable to infection after a piercing. And at the site of piercings, people of color are more likely to develop keloids — raised, overgrown scars, Laumann said.
Auricular perichondritis and perichondrial abscess typically occur in the first month after piercing, especially during warm-weather months. Auricular perichondritis presents as painful swelling, warmth, and redness in a portion of the auricle that often spares the earlobe.
It's normal to have some redness, swelling or pain for a couple of days after getting your ears pierced. But your ears should look and feel better each day. If you find that your ears do great and then suddenly start to become red, inflamed or crusty a week or two later, that's usually a sign of infection.
For an early or minor infection, you may notice changes to the skin around the piercing: Turns red or darker than your normal skin color. Feels warm. Is swelling.
If your doctor told you how to care for your infected piercing, follow your doctor's instructions. If you did not get instructions, follow this general advice: Wash the area with a mild soap and water 2 times a day. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing.
First and foremost: alcohol can damage the sensitive tissue of a healing wound. While it is true that it can stop germ activity in a wound, it can also irritate the skin when applied. The use of alcohol often induces/increases swelling and also tends to cause an intense burning sensation.
Don't touch a new piercing or twist the jewelry unless you're cleaning it. Keep clothing away from the piercing, too. Excessive rubbing or friction can irritate your skin and delay healing. Keep the jewelry in place.
“If you clean it too much that salt can dry out your piercing, which can also lead to issues such as overly dry skin, redness around the piercing, inflammation,” Premer said. You should wash your piercing twice a day and avoid touching it until it is completely healed.
"After years, it is likely that the hole will remain open, however, this varies based on how long you've had the piercing and also on your body's healing abilities," said Frances Miranda, Studex corporate trainer and business development manager.
It's hard to predict how quickly your body will attempt to close a piercing, but as a general rule, the newer it is, the more likely it will close up. For instance: If your piercing is less than a year old, it can close in a few days, and if your piercing is several years old, it can take several weeks.