Localized cellulitis is the most common infectious complication resulting from body piercings.
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.
“The most dangerous piercings are the ones that involve cartilage, like higher ear piercings,” says Tracy Burton, a pediatric nurse practitioner in Ontario. “These piercings are associated with poor healing because of the limited blood supply to the area.
Safest Piercings
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.
Gently pat dry the affected area with clean gauze or a tissue. Then apply a small amount of an over-the-counter antibiotic cream (Neosporin, bacitracin, others), as directed on the product label. Turn the piercing jewelry a few times to prevent it from sticking to the skin.
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 lead to a condition known as perichondritis.
In most cases, minor ear piercing infections go away within 2 weeks with proper home care. When to call a doctor. In some cases, home care might not be enough. If your earring or the backing is stuck inside your earlobe, you should seek care from a doctor.
What piercings reject the most? 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.
Surface piercings such as eyebrows, neck, nipple and wrist tend to be rejected more easily than other piercings. That's because they do not travel directly through the body, but rather along an area of skin because the jewellery is puncturing only a small amount of the skin's surface.
Rook piercings are located in the cartilage at the uppermost part of the inner ear. The location does go through a thick bit of cartilage so it can be more painful and harder to heal than many other spots on the ear. The Rook is more in line with the Snug when it comes to pain and healing.
The most attractive spot for a piercing is the belly button. The least attractive is a tie between the nose and the nether regions.
Answer: Conch ear-piercing is considered to be one of the most attractive of all piercings.
DO NOT pick the crusties off—that's just introducing your dirty hands to a healing piercing and can increase your risk of infection. The best way to clean them is to soak the piercing in warm saline solution, softening the crusties which then come off easily.
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.
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.
Lobe (including Orbital): “The earlobe piercing is the easiest piercing to get in terms of pain and healing,” says Rose. “It is with minimal discomfort, and healing can take four to six weeks.” With that said, Rose does advise against using rubbing alcohol and peroxide, and wearing face masks that go behind your ears.
Nose. Nose piercings are notoriously hard healers, as they are a very sensitive area due to the nerves that run though. They take at least 12 weeks before being able to be changed, and even then, may need more time.
Rhino and Nasallang Piercings
These are definitely up there with the rarest and most unusual piercings! We must note that these piercings are rare for a reason. They are not something we would generally offer to the general public, simply because they are quite extreme and carry a certain amount of risk.
Minor pierced ear infections can be treated at home. With proper care, most will clear up in 1 to 2 weeks.
Pierced areas, especially sensitive areas like the navel, can get infected months and even years after they were pierced, though infections most often occur very shortly after the time of piercing, as that is when the portal door is wide open.
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.
Avoid baths, hot tubs, swimming pools, saunas, lakes, etc. for the first three weeks after being pierced as they contain bacteria which can increase the risk of infection. If you think you have an infection, keep your jewelry in! This is very important as your jewelry will allow accumulating pus to drain.