So im pretty sure my cartilage piercing is infected . . . ?

Question

i have a lump there & it hurts like a bitxhhh ;

i've cleaned it with hydrogen peroxide

& i have also put triple antibiotic cream on it .

but it still hurtss :[ - i dont want to go to the doctors or anything

so what do you suggest i do ? =/ ; help please !

Answer 1

Don't put cream or peroxide on it for a start. Peroxide is too harsh, and cream will just block everything up. Just clean with sea salt solution. Or saline solution/H20cean. All pretty much the same thing.

Is it a bump like this? http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Hypert... Kind abad picture, but you get the point. Hot, wet, cammomile teabag compresses work best for me. Make a cup of chamomile tea. Let the teabag sit in the hot water for approximately ten minutes. Apply the warm teabag to the piercing until it cools. Repeat process if necessary.

http://bodyjewelleryshop.blogspot.com/20...

Answer 2

NO! Don't take it out! You can save your piercing!

The same thing happened to me as well. What I did was I crushed up a bayer aspirin in a spoon and added a drop or two of water to make a paste, and then I put the paste on the lump and slept with it on.

Then in the morning you wipe the paste off and slowly but surely your lump will disappear. I did this for about two weeks. It is a little irritating and painful at first, but it's definetely worth it.

Answer 3

you need to take off the ring, and i don't think there's anything you can do but go to the doctors

Answer 4

Oh my God.  Do not listen to these people.  Unless your piercing is leaking pus, blood, or something else gross it is probably not infected.  DO NOT EVER use hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, or aspirin mixtures on your piercing.  More often than not these type of "remedies" will make the problem worse because they are extremely harsh and will irritate your piercing more than before.

It sounds like you have what we call a "pressure bump".  This can be caused by sleeping on the piercing, getting it caught on things, etc.  Make a point to not sleep on that side, keep your hair away from it, keep all hair and face products away from it, and for heaven's sake, don't put anything goopy on it.  Neosporin and the like will seal in any bacteria because they are a petroleum based product.  Trust me, it's just not a good idea.

I would advise starting a regimen of sea salt soaks twice per day.  You need one gallon of distilled water and 4tsp of non-idiozed sea salt.  This is not your normal table salt!  You can usually find it in health food stores.  Once you make the mixture pour it into a glass and stick your ear in it.  This is recommended for all piercings.

If you do not notice an improvement, or if the symptoms worsen, don't go to your regular doctor-they are just going to tell you to take it out, which is a terrible idea.  Go to a local piercing shop (not Claire's, or any mall shop) and ask them for help.

Answer 5

If the only thing you have is a bump, it's not infected, it's irritated.

Hydrogen peroxide is terrible for piercings. Don't use it. It dries out the skin and causes irritation.

Antibiotic creams are also a no-no. Most of them say on the package not to use on puncture wounds. Since you don't have an infection, you're not doing any good putting it on.

What you have is scar tissue. If you've been using the peroxide to clean it regularly, that could be the cause.

What type of jewelry do you have in? Rings move around a lot and irritate piercings, switch to a labret stud or barbell if your piercing is more than a few months old.

To clean it and help clear up scar tissue, do sea salt soaks twice daily. mix 1/4 tsp sea salt with 1 cup warm water and soak for 10 mins. Don't move the jewelry, don't touch it, just leave it alone. The scar tissue should start to clear up in a few weeks.