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You just got a piercing and don’t know if your piercing is healing normally or, worse yet, has an infection. You should learn to recognize the signs of infection so that you can treat it properly and keep your piercing healthy and beautiful. Pay attention to pain, swelling, redness, heat, festering, and more serious symptoms, and make sure to follow the right guidelines to avoid infection whenever possible.
Steps
Know the signs of infection
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Notice if the piercing is redder. The new piercing is usually a little pink, because it’s a wound anyway. However, if there is redness or spread, it is a sign of an infection. [1] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to source Notice your piercing to see if redness decreases or increases within a day or two.
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Notice the swelling. The skin around the piercing will swell for 48 hours after the piercing as the body is adapting to the wound. After this time, the swelling should subside. More swelling, swelling after what is considered normal, swelling accompanied by redness and pain are symptoms of infection. [2] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source
- Swelling can impair bodily functions, for example, if the tongue is swollen, it will also make it difficult to move. If the skin around your piercing is so painful and swollen that it’s hard to move, you may have an infection.
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Pay attention to pain. Pain is the body’s response that something is wrong. The pain after the piercing should subside in about 2 days, during which time the swelling will also begin to subside. The wound may sting, hurt, burn, or sting. Pain that lasts more than two days or gets worse could be a sign of an infection. [3] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source
- Of course, if you accidentally irritate your piercing, you could be in pain. Pain that gets worse or doesn’t get better in the usual time is a sign of an infection.
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Feel the skin to see if it is hot. Redness, swelling, and pain often generate heat. If you have an infection, you will feel the piercing area as if it is radiating heat or hot to the touch. [4] X Research Source If you want to touch your piercing to check your temperature, you will need to wash your hands first.
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Observe for discharge or pus. The new piercing may ooze a clear or white liquid, which then scabs around the jewelry. This phenomenon is normal and healthy. That fluid is called lymphatic fluid and is part of the wound’s healing process. However, the thick, colored liquid (yellow, green) is probably pus. Pus often has a foul odor. [5] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source
- Any thick, cloudy, or colored discharge is considered a sign of infection.
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Consider piercing time. The discomfort on the day of the piercing is probably not an infection; Usually signs of infection develop after a day or more. There is also less chance of infection when the piercing has long since healed.
- However, an infection in the old piercing can also occur if the piercing area is injured; Any open wound on the skin can become a gateway for bacteria to enter.
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Consider the location of the piercing. If the piercing site is located in an area prone to infection, you should immediately suspect an infection. Ask your piercer what your risk of infection is.
- The navel piercing should be kept very clean. Because it is located in a warm and sometimes humid location, the navel piercing carries a higher risk of infection.
- Tongue piercings also carry a higher risk of infection from bacteria that are colonized in the mouth. Because of the position of the tongue, a tongue infection can lead to serious complications such as encephalitis. [6] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source
Avoid infection
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Clean the piercing properly. The piercer will give specific instructions on how to clean the new piercing and recommend wound cleaning products. Different types of piercing have different cleaning requirements, so you should get clearly written instructions. In general, follow these simple guidelines: [7] X Research Sources
- Wash your piercing with warm water and an unscented antibacterial soap like Dial.
- Do not use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to clean a new piercing. These substances are too strong to damage or irritate the skin.
- Avoid antibiotic creams or ointments. These products catch dust and debris, and furthermore don’t let the piercing “breathe”.
- Do not use table salt to wash the piercing. You should only use non-iodized sea salt mixed with warm water to wash.
- Wash your piercing as often as directed by your professional, neither more nor less. Less cleaning can cause dirt, scale, and dead skin to accumulate. Washing too much can also irritate and dry the skin. Both are not good for the recovery process.
- Gently remove or twist the jewelry when washing to allow the solution to enter the piercing and envelop the jewelry. This may not be suitable for all piercings, so you should consult your piercer first.
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Follow the instructions on how to care for your new piercing. In addition to proper cleaning, the right care can help prevent pain and infection. Here are some general guidelines on how to care for your new piercing: [8] X Research Source
- Do not press on the piercing while sleeping. Jewelry worn over the piercing can rub against blankets, sheets, or pillows, irritating and contaminating the skin. Lie on your back if navel piercing; If the piercing is on your face, you can try using a neck pillow on the plane and adjusting the piercing to fit the space in between.
- Wash your hands before touching the piercing and surrounding skin. [9] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source
- DO NOT remove jewelry before the piercing has healed. [10] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source This may cause the piercing to close. If there is an infection, the bacteria will colonize the skin.
- Try not to let your clothes rub against your new piercing. Also, do not twist jewelry unless it needs to be washed. [11] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source
- Avoid swimming pools, rivers, hot tubs, and do not soak in water while the piercing heals. [12] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source
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Choose a reputable piercing place. 1 in 5 piercings is an infection, usually due to an unsterile piercing process or improper care afterward. [13] X Research Sources You should only get your piercings done in a clean, reputable place and by a qualified professional. Before getting your piercing done, ask them to show you how the tools are disinfected – they need to have an autoclave and clean all surfaces with bleach and disinfectant.
- Piercers should only use needles freshly removed from sterile packaging, NEVER use reusable needles, and they must wear new, sterile gloves when piercing. [14] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source
- A piercing gun should NEVER be used. Stay away from that piercing place if you see a piercing gun. Go to a professional piercing site to ensure sterilization.
- Check your local regulations regarding the licensing and training certifications that a piercer needs.
- DO NOT pierce yourself or ask an unskilled friend to do the piercing.
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Use hypoallergenic jewelry when piercing. While a jewelry allergy is not the same as an infection, anything that irritates a new piercing increases the risk of infection. Severe infections may require you to remove new jewelry. Always choose hypoallergenic jewelry to best facilitate the recovery process.
- Choose jewelry in stainless steel, titanium, niobium, or 14-18 karat gold. [15] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source
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Know the recovery time of the piercing. There are many parts of the body that you can pierce, through many types of tissue, where there may be more or less blood circulation, so the recovery time will also vary greatly. It is recommended that you learn about the characteristics of piercing styles to see how long additional care will be required (for specific piercings not listed here, it is recommended that you consult a piercer) : [16] X Research Source
- Ear cartilage: 6-12 months
- Nose: 6-12 months
- Cheeks: 6-12 months
- Nipples: 6-12 months
- Navel: 6-12 months
- Skin/skin surface: 6-12 months
- Earlobes: 6-8 weeks
- Eyebrows: 6-8 weeks
- Partition: 6-8 weeks
- Lips or facial piercings: 6-8 weeks
- Penis: 6-8 weeks
- Clit: 4-6 weeks
- Tongue: 4 weeks
Treatment of infections
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Try home remedies if the infection is mild. Dissolve 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of non-iodized sea salt and 1 cup (250 ml) of warm water, in a clean, preferably disposable cup, for each wash. Soak or use a clean towel dipped in salt water and apply to the piercing area. Perform 2-3 times per day, 15 minutes each time. [17] X Research Source
- If the wound does not improve within 2-3 days or if symptoms worsen, you should contact your piercer or doctor for help.
- Make sure to soak the entire piercing area in the salt water, on both sides of the piercing. Continue washing daily with warm water and mild antibacterial soap.
- You can also dab a small amount of antibiotic ointment on the wound if it becomes infected.
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Call a piercer for minor problems. If you notice mild signs of infection such as redness or swelling and it doesn’t go away, you can call your piercer and ask about care. You can also go to your piercing and ask if there’s any discharge – they know many piercings so they can tell you if it’s normal.
- This only applies to professional piercings who have done it for you. If not, you need to consult your doctor.
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See your doctor if you have a fever, cold, or upset stomach. Piercing infections are usually localized to the piercing area. However, an infection that spreads or enters the bloodstream can lead to serious, even life-threatening, systemic infections. With a severe infection, you may experience fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness. [18] X Research Sources
- If pain, swelling, and redness near your piercing begin to spread, you need to see a doctor right away. This could be a sign that the infection is worsening and spreading to other parts of the body.
- Your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics to prevent a serious infection. If the infection has spread to the bloodstream, you may need to be hospitalized and given intravenous antibiotics.
Advice
- Watch out for an infection of a piercing in your face or in your mouth; The location near the brain makes infections in these parts especially dangerous.
- Scales around the piercing are not always a sign of infection; Most of that is just part of the recovery process.
- Do not use soap or ointment on a suspected infected piercing! You should only use warm salt water to wash (1/4 teaspoon non-iodized salt and 1 cup water). Use other therapies only if recommended by your piercer or doctor. If in doubt, you need to go to a reputable piercer before problems arise.
Warning
- Seek medical attention immediately if systemic symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, cold, dizziness or confusion appear. Sepsis is a very serious condition and can be life-threatening. [19] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source
X
This article is co-authored by a team of editors and trained researchers who confirm the accuracy and completeness of the article.
The wikiHow Content Management team carefully monitors the work of editors to ensure that every article is up to a high standard of quality.
There are 8 references cited in this article that you can see at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 243,504 times.
You just got a piercing and don’t know if your piercing is healing normally or, worse yet, has an infection. You should learn to recognize the signs of infection so that you can treat it properly and keep your piercing healthy and beautiful. Pay attention to pain, swelling, redness, heat, festering, and more serious symptoms, and make sure to follow the right guidelines to avoid infection whenever possible.
Thank you for reading this post How to Know the Signs of Infection During a Piercing at Tnhelearning.edu.vn You can comment, see more related articles below and hope to help you with interesting information.
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