So. I'm pretty sure I have an infection.

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foxonstilts
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Wed Sep 26, 2007 9:49 pm

Okay. I have two cartilage piercings and two lobe piercings and about a month ago I found myself in a piercing parlor and decided to pierce my cartilage again just below one of the other ones.

Well, it's been a month and it's oozy and crusts over sometimes. My ear is red and somewhat swollen. Swollen to the point that I can't take the earring out of it, that is.

It's a ring/ball type earring where you pop out the ball to take it out, but with the way my ear is swollen, its too big to get it out.

I tried to take pictures, but they're not very clear at all. I can still try if you guys really think it's necessary...

basically, is there a way I should clean it to make it better, something I should put on it, a way to get the earring out, or should I go back to the piercer and ask them?

thanks in advance....
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Aivanne
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Wed Sep 26, 2007 10:13 pm

ask the piercer.
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InkHo
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Wed Sep 26, 2007 10:16 pm

Fuck that! Go see a doctor and get some antibiotics.
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Aivanne
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Wed Sep 26, 2007 10:28 pm

InkHo wrote:Fuck that! Go see a doctor and get some antibiotics.
pussy.
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FadeToBlack
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Wed Sep 26, 2007 10:33 pm

I don't even need to look at the piercing aftercare papers anymore, it's simple what to do, and textbook.

Wash hands with Dial soap.

Take Q-tip, wet with hot hot water, clean crust/pus substance from piercing and pierced area.

Take new Q=tips and swish around in water/dial soap mixture. Lightly brush piercing and pierced area as you are rotating it through hole to clean out pierced skin.

Take a new Q-tip and wet with hot hot water and rinse piercing and pierced area while rotating to get all remaining soapy mixture out of pierced area and off the piercing.

Dry area and piercing with new Q-tip and apply minimal amount of A&D to piercing and rotate through pierced area. Make sure not to clog or leave excess cream on area and piercing.

ALSO, VERY IMPORTANT. Do NOT.......I repeat, DO NOT touch the piercing throughout the day. It is not a good thing to constantly touch the piercing and twist the jewelry around. It will only irritate the piercing and cause a lot of harm.

Have fun.
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InkHo
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Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:21 pm

Aivanne wrote:
InkHo wrote:Fuck that! Go see a doctor and get some antibiotics.
pussy.
Asshole :wink:
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Aivanne
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Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:23 pm

InkHo wrote:
Aivanne wrote:
InkHo wrote:Fuck that! Go see a doctor and get some antibiotics.
pussy.
Asshole :wink:
I love when we understand each other.
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InkHo
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Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:28 pm

Well sure...I haven't been stalking you people for nothing :twisted:
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foxonstilts
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Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:57 pm

I've been poking around this here interweb and most people say to use sea salt soaks on infected piercings....?

Has anyone tried this or know if it's reliable?
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Aivanne
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Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:58 pm

foxonstilts wrote:I've been poking around this here interweb and most people say to use sea salt soaks on infected piercings....?

Has anyone tried this or know if it's reliable?
i surf a lot and my piercings have always healed really fast. so maybe.
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choo
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Thu Sep 27, 2007 4:49 am

90% of people claiming their piercing is "infected" are full of shit, its usualy just realy irritated.

sea salts work quite well to keep a piercing healthy especialy during healing: but if its too strong its bad (ie: seawater)
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foxonstilts
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Thu Sep 27, 2007 11:10 am

choo wrote:90% of people claiming their piercing is "infected" are full of shit, its usualy just realy irritated.

sea salts work quite well to keep a piercing healthy especialy during healing: but if its too strong its bad (ie: seawater)
It might jsut be irritated...I don't really know a lot since my other piercings have healed quite nicely. But by the sounds of it the salt water seems to work well, so I'll try that out tonite.
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niteshadepromise
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Thu Sep 27, 2007 1:17 pm

Salt water does indeed work really well. My navel piercing got really irritated at one point, so I started treating it with a shot glass with hot salt water in it. Within a DAY the redness went down, and within three days it was back to normal again.
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choo
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Fri Sep 28, 2007 4:38 am

just a note... more salt doesnt mean better healing

1/4 teaspoon of seasalt to 1cup boiling water is best (obviously wait for the water to cool)

the reason it works so well is because its close to the bodys natural PH (ie: sweat / tears).
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foxonstilts
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Sat Sep 29, 2007 8:46 pm

Wow! The recovery is amazing! It's only been 3 days with the sea salt treatment (and I've stopped messing with the earring) and it's much better. Still a little swollen, but the pain has lessened a lot and the piercing itself is obviously a lot better. :)

I just thought I'd post that in case someone comes and stumbles upon this thread and wants to know what the outcome was. Thanks for the help, you guys.
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