How to Identify and Treat an Infected Piercing: Essential Tips and Prevention Strategies
Doctor explains how to identify and treat an infected piercing. Learn what's normal, warning signs, and preventive measures to keep your new piercing healthy. Discover when to seek medical help and more.
Disclaimer
The medical information in this content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. While Doctor O'Donovan Medical Education Limited always aims to provide accurate information, it does not replace professional medical advice from your own doctor or health provider. Always consult your own healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Doctor O'Donovan Medical Education Limited can not provide individual advice. Never ignore professional medical advice from your own health provider because of something you have read or watched here. Educational resources created by Doctor O'Donovan Medical Education Limited are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Topic Breakdown
Have you recently got a new body piercing, but now it's red, tender, and swollen? If so, your piercing may be infected. But don't worry—in this post, we're going to cover everything you need to know to sort this problem out.
It's important to understand that any piercing can become infected. Piercings that are outside the earlobe, in the ear cartilage, the belly button, or the nipple are at the highest risk of infection. Here, we will cover what is normal to experience with a new piercing, signs that your piercing may be infected, how to prevent infection, and finally, when you should seek help and treatment from your doctor.
First of all, let's go through what's considered normal when you first get a new piercing. You might find that the site is tender, itchy, and the surrounding area may look slightly red on white skin or a little darker than usual on brown or black skin. You may also notice that the pierced hole produces a small amount of pale fluid that forms a crust. This is completely normal. If you've had an ear or nose cartilage piercing, small lumps can sometimes form around the piercing. These are called granulomas, which are a sign of trapped fluid. You can treat these by soaking a pad in warm water and then holding the pad against them once a day. These are all normal things that happen after a piercing, and they will usually settle down after a couple of days.
But sometimes, there is a chance that you could develop an infection. So what are the signs and symptoms that you need to watch out for? You may notice that the area around the piercing has become swollen, painful, hot, very red, or dark. You may also notice redness that seems to be spreading under the skin. There may also be blood or pus coming out of it. The pus color can be white, green, or yellow, and this is different from the pale fluid that is normally expected. You may also have a high temperature, greater than 37.5°C, or you may feel generally unwell. If you develop any of these features, you should seek advice from a health provider.
Depending on the site of the piercing as well as your symptoms, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics for an infected piercing. The antibiotic may come in the form of a cream that you apply over the area with clean hands, or to prevent the infection from spreading, your doctor may recommend antibiotics that you take by mouth. If you are prescribed antibiotics, it's really important to take them for as long as your health provider advises. If you stop your treatment course before the recommended time, your infection could return. So even if you start to feel better after a couple of days, don't stop taking the treatment—keep taking it for as long as has been advised.
Your doctor may also need to take out the piercing if you have a severe infection. Leaving an infected piercing untreated can result in a more severe infection or something called an abscess, which is a swollen area filled with pus that might require hospital admission for drainage. In some rare cases, an infection can cause your piercing to close up.
There are six things that you can do to try to reduce the risk of a piercing getting infected:
1. Choose a qualified, experienced, and licensed piercer.
2. Clean your piercing twice a day with warm salt water.
3. Use warm salty water to soften any crusting.
4. Gently turn the jewelry while you're cleaning the piercing.
5. Use a clean paper towel to dry the piercing.
6. Gargle with salty water or an alcohol-free mouthwash if you've got a mouth piercing, such as a tongue piercing.
There are also eight important things to make sure that you avoid doing:
1. Don't do your own piercings—you're much more likely to get an infection if you do this.
2. Don't use cotton wool to clean the piercing; use a cotton bud or pad instead.
3. Don't pick at any crusting.
4. Don't twist or turn the jewelry when the piercing is dry.
5. Don't use a towel to dry the piercing.
6. Don't have sex until a genital piercing has healed.
7. Don't have oral sex until a mouth piercing is healed.
8. Don't go swimming for the first 24 hours after a piercing because this can increase your risk of getting an infection.
Also, when you go to get your piercing, make sure that you ask your provider to explain what they're going to do to you, whether there are any risks, how to care for your piercing properly, and how long they anticipate it will take to heal.
I've included lots more information on infected piercings in the description box if you want to learn more. Please do leave a comment if you'd like to share your own experiences with infected piercings to help others, or if you found this video helpful—it'd be great to hear from you. If you're looking to scale your medical brand on YouTube or are interested in sponsoring our videos with your products, feel free to book a consultation.
Thanks for reading, and until next time.
Share this article
Partner with Dr. O Donovan
If you would like to partner on a healthcare related campaign, discuss a story or seek my expert opinion please don't hesitate to reach out.