Medically Reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD on November 27, 2021
While getting your ears pierced is pretty safe, there's still a chance that your piercings could become infected. An ear piercing is a fresh wound that needs to be treated as such. This means keeping it clean and letting it heal. If your piercing does become infected, you can most likely treat it from home. When you first decide to get your ears pierced, make sure that you choose an experienced piercer that uses clean and sterile equipment. You should choose gold earrings, as this metal is less likely to cause an infection in newly-pierced ears. The earrings should also be post earrings, or small earrings that sit in your earlobe. By choosing a good piercer and earrings, you lessen your chances of getting an infected piercing. Fresh ear piercings take anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks to heal. During this time, you should take the proper steps to care for your piercings to avoid infections. This means cleaning the piercings twice a day with rubbing alcohol or an antibiotic cream. You shouldn’t take out your earrings during this time. Only touch your ears with clean hands. In addition to keeping your ears clean with alcohol, you should also wash your ears at least once a day with soap and water. This also helps ward off infections before they start. Even with proper care, about 20% of earlobe piercings become infected and 30% of cartilage piercings become infected. Most commonly, an infected ear piercing is caused by bacteria entering the wound, which can happen in several ways. Non-sterile equipment. Pierced ears can easily get infected if the equipment or environment isn’t sterile. Handling with unclean hands. If you clean your ears without washing your hands first, you run the risk of exposing your piercings to bacteria. Not cleaning the piercing enough. Ear piercing infections are also common if you don’t wash them often enough. Not allowing the piercing to heal. Infections are more likely if you try to take out the earrings before the piercing has healed. It’s normal to notice some itching and tenderness when it comes to new ear piercings. During the first weeks, your piercing might look slightly red or produce a crusty discharge as it heals. If you have a high ear piercing or cartilage piercing, you may also notice a small bump that forms around the piercing. This is called a granuloma and is also fairly normal. These bumps form when fluid gets stuck inside, but can be treated at home by applying a warm compress once a day. Symptoms of an infected ear piercing typically include: Most ear piercing infections aren’t serious and can be cared for at home. To care for your piercing at home, follow these steps: 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. You might also want to see a doctor if the redness and swelling continue to spread, or if the upper part of your ear is red. Without proper treatment, ear piercing infections can spread to the rest of your body. This is called a systemic infection. The infection can also get worse or form an abscess. An abscess is an area of the skin that is swollen and filled with pus. A piercing is an open wound that requires time and care to heal. Cartilage piercings typically take longer to heal and are more prone to infection than earlobe piercings. Even when a person follows the aftercare instructions, infections may still occur. An infected ear piercing can also develop years after a person got the original piercing. Usually, the infections are minor, and people can treat them at home without complications. Touching the piercing too often with dirty hands or not cleaning the area can lead to infections. Also, earrings that are too tight may not allow the wound to breathe and heal. In this article, learn about the symptoms of an infected ear piercing, as well as the treatment options, and how to prevent infections in the future. Share on PinterestSwelling and tenderness around a piercing may be symptoms of an infected ear piercing. Symptoms of an infected ear piercing include:
People can usually treat minor infections at home. Some infections are more difficult to manage than others and may need antibiotics. Hospitalization is rare but may happen if a person has a severe infection in a cartilage piercing. To care for minor infections, a person can take these steps:
Continue this regiment until the piercing has healed completely. It is best to see a doctor for treatment if:
The first step to avoid infection is to go to a professional for a piercing rather than piercing the ear at home. For piercings that are not on the earlobe, needles are safer than using a piercing gun. Hygiene is equally important for both piercing methods, and aftercare protocols are the same. It is vital to follow the piercer’s aftercare instructions carefully. Clean the ears twice a day with sterile saline water or the rinse provided by the piercer. Avoid playing with or excessively handling the earring. Be careful that it does not get caught in clothes when getting dressed. A person may need to sleep on one side to avoid crushing the ear while it is healing. Share on PinterestA person should seek medical attention if an infection does not improve or fever occurs. Image credit: James Heilman, 2016 The symptoms of infections in old piercings are the same as in new ones. To treat an infection in an old piercing, people should clean the earring and both sides of the ear with saline solution, and handing it with clean hands. If the infection does not improve, spreads, or fever occurs, a person should seek medical attention. If signs or symptoms of infection happen often, people should consider buying only hypoallergenic jewelry, as they may be reacting to the earrings. If a new piercing is infected, it is best not to remove the earring. Removing the piercing can allow the wound to close, trapping the infection within the skin. For this reason, it is advisable not to remove an earring from an infected ear unless advised by a doctor or professional piercer. Once the wound has healed — usually after 2 to 3 months in the case of earlobe piercing or longer in cartilage piercings — a person can safely remove an earring. When getting a new earring, it is crucial that people have this done by a professional piercer with excellent hygiene practices. Also, they must always follow the aftercare instructions carefully until the wound has healed. Most infected ear piercings can be treated at home and will improve within a few days, although, in some cases, antibiotics may be necessary. If symptoms do not improve, the infection spreads, or there are other symptoms, a person should speak to a doctor. |