Infected ear piercing

[Bubbles37]

So, I've had my ears pierced for a while. I tried wearing earrings that the posts were too thick for my ears. I forced them into my ears, and when I took them off, one of my piercings started bleeding. I cleaned it and put a normal earring in is so it won't close up. Now it's super swollen and bloody gross stuff is leaking out. It doesn't hurt that much, but I'm worried about it being infected. What can I do to clean it and reduce the swelling?

[Coal]

Put ice on it maybe? It should calm the redness and swelling down + if the blood etc. is still coming out, ice should make the flow slower. You could also try chamomile tea - either put the pierced area directly in the tea (after it's cooled down) or use a piece of gauze or cotton balls (the fibers tend to get stuck around the piercing though) that's been soaked in the tea to clean the pierced area. Or you could try salt water the same way as the chamomile tea, but I think that could be painful, although salt is more effective at killing infections.

[Thurineth]

half tea spoon of salt in a cup of hot water, let it cool then go clean your ear with it using cotton wool. Its just been aggrevated with you shoving another earring in. Clean it a few times a day for a while, and if it doesnt get better see a doctor, or piercer for help.

[Bubbles37]

Ok, thanks, I cleaned it with salt water.
One more thing: should I rotate the earring? I know you're supposed to do that when you first get your ears pierced, so I've been doing that, but last time I did, it started bleeding again.

[Thirteen]

You're actually NOT supposed to rotate them. Recently, piercers have started discouraging playing with your piercings (i.e. rotating them, moving them around, etc.) because it's caused infections. First, because your hands could be terribly dirty, and transferring dirt to the piercing area. Second, if you get any of the gunk from healing (pus, crust, whatever else) back into the hole, BAM, more risk of infection.

[Nicole!]

Definitely don't rotate them. When you do that, it lets bacteria get in and also it can tear the skin in your piercing that is trying to heal. Its best to just leave it alone and not touch it.
Sea salt soaks (no iodine) are perfect for healing piercings, so continue to do that once or twice a day until your piercing has healed.

[Bubbles37]

Ok, thanks

[Bubbles37]

GAH! Now there are 2 weird, bloody-looking flaps of skin coming out my piercing! WTF??

[Audacious]

By rotating them and playing with it, you might have ripped the skin inside, an dthey are coming out.

You know what, at this point I think it's best you called your piercer to go in and get him/her to look at it. Sometimes piercers are better than doctors for advice because a dr will just make you take the jewelry out and take antibiotics, but a piercer might have a better idea based on their expertise on what you can do to help it. My piercer reccomends cammomile tea bags to make swelling go down. steep the tea and then use the tea bags to act as a warm compress on your ear.

Also, stop fricking playing with it !!!!! Just leave it alone. Put a piece of jewelry in it, maybe a CBR (captive bead ring) so that it isn't tight or anything, and just LEAVE IT ALONE. Soak it in the salt water, but use uniodized sea salt, not just normal table salt, because the iodine isn't good for the piercing. and befor eyou do ANYTHING to your ear, wash your hands with antibacterial soap.