Help/Support ► ear piercing. help.

[Xiao]

this may be gross. or may not be, idk.


so i got my ears pierced a couple weeks ago. i've been pretty good with cleaning them at least once a day.
i noticed today when i touched the earring on my right ear that it hurt a little, so i took the earring out (just to clean it) and the piercing was kind of red. i also felt a lump in my earlobe of sorts..and then i put pressure on it, and what seemed like light colored blood came out...

now, keep in mind that my other piercing is FINE, so i'm not allergic to the metal.

i looked it up, afraid it was infected, and found out that if it was infected, there would be yellow/green pus, but there's not, its just...light colored blood.

i cleaned the earring and put it back in (which was slightly painful).

what should i do? I don't want to go to a doctor because i didn't want tell my mom that i got my ears pierced, i wanted to surprise her when i came home from college.

 

[Orion]

You should go see a doctor. Plain and simple. It's not worth keeping your piercings a secret if you're got anything medically wrong with your ears that'd need treatment.

 

[Nyangoro]

I'd go see a doctor, because pain plus inflammation is never a good sign.

 

[Xiao]

Well, going to see a doctor isn't going to be easy...I don't have a car.

I guess the health center at my college will have to do for now.

 

[Marloosha]

Well, going to see a doctor isn't going to be easy...I don't have a car.

I guess the health center at my college will have to do for now.

That sounds like a good idea.
It's not worth it to keep it a secret if there's something wrong with your ear.

 

[The Jordan]

Now, listen to me.=] From what you've said it isn't that bad so don't worry too much. Essenstially, you're bleeding a bit.
I have ten earings. In one ear. They all bitch at me from time to time. Go red, get sore, spit out blood with a gunk in it. The main thing it to clean it with very hot water with a very small amount of salt in. Try not to sleep on it and don't play with it. It'll calm down again.

That stuff coming out if just blood. There's a bit of white blood in there because your body is just like 'onoes this metal is not part of the body... ATTACK!' and hence white blood cells. Once the tissue around the piercing heals a bit it'll bleed less and eventually stop.

That little lump could be a cartoid forming, which is just like a bit of skin that grows in the wrong place because you have a whole in yourself. Not an issue unless it gets big. For the sake of being sure you should probably visit the place that did it for you. They're obliged to give you advice and they can have a professional look at it.

 

[Ehres]

And when you clean, clean with antiseptic. If you haven't got that, mix salt with water and swab it on generously with a q-tip. Perfume will also do the job since it has alcohol in it. It'll sting a bit but nothing you can't handle. I've had this problem with my ears before, but the worst was when my septum piercing was going through the healing process - it was producing gunk and all sorts but I didn't panic and kept cleaning it as normal.

 

[Xiao]

That little lump could be a cartoid forming, which is just like a bit of skin that grows in the wrong place because you have a whole in yourself. Not an issue unless it gets big.

How big is too big? =\.

And when you clean, clean with antiseptic. If you haven't got that, mix salt with water and swab it on generously with a q-tip. Perfume will also do the job since it has alcohol in it. It'll sting a bit but nothing you can't handle. I've had this problem with my ears before, but the worst was when my septum piercing was going through the healing process - it was producing gunk and all sorts but I didn't panic and kept cleaning it as normal.

I've got the antiseptic that the piercing place gave me..
Haha, I'm a little hesitant to use perfume.


But thanks for the advice, guys. I appreciate it.

 

[The Jordan]

Sorry, Sol, but best not to use Q Tips. The fibres can some off as you go and get stuck in, then make the infection worse. It's better to use a new sponge (not used for obvious reasons) so there's nothing left behind.

Cartoids are more of a cosmetic thing that a health thing. I suppose if we say a limit it would be if you can see it without actually looking for it =]
You should avoid them growing because I imagine the surgery for removing them isn't cheap (and kind of easily avoided).

Also, avoid removing and putting it back in too much. It'll just aggravate things.

 

[Xiao]

surgically removing them? awwww mannn XP

 

[Ehres]

I meant good Q Tips, of course. The type I use here in England are the sort that don't come loose like cotton wool, even when wet.

 

[The Jordan]

Did you say 'Here in England'? HERE IN ENGLAND WE CALL THEM COTTON BUDS!
All levity aside, they're how I messed up my first piercing. I had to take it out and start again cause it got too bad. I wasn't pleased.

surgically removing them? awwww mannn XP

Well, yeah. Only was to get them out unless your digestive tract is really wierd.

 

[Iwrestledabearonce]

Fairly typical thing for an ear to do. Mine did the same thing, and I got it pierced with a safety pin. Blood, a bit of pain, pain with pressure, and what felt like a lump. Went away after a week or so.

Oh, and as it has been noted before, don't take your piercings out too often. That can just lead to complications, as it's easy for bacteria to get into an open hole, as opposed to one with metal protruding from it.

 

[Xiao]

Oh, and as it has been noted before, don't take your piercings out too often. That can just lead to complications, as it's easy for bacteria to get into an open hole, as opposed to one with metal protruding from it.

Yeah, I never take them out for more than 3 minutes. And I don't take them out often, maybe a few times since they've gotten pierced. this is the first time i've taken the right one out, and that's the one that's freakin out .

 

[The Jordan]

How long it's out for doesn't effect it much, more how often it is. If you do have to take it out soak it in something to clean it first, like boiled salt water.

 

[Xiao]

Yeah, I soaked it in antiseptic when I took it out.

 

[The Jordan]

Goody good. Is it a ring or a stud, out of interest?

 

[Xiao]

its a stud. white gold, i think. yeah, white gold.

 

[Endgame]

You could try not mutilating your own body for the sake of fashion.

Seriously, I've seen too many friends go through so much pain for the sake of their apperance. This one girl I used to live with got snakebites through her chest, just below her collarbone. The things got infected, and after a few weeks, it was at the stage where if she even brushed against anything, she'd be in serious pain. It took her three damn months to get the stupid things taken out. And when she did, she was upset that she didn't think she was attractive anymore. No 'Oh, I'm so happy I can wear a shirt without doubling over in pain anymore.' No, she was just pissed that she didn't think guys would think she looked hot without them.

 

[Xiao]

You could try not mutilating your own body for the sake of fashion.

Uhm... overreaction? I just got regular ear piercings... people have pretty much been doing that since like 2000 BC.

But anyway, I went to the health center today, they gave me rubbing alcohol and said as long as I clean it often, it won't get infected.

But thanks for the advice, guys