Care for your ear
- Clean your earlobe: Wash your hands carefully before you touch your earlobe.
- Turn the piercing: Rotate the piercing several times each day so that your earlobe does not swell around it.
- Ice: Ice helps decrease swelling and pain.
- Heat: Heat helps decrease pain and increases blood flow to your ear.
Why is my ear lobe piercing swollen?
The typical causes of earlobe swelling are infection, allergies, and trauma. While most earlobe injuries can be treated with over-the-counter medications and home remedies, you might want to see your doctor if your symptoms are really severe.
Is redness and swelling normal after ear piercing?
Piercings are a common cause of swelling in the earlobes. A piercing is an open wound, and swelling is part of the body’s natural reaction to any damage. Most people who get their ears pierced will notice pain and swelling for up to a week, sometimes more.
What does an infected piercing look like?
Your piercing might be infected if:
- The area around it is swollen, painful, hot, very red or dark (depending on your skin color).
- There’s blood or pus coming out of it – pus can be white, green or yellow.
- You feel hot or shivery or generally unwell.
Should I take my earring out if it’s swelling?
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.
How long does a swollen ear lobe last?
With proper care, most mild earlobe infections will clear up in 1 to 2 weeks.
What to do if a cartilage piercing is red and swollen?
Although minor swelling and redness are typical, more severe symptoms could be a sign of infection. See your piercer or doctor right away if you’re experiencing uncomfortable pain or swelling or if there is unusually thick or smelly discharge.
How do you know if your body is rejecting a piercing?
Symptoms of piercing rejection include:
- More of the jewelry becoming visible on the outside of the piercing.
- The piercing remaining sore, red, irritated, or dry after the first few days.
- The jewelry becoming visible under the skin.
- The piercing hole appearing to be getting larger.
- The jewelry looking like it is hanging differently.
How do you heal an irritated piercing?
First wash your hands with soap and water. Then prepare a saltwater solution of 1 cup (0.24 liters) water with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir until the salt dissolves. Leaving the piercing jewelry in place, soak a cotton ball in the solution and place it on the affected area.
What to do if a piercing swells?
Treating the infection at home:
- Wash your hands before touching or cleaning your piercing.
- Clean around the piercing with a saltwater rinse three times a day.
- Don’t use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or antibiotic ointments.
- Don’t remove the piercing.
- Clean the piercing on both sides of your earlobe.
Is it normal for a piercing to swell after a week?
The area around the piercing wound can be swollen, red, and sore for the first few days, weeks, or even longer, depending on the location of the piercing wound. Jewelry insertion, which is the second part of the piercing process, is usually more a feeling of pressure rather than pain.
How do you sleep with a newly pierced ear?
If you have a new ear piercing, a thinner travel pillow works great to keep pressure off while you’re sleeping. If you don’t have a travel pillow, you can roll a clean cotton T-shirt or sheet up and place it around the ear so that when you lay on your side, there’s no direct pressure on your ear.