Piercings have become one of the most common fashion accessories among men and women in recent years. Still, you need to be careful about the aftercare of your piercing.
Basically: What is an infected piercing? An infected piercing. An infected piercing can be very serious if not treated immediately. We recommend that you go to a professional piercer and ask for advice, they will recommend a doctor who is certified to give you the right advice. Now you may not know how to diagnose this and wonder how do I know if my piercing is infected? In this article, we will answer all your questions.
Symptoms showing whether your piercing is actually infected or not
Now you may be asking yourself “how do I know when my piercing is infected or not?” You can easily determine if your piercing site is infected or not by tracking certain factors. It could also be an allergic reaction towards nickel instead of an infection.
Itchy and slightly different colored or painful and dark-colored
How do I know my piercing is infected? The area may feel very itchy. The surrounding area of the piercing in question may look red and on darker skin slightly darker than how it usually is.
If you feel that the area around the piercing is sore, swollen, warm, and also dependent and the color of your skin is either very red or very dark tinted immediately contact a doctor / your piercer for advice.
Pale fluid or pus coming out
You might also notice fluid leading to the formation of a scab in the affected area. However, don’t panic if you see this, as it is a common symptom after any piercing. It can often be sebum, dead skin cells, leaving the piercing.
However, you may also see blood or pus coming out of the piercing area. It may be a sign that your piercing area is infected and needs to consult a specialist immediately. The pus may be greenish-yellow or even white. So. if you notice something like this preferably contact a piercer.
Fever
If you suddenly begin to feel unwell or have a fever, it is probably an indication that your piercing area needs special attention and care from the doctor and is infected. An infection can have serious symptoms, but this is not always the case.
Small lumps
If you have had a cartilage piercing placed in your nose or ears, you may notice small bumps forming around the piercing. These bumps are actually trapped fluids and are called granulomas. They can be easily treated by soaking a cotton pad in warm water and then holding it up to it at least once a day.
Things you can do to prevent infections after a new piercing
There is a list of things you can do to prevent or avoid the question of how do I know if my piercing is infected after your piercing. These are:
- Experienced piercer
The first and most important thing every person should choose is to choose a qualified licensed and experienced piercer to do the piercing.
- Cleaning
The next thing is to clean the area of a piercing twice a day with a sterile saline solution. Hygiene is the key to any health condition. So, if you stay on maintaining hygiene and cleanliness around your involved area it will stay safe.
- Gargle
One of the easiest and the best-preferred options, when you opt for a mouth piercing, is to gargle with alcohol-free mouthwash or plain salt water to prevent any infection from growing in the area.
- Water
When you are done with the piercing, use warm and salty water to soften any scabs. Medium warm water will work its magic in no time and thus prevent it from taking a serious turn for the worse.
- Clean paper towel to dry it
When trying to dry the piercing area, it is advisable that you use a clean paper towel for the process.
We hope this article has answered many of your questions about how do I know if my piercing is getting infected and that you now know the basic precautions you can take to prevent them.