How can I prevent my ear piercings from getting infected? What should I do if my ear piercings do get infected?
Jewelry is an indispensable fashion accessory for both men and women in today's society, and earrings are especially helpful in shaping your face. However, many people worry about ear piercing allergies or inflammation, wondering if they are not suitable for wearing earrings.
This article will explain in detail what causes ear piercing allergies, how to avoid ear piercing inflammation, and what to do if your ear piercing becomes inflamed.
To avoid ear piercing inflammation, you first need to understand what causes ear piercing allergies.
There's a saying that ear piercings either get infected zero times or an unlimited number of times. Many people have the misconception that "I'm not suitable for wearing earrings" because of ear piercing allergies or inflammation. In fact, ear piercing allergies are often caused by the material of the earrings or improper cleaning and contact. Below, we'll list six major factors that can cause ear piercing allergies.
- Earring material of alloy or common metal
- I took off my newly pierced ears and put on my favorite style of earrings before they had fully healed.
- Repeatedly taking off and putting on the earrings multiple times.
- Pulling or pressing the ears with excessive force
- Hands were not cleaned before getting the ears pierced
- Ear piercings not cleaned and maintained regularly
Now that we understand the causes of ear piercing allergies, how can we prevent ear piercing inflammation caused by allergies?
1. Start by looking at the material of the earrings.
- 925 Sterling Silver
- pure gold
- Medical steel
925 Sterling Silver Cherry Blossom Zirconia Earrings
925 Sterling Silver Amethyst Zircon Earrings
925 Sterling Silver Paste Earrings
2. Do not remove earrings until your newly pierced ears have fully healed.
- Please sleep on your back to avoid damaging the ear piercing wound.
- If your ear piercing gets wet, gently blot it dry with a tissue as soon as possible .
- Furthermore, avoid exercising or swimming during this period, as this will increase the risk of bacterial infection and inflammation of the ear piercing.
3. Repeatedly remove and put on earrings.
4. Remove your earrings before going to bed.
Avoid accidentally pressing or pulling on your earrings while sleeping, as this can cause wounds to your ear piercings . Also, remember to clean and care for your sterling silver earrings before storing them.
5. Always clean your hands before touching earrings or ear piercings.
Our hands frequently come into contact with different things, including bacteria. Therefore, after removing earrings or before putting on other styles of earrings, it is necessary to clean the ears and earrings with rubbing alcohol for simple maintenance.
6. Use a mild body wash to gently cleanse the skin around the ear piercings every time you shower.
In daily life, the sweat and oil naturally secreted by the human body, along with bacteria and dirt in the air, will accumulate in the ear canal, which can lead to inflammation over time.
What should I do if my ear piercing gets infected?
To treat an inflamed ear piercing, you must first understand its symptoms.
If your ear piercing exhibits any of the following characteristics, it indicates that the piercing is inflamed.
- Redness and swelling
- fever
- Itching
- pain
- pus discharge
Ear piercing allergies and inflammation are probably the most troublesome issues for people with pierced ears. Next, we'll share how to treat inflamed ear piercing wounds. There are two main types of inflamed ear piercing wounds, and the treatment methods differ for each.
Category 1: Newly pierced ears that have not yet healed
Do I need to remove my earrings first?
Newly pierced ears are open wounds. Removing earrings in this situation will likely cause the piercing to close up, requiring you to get your ears pierced again after healing. So don't remove your earrings casually.
Should we use alcohol to wipe and disinfect?
Many people immediately think of using alcohol to disinfect wounds. However, the skin around the ear piercing is very sensitive when the wound is inflamed before it has healed. If alcohol is used for disinfection, it will greatly irritate the wound and hinder its self-healing time.
So how should the wound be cleaned?
At this time, we should rinse the ear piercings with saline solution every day, and gently pat them dry with a tissue after rinsing. Besides saline solution, avoid contact with water or chemicals, such as shower gel. If you accidentally get them on the ear piercings, clean them with saline solution as soon as possible.
You might be interested in: 925 Sterling Silver Series
Category 2: Ear piercings that have healed for some time
I just mentioned that you shouldn't remove your earrings if your unhealed ear piercing is inflamed. What about ear piercings that have already healed?
Since healed ear piercings are less likely to close up easily than unhealed ones, in this case, first clean your hands, then gently remove the earring back, and then slowly push the earring out from the end of the earring post. After removing the earring, thoroughly disinfect it with alcohol.
After removing earrings from an inflamed ear piercing, should the ear piercing be disinfected with alcohol? Should the ear piercing be rinsed with saline solution as mentioned earlier?
The answer is correct. Saline solution is a very mild solution that is often used to rinse skin wounds and will not cause irritation or adverse reactions. Also, avoid contact between the ear piercing and water or chemicals.
Following the above methods, the inflammation of the ear piercing will gradually subside. If the inflammation does not improve after one week, please consult your family doctor or specialist.
After recovering from an ear piercing infection, and knowing you have sensitive ears, remember to choose earrings made of hypoallergenic materials. We highly recommend 925 sterling silver, but be sure to buy from reputable stores to avoid purchasing substandard 925 sterling silver.
Finally, I hope that after learning how to avoid ear piercing sensitivity and how to treat ear piercing inflammation, everyone can wear earrings made of materials that suit them and add more color to their lives.
Reference: HK01