How to Care for an Infected Ear Piercing
Even if you follow aftercare instructions perfectly, new piercings can still get infected. Fortunately, they aren’t too tricky to care for, and you probably have everything you need at home! Here’s how to care for an infected ear piercing.
What You’ll Need:
- Warm water
- Hand soap
- Salt
- Cotton balls
- Antibiotic ointment, such as Neosporin™
Instructions
- First and foremost, do not take the earring out of the infected piercing. Doing so will make the infection worse.
- Wash your hands with soap and water any time you touch the piercing.
- Dissolve some salt in warm water to make a saline solution. You’ll want to go heavy on the salt.
- Soak two cotton balls in the warm saline solution and hold one on either side of your little one’s piercing. Keep it there for at least 3 minutes. You can do it for longer than 3 minutes, but make sure the solution stays warm. This helps reduce swelling. You can also use the cotton ball to gently clean the area round the piercing, as the piercing may have released some fluid while fighting the infection.
- Apply an antibiotic ointment to the piercing.
- Repeat these steps twice a day for at least a week. If the infection persists or worsens, please take your child to the doctor and follow their instructions.
Tips for avoiding Ear Piercing Infections
Some people are more prone to infections than others, but there are some precautions you can take to protect your little one’s new piercings.
- Follow the aftecare instructions that your piercer gave you.
- Style your child’s hair in such a way that prevents the hair from wrapping around the back of the earring, like braids or a headband.
- If your child goes on a flight, clean the piercing as soon as you. can once you get off the plane. Bacteria from airplane seats can easily make their way to your child’s piercings!
- Teach your child to only touch their piercing with clean hands.
