Infected Ear Piercings: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, & More, Treating Your Infected Nose Piercing at Home (and When to See a Doctor), Tattoo Aftercare Guide: Healing, Products, & Long-Term Care, Infected Piercings: Treatment Options, Prevention & More, Infected Belly Button Piercings: Treatment, Causes, & More, How to Reduce Piercing Pain: Maintaining Good Aftercare & Preventing Infection. Pay attention to pain, swelling, redness, heat, pus, and more serious symptoms; and always be sure to follow proper techniques to avoid infection whenever possible. The nose consists of many blood vessels, so even a small amount of injury to the skin or rubbing the area vigorously can potentially lead to bleeding, Garshick says. Lather your hand and gently rub the pierced area. The best aftercare productIve personally used is theAfter Inked Piercing Aftercare Spray. This is simply a mix of lymphatic fluid, epithelial debris and dead blood cells which seeps out clear and dries to a yellowish color when exposed to air. In some cases, home care might not be enough. It may help to apply a barrier ointment such as Vaseline, Aquaphor, or CeraVe healing ointment to the skin around the piercing to protect [it] and minimize the chance of irritation and sensitivity, she tells Bustle. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). % of people told us that this article helped them. Crusties are the result of your body trying to heal itself. Heres a quick guide to common issues seen in healed piercings. A piercing gun is NEVER appropriate. Is this an infection? So I came online just to check. Soak in sea salt: Make a solution of warm water and sea salt. To avoid complications, aim to avoid the following during the healing process: First, getting pierced by a reputable piercing professional can help you avoid injury and complications. Turns out I have two problems. Just be mindful of over-cleaning, which can dry out your skin and cause irritation. What should I do if I notice signs of infection? Connect with a doctor right away if you have any signs of an infection. Ranglani says itll keep the area moist, which aids in the healing of superficial wounds. These are too harsh and can damage or irritate the skin. My new jewellery (BVLA end on a NeoMetal post, so it's quality stuff) makes cleaning a bit tricky due to the shape. If you have one of the clear signs of infection, you should start treating immediately to prevent further complications like abscess formation. Every few weeks, before the stench appears, simply clean the piercing with a piercing aftercare saline solution. SampleOfNone 4 yr. ago The painful, foul smelling, blood blister is an infection. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/83\/Tell-if-a-Piercing-Is-Infected-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Tell-if-a-Piercing-Is-Infected-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/83\/Tell-if-a-Piercing-Is-Infected-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid804942-v4-728px-Tell-if-a-Piercing-Is-Infected-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"