Avoiding and caring for infected piercings
January 19, 2005
By: Bob Whitehead
When you first get a piercing, the initial reaction of your body
is to fight the jewelry. So, there you are, with your body battling
the foreign material and a brand new piercing, which is essentially
an open wound. Is it any wonder that you’re susceptible to
infection? Proper care will help avoid infected piercings, but it’s
important to know what to do if there is an infection.
One of the most important parts of aftercare, which will help
stave off an infected piercing, takes place while you are still in
the piercing studio. The person who pierces you will have explicit
instructions on how to take care of your new piercing during
healing, and it is your chance to ask any questions you might have.
But what happens if you do get an infection? If you’re noticing
redness, swelling, soreness, discharge of colored pus or blood, or
feelings of heat around the piercing, there’s a good chance that
it’s infected. Go immediately to your piercing professional,
physician, or both. It’s important that you don’t try to fix it
yourself by removing the jewelry. Let a professional determine if
the jewelry should come out. Otherwise, an abscess could form.
The good news is that mild infections clear up fairly quickly.
Continuing to clean the piercing with a gentle antibacterial soap
and rinsing it with running water will help clear up the infection
in a day or two. You’ll be asked about your routine leading up the
infection – did you neglect cleaning your piercing, did you expose
it to bodily fluids, or were you cleaning the piercing incorrectly?
Exercising caution and good judgment with your new piercing will
help you avoid infection. Let your piercing breathe and clean it
properly. And of course, make sure you are pierced in a clean and
sterile environment in order to avoid problems from the get-go.
About the Author:
Bob Whitehead is a successful freelance writer and publisher of
http://www.body-jewelry-useek.com. Body jewelry, piercing and tattooing information you seek to perfectly adorn your body.
Also See: [ Finding the
nose piercing body jewelry that’s comfortable for you ]
[ For a unique but
temporary look, try surface piercings ]
[ What does a piercing
needle look like? ]
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