Hi,
I had a cartilage piercing six days ago, and for the last three days it had been almost unbearably sore. My ear is very swollen and red. Is this normal for a recent piercing, or is it possibly an infection? I cant actually see if theres anything coming out the hole, because it's too swollen to see round the back of my ear. I've been cleaning it very carefuly with saline about twice a day, but I have bumped it a bit
Thanks!
If you were pierced with a gun, then your problem is that there is probably a lot of damage done to the cartilage and this is why it hurts so much. Removing the backing (butterfly) could also take some of the pressure off.
If you were not done with a gun, then your aftercare is probably a good reason for your problems as salt water (saine) is harsh and irritates the piercings. Since you have injured it again, then this will also add to your problems. Try doing a warm water compress to help.
Please look in our aftercare section for our method.
