I never had experience with an infected piercing until this past winter when I got my tragus pierced. By the next month, I found myself stuck with a bubble that would constantly grow and shrink no matter what I did. With some extra medical help and professional consultation I was able to heal from my infection and keep my new piercing! I was vastly uneducated on this topic before I experienced it and the advice on the internet is conflicting so I wanted to share what helped me.
The Do’s:
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Wash your new piercing two to three times daily with gentle antimicrobial soap or a saltwater solution
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Only do minor rotations after cleaning
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Only touch your ears when your hands are clean
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Consult your doctor or a piercer skilled in removal if you see a bubble that won’t go away. Or if you see signs of an infection such as discharge or itching
The Dont’s:
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Play with your earring during the day
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Ignore a possible infection
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Use tea tree oil without rinsing it off
My experience:
I went to Primary Care Physician (PCP) and was prescribed both a mild oral antibiotic and a mild antibiotic ointment to take three times a day and use twice a day respectably. Thanks to this method, within two weeks my infection was successfully reversed. During this process the doctor helped to drain the infected area. What helped me during this time was hot compresses to help further drain the infected area.
A final note: Having an autoimmune disease often comes with being prescribed an immuno-supressant. If you are on such a medication like I was I suggest taking this into consideration before getting a piercing. As it was explained to me by my PCP taking these drugs makes people with recent piercings subject to a longer healing time and increased risk of infection.
Sources: Google Images, and Dartmouth Hitchcock Staff, Lulus Body Piercing,