r/piercing • u/Stillginger96 • 1d ago
Troubleshooting/question existing piercing Swollen week old helix advice
Hi!
I got a helix and rook done at the same time about a week ago. It’s been fine, no real issues, but I went out for my birthday last night. I got pretty lit, and went to bed. Turns out, I slept on my newly pierced ear, and I toss and turn so I woke up at least three times on that side. I woke up to it angry as sin. I’ve been cleaning it with saline using packets that came with my neti pot and filtered water, once or twice a day. I put a cold compress on it, and have been taking ibuprofen. The bar was plenty long enough before, but the swelling has gotten pretty severe. It hasn’t gotten any worse, but it also hasn’t gotten better over the last 8 hours or so. I’ve been trying to LITHA, but I’m kind of at a loss.
Do I go to a piercer in the morning? A doctor?
Jewelry is a flat back with a screw on ball on the front. I think it’s a labret?
I included a picture of my unpierced ear for comparison.
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u/Stillginger96 20h ago
At urgent care! Doctor took one look at it and felt it and goes “yep that’s infected” and is giving me a week course of antibiotics. Thanks all! Piercer doesn’t open for another three hours and I barely slept so I’m gonna nap on my improvised piercing pillow (I’m a costumer so I had options) then go to the piercer once they’re open
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u/Awwetism I'm all ears! 10h ago
Oh thank God! One look and I was like "this is DEFINITELY cellulitis". Feel better OP!
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u/always-so-exhausted 1d ago
NAP. Is it hot? Is it leaking any pus?
I’d go to a professional piercer ASAP to get the helix bar switched out for a longer one to accommodate the swelling. While there, pick up some sterile saline solution — the neti pot solution might have additives that aren’t doing your piercing any favors.
Lay off the q-tips. Instead let water run over the piercings in the shower to get them clean.
Also order a travel or piercing pillow so you can sleep on your side without sleeping on your piercing.
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u/Stillginger96 1d ago
No pus, but it is pretty warm
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u/Hashimotosannn 1d ago
I had two flats and a helix done at the same time. They flared up a lot about a week afterwards. A swollen, red and warm. I never had any pus.
Tbh I think they did just get angry. I’d say keep doing what you’re doing and if it doesn’t calm down in a day or two or you see some discharge or feel unwell, please go to a doctor.4
u/EggplantHuman6493 I my piercer 1d ago
Yup. My conch did this after I accidentally used earbuds a couple of days after I got pierced. I was glad that my piercer used a 10 mm bar as I needed every mm (and there is a 6 mm stud in now, so it was almost twice the size). Warm and red af as well. It went down after removing the source of irritation. It also track with the age of the piercing. Still concerns me, OP
But severe irritation, especially in an extremely fresh piercing like this, isn't unheard of, but it could be infection as well
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u/CrappyMilk 1d ago
Hey I've been on this sub for a while but idk what NAP is. Is it ' not a piercer?'
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u/CrappyMilk 1d ago
This looks very similar to perichondritis. I'm not a Piercer nor a doctor, i am only a medical student. I highly recommend getting this checked ASAP by a doctor. If it turns out to be perichondritis it is worse than keloid or anything else. Wishing you all the best
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u/ShadedSpaces 22h ago
Yes! This is a clear red/white dividing line that that's a hallmark of perichondritis. Needs to be evaluated by a doctor ASAP.
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u/Tall-Ad9334 21h ago
NAP or doctor but my tragus did this, it was super painful and so swollen I thought it was going to swallow the earring head.
I visited my piercer who gave me a longer bar and it was super helpful.
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u/poisonivy1873 23h ago
NAP- I got a flat and accidentally bumped it like a week or two after I got it done, mine did the same thing. It was not infected but MAN it was angry, my ear looked similar to yours. I ended up going to the piercer and getting a longer bar. It took about a week to slowly clam down. I was sitting in front of a fan to let cool air blow on it, I was also letting cool water run on it.
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u/fuzzlandia 1d ago
The amount of swelling definitely looks like an infection to me. Go to urgent care as soon as you can and get some antibiotics.
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u/ghost-peach 1d ago
A piercer please, then maybe a doctor. This looks almost too swollen. It's so angry. Get yourself a piercing pillow, worth. I'm NAP btw. Spend a lot of time in this sub and that's pretty inflamed. Drink more water? The alcohol overload isn't great for healing, skin moisture can also come from how hydrated you are overall. Happy birthday.
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u/Stillginger96 1d ago
Thanks! I’ve been hydrating all day today, but I know it probably isn’t great that I went out. You only turn 30 once? 😅 plan of action is urgent care then straight to a piercer when they open tomorrow
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u/Existing_Constant799 23h ago
Agreed. Piercing pillow will help. First see a piercer and see if you need a longer bar. Is it hot to the touch?
This looks painful. Sorry op. I don’t know about netty pot stuff but may I suggest real saline solution for piercings? Worth a try at this point. Using tap water isn’t always great depends what’s in the water but saline is better
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u/Ok-Situation-8272 1d ago
It looks infected with this huge swelling and redness, you need to visit a doctor and probably start antibiotics
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u/Medical-Cod2743 20h ago
is it throbbing and painful without you even touching it? if so id go to a doctor.
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u/twokoiinacircle 14h ago
Hiii I know it was your birthday but also a gentle reminder that alcohol slows your immune system down and affects healing. Soooo try not to drink directly after getting pierced ... Or try not getting pierced directly before you finna celebrate 😂 I read your update comment, glad you got some antibiotics and wishing u a smooth heal!!
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u/Formal_Cat2496 1d ago
If it doesn’t feel hot, and there’s no pus, my guess is that it just needs a longer bar for the time being.
My tragus did this and I went back to the piercer, she changed it and it felt better immediately.
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u/Personal_Movie_6606 1d ago
NAP. I have had more angry cartilage piercings than I care to admit. You’ve already said you were going to a doctor so I won’t say that, but it looks like you needed a longer bar to start with. If your doctor rules out an infection or another serious issue then go see your piercer asap. It’s just going to get worse with that short bar if the swelling doesn’t go down soon.
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u/zmb1eb1tez 1d ago
Definitely go see a doctor.. NAP and this is completely not the same situation but I was sick and my throat was so painful I got antibiotics and started taking them even before I got my strep tests back. Better safe than sorry!
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u/Ok_Emu_1666 1d ago
If it’s that red and you’re saying it’s hot, I’m sorry but that’s the early signs of an infection. Get it checked by a Dr then go to your piercer for a longer bar. Only use saline to clean and let it air dry! Mine both took over a year to be able to sleep on and even longer to be fully healed! But good luck getting it sorted & Happy birthday!!
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u/personal_cheezits 23h ago
It needs a longer bar asap. The embedding is likely worsening the irritation and swelling. That combined with proper hygiene and staying off it at night should help calm it down.
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u/meowmewome 23h ago
NAP. Same thing happened to me, ends up it was an infection and I needed antibiotics. Pls reach out to a doctor! I was also using q tips to clean because the person who pierced mine told me to do so. It does NOT help and might make it worse. Also do not take your piercing out on your own at this point. It can be dangerous if it is indeed an infection.
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u/PANTSorGTFO 10h ago
Thaaaaats infected
- oh you went to urgent care! Hurrah!
I'm so used to people ignoring advice and never updating i feel like you deserve an award for both common sense and decency.
Hope the healing goes well!
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u/DuckDuck-the-Goose 1d ago
Doctor time! Maybe it is an infection maybe it isn’t, but a round of antibiotics is better safe than sorry.
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u/RescueKnowledge 1d ago
No, we do not give antibiotics out like candy, "just to be safe", because thats how we get antibiotic resistant bacterias
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u/Stillginger96 1d ago
My jewelry is an internally threaded piece, I slept on it, labret shape, pierced Saturday 10/10. It hasn’t been downsized yet, and I’ve been using the saline packets that have sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride. I use a clean paper towel or q tip to clean with.
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u/RescueKnowledge 1d ago
No bicarbonate, just straight saline. No tap water either. No q tips, they leave fibers that irritate
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u/iHeartShelties 1d ago
Stop touching the jewelry and piercing. It's all aggravated now. No paper towel unless your dabbing off excess water. No Qtips. You gotta baby it and be gentle. Plus, you have to avoid sleeping on it. Main reason why it's angry right now because you're sleeping on it and touching it way too much. Look up what to take for swelling, inflammation. I can't tell you here or I'll be scolded for it. 🙄 Spray piercing saline solution. Stop the other packet stuff because I guarantee that stuff is too strong. Sterile saline, look for the ones stating it's for piercings on it. Swelling is going to happen. You have to get it under control. Gentle apply cold ice, maybe wet a socks, place it in a Ziploc bag, freeze it, take it out of the bag once it's very cold, and place it in the ear for a bit.
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u/Browser1919 1d ago
Antibiotics will help you
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u/RescueKnowledge 1d ago
Not if theres no infection. We do not gice out antibiotics without actual indication of infection for a reason
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u/Browser1919 4h ago
My boyfriend was in this exact situations and was prescribed antibiotics by a doctor after I told him to contact them. The antibiotics helped.
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u/brimoonsword 1d ago
this screams infection to me. redness is extending far past your piercing site and i do wonder if you would have swollen lymph nodes or fever without the ibuprofen. is there any pus?
im NAD but HAVE had an infected piercing, and i do think this needs antibiotics and stat