Is my piercing infected or am I allergic?
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Is my piercing infected or am I allergic?
If the skin around your piercing becomes red and tender and you have a fever greater than 100.4 degrees, you may be dealing with cellulitis, a common and potentially serious bacterial skin infection. Of course, you can also have an allergy to the hardware in your ear and that can look like an infection.
How do I know if Im allergic to my ear piercing?
You’ll notice redness, bumps, and/or blisters, and it feels itchy and irritated. While it can look like other allergies, we know it’s jewelry because of the placement. With a jewelry allergy, the rash appears on the exact same place where the jewelry touched the skin.
What does the start of an ear piercing infection look like?
An infected ear piercing may be red, swollen, sore, warm, itchy or tender. Sometimes the piercing oozes blood or white, yellow or greenish pus. A new piercing is an open wound that can take several weeks to fully heal. During that time, any bacteria (germs) that enter the wound can lead to infection.
How do you get rid of an earring allergy?
3 Steps to Take if You Have a Jewelry Allergy
- Stop wearing the jewelry. If you suspect a particular piece of jewelry is causing a reaction, stop wearing it temporarily.
- Use a steroid cream. Apply a cortisone (or another anti-inflammatory steroid cream) to the rash to help it heal.
- Wear the jewelry again.
How do you treat an earring allergy?
Use soothing lotions, such as calamine lotion, which may ease itching. Moisturize regularly. Your skin has a natural barrier that’s disrupted when it reacts to nickel and other allergens. Using emollient creams or lotions, such as petroleum jelly or mineral oil, could reduce your need for topical corticosteroids.
What to clean an infected ear piercing with?
Gently pat dry the affected area with clean gauze or a tissue. Then apply a small amount of an over-the-counter antibiotic cream (Neosporin, bacitracin, others), as directed on the product label. Turn the piercing jewelry a few times to prevent it from sticking to the skin.