How to Treat an Infected Industrial Piercing

When we get a piercing, wherever it is on our body, we need to be attentive to the possible symptoms of infection. It is normal to feel a little heat during the first few days after an infection. However, if the industrial piercing isn't healing properly, this may intensify and other symptoms of infection can arise. They include:

• Redness: since a piercing involves puncturing the skin, it is technically trauma to the body. For this reason, it is expected that some redness will appear. However, if it remains red for some days afterwards, or if the redness grows, it is likely a sign infection has begun.
• Inflammation: along with redness, inflammation is another of the most common signs of an infected industrial piercing. The body needs to recognize the foreign element it has received. It is normal for the area to look a little swollen during this process. However, if the inflammation does not stop even with anti-inflammatories and is accompanied by more symptoms from this list, it is likely due to infection.
• Pain: getting a piercing hurts at the time of the puncture and during the following days. Some bodies heal better than others, but the process is slow.When this pain stops being manageable and intensifies, it means the body is struggling to accept it and it is healing badly.
• Pus: pus is the biggest indicator of infection in piercings. You may have a small scab around the first few days that you should not touch it to speed up healing. If a yellowish fluid begins to ooze, there is no doubt that your piercing has become infected.
• Lump: a small or larger lump may appear right at the point of the piercing. This lump can be hard or soft and contain pus: The pus can be drained and the area cleaned and disinfected If you notice a lump, pay attention to it and try to heal the area well.

For an infected piercing anywhere on the body, you will see the above symptoms. However, there are some areas more prone to infection than others. These include the tongue, the belly and the nose. The ears are usually less likely to become infected, but not always. With the industrial piercing, there are two holes in the ear and a bar which can worry them. This can increase infection risk, as can getting it caught on clothing.

The location on the ear can also affect the risk of infection, as we can see in our guide to treating an infected helix ear piercing.

If we have already determined that our industrial piercing is infected with the above signs, we must try to stop it as soon as possible. Our recommendation is to first go to the doctor for advice, especially if the infection is advanced. We should also take care of our general health, but here we provide some general tips to treat an infected industrial ear piercing:

• Cleaning: wash your hands well every time you go to handle or clean your industrial piercing so that the infection does not go any further.
• Remove the pus: if you have pus, try to remove it with the help of a cotton swab, but without removing the scab to ensure better healing.
• Saline solution: either bought from a pharmacy or by mixing 1/2 teaspoon of salt with 1 cup of warm water, apply this solution with a cotton ball to the infected area and let it air dry.

As we said, if the infection is getting worse, you will need to see a doctor as soon as possible to prescribe an antibiotic and assess your wound before determining any type of intervention.

If you have a belly button piercing which seems to have the same problem, you will need to know how to treat an infected navel piercing.

If we want to ensure our industrial ear piercing doesn't become infected, we need to take the best care of it we can. If we have had an infected industrial ear piercing become infected, we want to ensure better care after treatment so it doesn't happen again. Here we provide a list of aftercare options for an infected industrial ear piercing so that it doesn't happen again:

• Wash your hands: every time you go to handle or touch your piercing, you must wash your hands to avoid bacteria entering the wound site.
• pH neutral soap: we must wash the area twice a day with pH neutral antibacterial soap. With the help of our little finger, we must reach the areas behind the ear and the metal rod. We should also try to rotate it with the help of the two grip balls. In this way we will remove dead skin and clean all areas so that dirt and bacteria do not accumulate. Do not be forceful, but be thorough.
• Saline solution: with the same saline solution that we mentioned in the previous section, you can immerse the pierced ear for 5 minutes or dab it with a clean gauze, leaving it to dry on its own.
• Consistency: industrial piercings usually take up to 6 months to heal, so the key to success will be constant care, avoid touching and moving it, and be careful when sleeping or putting on clothes so that it does not catch.

As you have seen, getting a piercing requires commitment and responsibility so that the results are not harmful. Take care of your health and ensure general hygiene. If there are any occasions where you get dirty (playing sport, for example, be careful to wash quickly and thoroughly afterwards. Also, ensure you go to a trusted piercing studio. Not only will they use sterilized equipment during the piercing, they should provide suitable aftercare advice to help avoid infection in the first place.

For some more general tips, take a look at our article on how to treat an infected ear piercing.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Treat an Infected Industrial Piercing, we recommend you visit our Beauty & Personal Care category.

Tips

• Never apply alcohol to an infected piercing, it can burn the area and make it worse.
• Always use anti-allergenic materials to avoid reactions and promote healing.
• Make sure that the study you go to follows all the safety and hygiene measures.