Infected piercing? 5 practical things you can do right now

If your piercing is infected, you’ll know just how annoying it can be. Fortunately, there are things you can do yourself to slow down the infection. Read all the tips and tricks on treating an infected piercing here.

How do you know if your piercing is infected?

If your piercing is infected, you can recognise this by several symptoms. If the piercing is brand new, it’s naturally normal for it to be sensitive, red and perhaps a little swollen. But if your piercing isn’t new, there are signs you should look out for. These are the symptoms of an infected piercing:

Persistent redness and swelling
Pain, warmth or a throbbing sensation
Pus or discharge around the area
A hard or swollen feeling
The piercing isn’t healing even after a long time

If the symptoms do not improve and you have a lot of pus or even blood, it is advisable to contact your GP. In rare cases, you may also experience a fever or feel unwell; in such cases, it is particularly important to see your GP.

How long is it normal for a piercing to be inflamed?

If you look after your piercing properly, mild irritation is normal. However, this shouldn’t last long – no more than 3 days. It also varies depending on the type of piercing. For example, if your navel piercing is infected, or other piercings that go through the skin, the infection should clear up within 3–5 days. With cartilage piercings – for example, if your helix piercing is infected – you need to take action more quickly. This is because cartilage has a reduced blood supply, which means infections can worsen more rapidly. If the symptoms haven’t improved after 2 days, see your piercer or GP straight away.

piercing ontstoken vrouw met neuspiercing

Source: Pexels

What should you not do if your piercing is infected?

If your piercing is infected, there are also a number of things you should avoid doing. It is particularly important to keep the area as hygienic as possible. You should avoid the following:

Twisting or pulling on the piercing, as this irritates the skin
Don’t touch it with dirty hands to avoid transferring bacteria
Don’t use harsh substances such as alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or strong soaps, as these dry out the skin
Don’t try to remove the piercing yourself, as this can make the condition worse or cause scarring
Don’t cover it with tight plasters, as this restricts airflow to the area
Do not use home remedies such as vinegar or toothpaste

Now that you know what not to do, we’ll tell you what you should do if you have an infected piercing.

5 things you can do yourself for an infected piercing

You can largely treat an infected piercing yourself. If you’re unsure or if the symptoms don’t improve, it’s important to contact your piercer or GP. Below are some tips you can follow yourself to stop the infection from spreading.

1. Keep the area thoroughly clean

Wash your hands thoroughly and gently clean the piercing. It’s best to do this with a saline solution or a special piercing cleaner. To be on the safe side, contact your piercer if you’re unsure what to use. Gently clean the surrounding area once or twice a day.

2. Apply heat

Use heat, such as a clean cloth soaked in warm water, to stimulate blood flow. This also helps bring the pus to the surface. Do this for 5 minutes, twice a day, but make sure you dry the area thoroughly afterwards.

3. Allow the skin to breathe

Allow the piercing to breathe as much as possible and avoid tight plasters or clothing. With more air, your piercing has more space to heal properly.

4. Live healthily

If you get enough sleep, eat healthily and drink plenty of water, your body will be healthier. This helps reduce inflammation more quickly, allows your skin to heal and strengthens your immune system.

5. Use red light therapy

Treat the area with red light therapy. This helps improve blood circulation, speeds up the healing process and reduces inflammation. These days, you can easily do this yourself.

rood licht therapie apparaat kopen

How does red light therapy help with a pierced area that’s become inflamed?

Red light therapy supports the recovery process of an inflamed piercing by stimulating the skin’s natural healing process. This happens in several ways:

By improving blood circulation, allowing more nutrients and oxygen to reach the skin. This helps your body eliminate waste products and bacteria more quickly.
Accelerating cell function and stimulating the production of new skin cells. This helps to repair damaged tissue.
Reducing inflammation, swelling and redness by balancing the body’s natural inflammatory processes.
Reducing pain and irritation through rapid skin repair and improved blood flow.

Red light therapy can be an excellent solution for treating an inflamed piercing. In addition, it is of course important to keep the piercing clean and to maintain a generally healthy lifestyle.

PowerCure red light therapy for piercings

The PowerCure Pro is a red light therapy device that you can use for an inflamed piercing. It offers the benefits mentioned above and is easy to use at home. With just 1–2 minutes of treatment per day, you can already support the healing process. You can also use the PowerCure laser for other complaints and conditions, in both humans and animals!

View the PowerCure Pro laser

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