Information

Below we will discuss what is normal during the healing of a piercing. We will dive into what is normal, what is irritation & when to worry ! 

The images above show normal signs of a healing piercing. And some irritated piercings.

 

On of the most common mis-diagnoses in piercings is a simple irritation or healing can be labeled as an infection. 
There are many things that can cause an irritation and most can be easily avoided. Touching your piercing, changing the jewellery before it is ready and slight trauma from snagging, clothing or sleeping on the piercing can lead to a piercing irritation. Below we will go through the differences between the two and what to do if any of these occur.

If you suspect either an irritation or infection, DO NOT REMOVE YOUR PIERCING.

 

 

When a wound is healing the body will go through natural stages including swelling, redness, bruising, light bleeding and even the discharge of lymphatic fluid.

 

This is NOT to be confused with pus. Lymph fluid and pus are both bodily fluids that can be found around a piercing, but they have distinct origins and meanings. Lymph fluid is a normal part of the healing process and is a clear, yellowish, baby green discharge containing blood plasma, lymph, and dead cells. Pus has a distinct foul odour and is much thicker. 

 

 

 

 


Lumps and bumps !

Why do these happen? What are they? And what can I do to help. 

An irritated piercing (again not to be confused with infection) can show multiple symptoms including. 

        Tender/Redness

        Swelling

        Crusty (Yellow/White)

        Hypertropic Scarring (bumps)

  • Dry skin

 

Common reasons a piercing can become irritated are:

Unnecessary touching of your piercing.
Your piercing getting bumped or snagged on clothing etc.
Sleeping on your piercing.
Using harsh product/chemicals to clean your piercing.
Changing your jewellery too often/too soon.
Or inappropriate jewellery for your piercing.

Any of these can result in an 'angry' piercing. Irritation can be very simple to treat. It all depends on how/why it has become irritated.
If you can't get to your piercer, there is a few things you can do in the meantime. Frequent saline soaks (3 times a day for 10mins at a time) can greatly help. You can do this by completely submerging the piercing in the saline or soaking the area with gauze and holding it on there for the recommended time. If your symptoms don’t settle after 7/10 days contact your piercer for further help.

 

None of this is any cause whatsoever for immediate concern.

 

PSA: Doctors, nurses and pharmacists although very well trained in their field. Often misdiagnose piercing issues as this does not fall under their curriculum. Please listen to a professional body piercers only.

How do I know if my piercing is actually infected ?

 

Sometimes we can panic and assume that an irritated or angry piercing is an infection. Swelling, redness etc happens in both irritation and infection so how do I know the difference ?

 

INFECTION

  • Excessive Swelling
  • Very hot around the piercing.
  • Weeping/Pus (see above to know what is pus vs lymph)
  • Painful.
  • Generally feeling unwell. 🤧

 

Pus which is different from lymph discharge is a sign of infection and is a very thick, dark green fluid made up of dead tissue, and dead bacteria or fungi. Pus will have a foul or unpleasant smell, whereas lymph, a clear or yellowish fluid, is typically odorless or may have a mild, sweet smell.

 

If you are experiencing any of the following; fever, chills, nausea, vomitting, dizziness.

The piercing is extremely swollen, red streaks (lines) emanating for it. Large amounts of pus discharge that is green or greyish.

This is a cause for concern and will require attention. 

With any infection in the body we will naturally start to feel unwell. If this happens this is when you must see a doctor for an antibiotic. You must also explain to the doctor that the jewellery must be kept in place to act as a drain and keep the fistula open. Removing the jewellery from an infected piercing is very dangerous and this is often accidentally instructed by doctors. Do not do this.