First wash your hands with soap and water. Then prepare a saltwater solution of 1 cup (0.24 liters) water with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir until the salt dissolves. Leaving the piercing jewelry in place, soak a cotton ball in the solution and place it on the affected area.
A sea salt soak is effective at softening up and gently removing debris that can accumulate, says Faris. It may also relieve inflammation, rinse the area, and flush out the wound as the piercing heals.
Sea salt water rinses will speed healing and ease the healing process. Avoid drinking alcohol for the first weeks. Alcohol will increase your swelling and can make your piercing bleed.
However, table salt contains iodine, which is a harsh chemical that will irritate sensitive areas like skin wounds. This is harmful to healing wounds because the extra chemicals and irritation can cause further inflammation and infection.
First of all, when mixing sea salt with water, you will almost never achieve the correct concentration; too much salt will dry out the tissue and result in complications with healing. Not enough salt, and it will not clean your piercing effectively.
Soak the area in warm water for 20 minutes, 3 or 4 times a day. If it's too hard to soak the site (for example, if you had your belly button pierced), apply a warm, moist cloth instead. If your doctor told you how to care for your infected piercing, follow your doctor's instructions.
When you are finished using the salt solution, it is very important to rinse with plain water afterwards. You can do this the same way as done with the salt solution, but make sure to use clean water this time. If you re-use the same glass or cup, it is important that it is clean and there is no salt left in the cup.
Sea salt dissolved in warm water is good for cleaning and disinfecting lots of oral wounds, from a bit lip to dental extractions, and that includes oral piercings.
Don't take out the earring! Clean the infected area 3 times a day. Wash hands with soap and water before touching the ear or earring. Use cotton swab ("Q-Tip") dipped in pierced ear solution (see #3 below).
tap water or distilled water. non-iodized table salt. baking soda (optional, but it helps make saline less irritating)
Your piercing might be infected if: the area around it is swollen, painful, hot, very red or dark (depending on your skin colour) there's blood or pus coming out of it – pus can be white, green or yellow. you feel hot or shivery or generally unwell.
A piercing may not heal as fast if it gets infected or irritated or if scar tissue forms. You may need to see your doctor if your piercing does not seem to be healing.
Your sweat is sterile to you, so shower like you normally do and clean the piercing afterwards with saline or sterile wound wash. Do not swim in rivers, lakes, hot tubs, pools, or oceans until your piercing is healed.
Avoid baths, hot tubs, swimming pools, saunas, lakes, etc. for the first three weeks after being pierced as they contain bacteria which can increase the risk of infection. If you think you have an infection, keep your jewelry in! This is very important as your jewelry will allow accumulating pus to drain.
Packaged sterile saline is a gentle choice for piercing aftercare. Mixing your own sea salt solution is no longer a suggested practice from the APP. We strongly encourage you to use a sterile saline labeled for use as a wound wash.
But make sure you don't use too much salt or not enough water. If you over salt the mixture, you will not only dehydrate the bacteria but also dry out the upper dermis around the piercing, which can lead to microscopic cracks in your skin.
Its two ingredients—salt and water—won't irritate your skin like other chemicals might. It's also an effective disinfectant. Without going too deep into the science of it, the salt essentially sucks water from bacteria, killing it off. The solution also helps to flush away debris from the piercing entrance and exit.
Cleaning Solutions
If sterile saline is not available, a sea salt solution mixture can be a viable alternative. Dissolve 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon (. 75 to 1.42 grams) of non-iodised (iodine-free) sea salt into one cup ( 250 ml) of warm distilled or bottled water.
Saline Solution: We recommend that you make your own cleaning solution with 1 cup of distilled or bottled water and 1/4 tsp. sea salt. The salt should be completely dissolved. You can also use Kosher or pink Himalayan salt.
Most infected ear piercings can be treated at home and will improve within a few days, although, in some cases, antibiotics may be necessary. If symptoms do not improve, the infection spreads, or there are other symptoms, a person should speak to a doctor.