Earring area infected, need help

Kb103109

My girls have had their ears pierced since they were 4 months old (now almost 17 months old).  We have never had any problems with them getting infected but yesterday I noticed that H had one ear that was very red around the earring and what I guess is dry puss all around the earring.  I have been cleaning it with alcohol and soaking the earring and the back in alcohol for a while.  It only seems to be getting worse.  It seems like it is just oozing now and it's really gross looking.  My question is, is there anything else that I can be doing?  I want to just leave it out for a while to try to speed up the healing time but I don't want the hole to close up.  Does anyone have any suggestions on what else I can do to help clear this up?

kalette

Did you call the doctor?I image they would have some good suggestions.

PayolaCrayola

Dont use alcohol. Its the worst for any kind of piercings. This happens to me periodically...Even though Ive had my ears pierced forever the right one will sometimes start to get infected and bleed and hurt. What I do is wash with antibacterial soap at least twice a day and turn the post will im doing it. It helps. But honestly if its bleeding i would remove the earring just for the night. It wont close up that fast. Also i put a tiny amount of that neosporin with antibiotic on the post before putting it back so it gets inside the cut.

GL

Wipz

In the UK they sell what are called sleepers.  these are hinged hoops, but not the same as what they call hinged hoops here in the US.  When closed these are totally smooth so they can be rotated through the ear 360 degree without catching and super easy to keep clean.  They are awesome for little kids because they will pull open if tugged rather than rip the ear and for adults too.  they are used a lot by people with nose piercings, brow piercings too. 

You could try salt water, pure tea tree oil ( my goto for everything..it rocks ) or changing the type of earring, they may have an allergy to one of the base metals depending on what you are using.  I have an allergy to nickle which is sometimes used in jewellery.

baloneydisc

You can clean them with a solution of Sea Salt and water.  1/4tsp dissolved in 1 cup of warm water, soak twice a day.  It was recommended by my piercer and really helps with healing.

crogers19

Sterile salt water is the best thing to clean a piercing with. Any professional piercer would say not to use alcohol. What it sounds like her issue might be is a metal allergy. I found out very young I can only wear sterling silver or gold. Anything else gives me an infection.

Kb103109

Thanks everyone for the responses.  I have very sensitive ears myself so I made sure that the earrings my girls have are sterling silver.  I was using alcohol because my mom said that is what she always used with me when this would happen.  I remembered that I have a bottle of cleaning solution from when they had their ears pierced so I took the earring out and cleaned her ear and put some neosporin on it.  Hopefully this works.  Thanks again for all of your responses.

Netty_3

it may be an allergy to metal.  I can't wear earrings or jewelry that isn't a precious metal...it has to be 14k gold or higher or platinum...I can't even wear silver. You should check with your doctir, and may need to buy new earrings.