So, about four days ago I pierced my cartilage (outer conche to be specific) myself (with a needle). I made sure the needle was sterile. The first day I did it, the top half turned super red and was really painful (I didn't even have to touch it) which I expected as I had just done it a few hours beforehand. Here three days later, it's still just as red and sore, and is a little swollen. I've been cleaning it two times a day (I read that washing it gently with anti-bacterial unscented handsoap works so I've been doing that) and rotating the stud after cleaning, and for the pain I've been taking Asprin, which seems to have been helping a little. I know the cartilage is one of the piercings that takes a long time to heal, but I'm so scared that it's infected. Is all of this normal? When should that pain, redness and swelling go away, or should it have been gone already? Is it normal for me to feel random pulses around the area of my new piercing? If it does turn out to be infected, how should I treat it? How long does an outer conche piercing usually take to heal? Thanks in advance to anyone who replies!

How did you sterilize the needle? Do you have an autoclave in your home?

There's no way to sterilize a needle at home, that's going to completely sterilize it. Also, did you swab the area with alcohol (not beer or wine) before you pierced? If not, there's already bacteria on your ear, and when you put the needle in, the bacteria from the needle, and from your ear, went into the wound you created.

It's time to see a doctor. There's no way to cure an infection at home, anymore than there's a way to properly sterilize a needle at home.