I got my Cartilage (helix) pierced on my left ear on Saturday (25th August). I got it done at a place called destiny (popular for body piercings) with a needle. It's been three days since I've had it and yesterday my ear was fine but today I woke up and it's been throbbing all day, it's slightly red. I'm worried it could be infected or something's happened to the cartilage itself. I've been using home made saline solution to clean it morning and night and just bought this stuff chemists supply when you get your ears pierced, so I'm using both of that now. Could someone please tell me if it's normal or if I should seek medical help.Hopefully it will start feeling better. Could someone also tell me the approximate heeling time for the piercing too.

Cheers,

All you really need to take care of this is antibacterial soap and maybe some sea salt or tea tree oil.
Make sure to wash at least 3 or 4 times a day with antibacterial soap. Make sure to rinse thoroughly (soap left in the piercing can cause an infection).
Sea salt will draw out infection. Take a pinch of fine grain sea salt to approximately a shot glass of warm water, stir until dissolved, and soak on your piercing for a few minutes after cleaning.
Always remember* Never, ever touch a piercing unless you are cleaning it. Touching with unwashed hands is just inviting germs to an open wound.
Healing time on a helix is 2- 3 months, generally.