I got my cartilage pierced at Claire's on August 5th. I was told I could take it out at the earliest in 8 weeks, and right now I'm around the 6 week mark. They used a gun and a stainless steel hypoallergenic stud. Now my problem is, it was sore like hell for a while. My niece had a lovely time yanking on it when it was about 2 weeks old and it swelled badly. But now it doesn't really hurt, but it's crusty. Like it stings a little if I turn it, because the crust has dried to my ear and to the stud (It sounds so lovely I know). What I want to know is, do I need to be worried? Or just keep cleaning it (which I kind of sort of do... ish) and turning it? So I could really use some advice, because I don't want to have had all this aggravation only to take it out.

Thanks.

I would clean it with hydrogen peroxide! You can buy it at wal mart or any pharmacy and that will kill the germs! Good luck!

The crust is normal. That is your body trying to patch the hole.

Since it is at about 6 weeks, clean it once a day with antibacterial soap, THEN turn it. You need to clean off the "crusties" before you turn it. If you turn it first, the little bits of crust inside of the piercing can cause little tiny cuts inside of the piercing which can become painful, irritated and/or infected.

This happens to me a lot when I get a new piercing. If they gave you a solution when you got it pierced USE THAT. Simply take off the back of the earing but be very CAREFUL NOT TO REMOVE THE STUD FROM YOUR EAR. Use the solution to clean the back of the ear until its pretty... crustless. Put the back back on, and then turn it four times to the right, then left so the solution gets in the ear. Clean it THREE TIMES a day at least. When the crust builds off, do the same thing with taking off the back.