And the piercer told me to clean it four to five times a day for two weeks, then only clean it 2-3 times a day. He told me to rotate it back and forth cause I got it done with a needle, and they gave me a hoop. Is that the wrong thing to do? It has been a few days now, and my ear hurts when I touch it to clean it, sometimes on its own, and is red and a little swollen. Nothing looks infected though. So is this the right thing to still do, clean it a lot, or should I cut back and the redness and pain will go down?

You need to clean it every day. I had mine pierced with a hoop and it hurt like hell. Be prepared for it to hurt for like hell for a good 6 months. Mine also was swollen. The only thing that helps is time.

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Originally Posted by karent23

You need to clean it every day. I had mine pierced with a hoop and it hurt like hell. Be prepared for it to hurt for like hell for a good 6 months. Mine also was swollen. The only thing that helps is time.

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Well I know I need to clean it every day, but is 4-5 times too much do you think?

What are you cleaning it with?

Dial

Cleaning it 4-5 times per day is entirely too much. You should clean it twice a day for the first week that you have it, and then after that reduce to one time per day.

Every time you clean it you interrupt the healing process. The more you clean it, the longer it will take to heal. Cleaning one time per day should especially be followed with cartilage piercings because they can take up to a year to heal in the first place.

If taken care of properly, the redness and swelling should diminish in about a week. Overcleaning can irritate your piercing and therefore prolong the period of redness and swelling.

If you are ever worried about infection, here are some signs to look for : severe redness, severe swelling and/or a green or yellow discharge that smells bad. Signs of an advanced infection include the symptoms I have just listed, plus fever and/or chills. If you have any of these symptoms, see a doctor for antibiotics.

Good luck! :)

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Originally Posted by nauticalstar420

Cleaning it 4-5 times per day is entirely too much. You should clean it twice a day for the first week that you have it, and then after that reduce to one time per day.

Every time you clean it you interrupt the healing process. The more you clean it, the longer it will take to heal. Cleaning one time per day should especially be followed with cartilage piercings because they can take up to a year to heal in the first place.

If taken care of properly, the redness and swelling should diminish in about a week. Overcleaning can irritate your piercing and therefore prolong the period of redness and swelling.

If you are ever worried about infection, here are some signs to look for : severe redness, severe swelling and/or a green or yellow discharge that smells bad. Signs of an advanced infection include the symptoms I have just listed, plus fever and/or chills. If you have any of these symptoms, see a doctor for antibiotics.

Good luck! :)

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Thank you!

I assumed you were using a cleaning solution... I wouldn't use dial too much on it. You should get a cleaning solution that is easy to put on it. They tend to work better. I don't think I even ever used soap to clean my piercing.

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Originally Posted by lnanas5

thank you!!

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You're welcome! And you are doing right by using the anti-bacterial soap. That is exactly what you should be using.

Good luck! :)