I got the cartilage on my right ear pierced two days ago at claires with a 14 kt gold stud and gun... I can turn it OK, but it stings some and it hurts to move it back and forth. Most of the people I know that have had this done have gotten theirs infected and had to take it out and let the piercing close. I've been cleaning it regularly, but I have sensitive ears and want to keep it from getting infected as best as possible. Any suggestions to help it heal or prevent infection?

Wash your hands before turning the piercing, DO NOT touch it other than that, follow cleaning instructions precisely. It's a two day old piercing, it's normal for it to still sting...

Firstly, did the people you know also get it done at Claire's with a gun? Because you're really not supposed to use them, I had 2 cartilage piercings with guns when I was much younger and both subsequently had to be removed; what happens is the gun forces the front and back of the jewellery together with too much force, essentially locking it closed. It doesn't always happen but it is fairly common, so most piercing shops will only pierce using needles now, because that gets rid of the problem.

I would also be worried about you turning it so often; most of my piercings have been done at really nice places and they have always told me NOT to turn the piercing because the germs from your hands and which have landed on the jewellery are then taken into the open, healing wound. I would suggest simply cleaning it with cotton buds, cotton wool, warm salt water and perhaps diluted tea tree oil, three times a day for a week, then twice a day for the rest of the healing process.

It is normal for it to be swollen and stinging, or possibly burning a little for the first week or perhaps more, depending on your particular pain threshold and how much it is knocked about. But it will calm down fairly quickly, and if the discomfort really bothers you you could take some anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen.

Good luck

I'm not sure about all of them, but I know some of the people did have it done with a gun. I didn't know that you weren't supposed to pierce your cartilage with a gun until after I already did it. That's probably part of the reason that I'm so worried about it.

Don't be worried about it, from what you've said here it all sounds perfectly normal. How long has it been done now? And how does it feel?

I wouldn't worry because there doesn't sound like there is anything wrong with the piercing and it doesn't sound infected. Leave a reply with how often you are cleaning it, and the answers to the above questions and I'll get back to you. You could also post a picture of it if it would make you feel more reassured.

Don't worry, I have had over 20 piercings done and it really doesn't sound like there is anything wrong with yours.