I had my right ear pierced in the cartilage in two spots. I had this done a week ago. I was out of town visiting my sister and I forgot the cleaning solution, so have been using peroxide. Well my ear has now swollen up a bit the last few days and is more painful. Could the peroxide be causing this?

You are correct, it is the peroxide. Don't touch it; use a salt solution to clean it. A bit of salt in warm water, dissolve the salt and sort of bath the area with a cotton swab, or bend you rear over the sink and splash cold running water in it to get loosen up the scab.

Years ago, there was no cleaning solution for this; just letting the water run over it in the shower cleans it, if you shower very day, no hair dressing, hair spray or anything near it that will contaminate. Hair becomes dirty throughout the day and is not good around an open wound as a piercing is.

Tick