Did you do a nose piercing? If so, it is very likely that they told you how to take care of it to prevent it from infecting. Nevertheless, it is usual that in the first days the area becomes reddish and swollen. Well, you’ll want to know if your piercing is infected or not. I’ll tell you, first and foremost, how to prevent it from infecting, how to check if it has become infected, and lastly what to do to cure an infected piercing.
How to prevent your piercing from infecting
As in everything, prevention is better than cure. There are care and measures you can take to prevent your nose piercing from infecting.
- Before putting on the piercing, make sure you are not allergic to it.
- Do not try to put on a piercing by yourself, instead go to a recognized and responsible place where they use the right tools.
- Make sure they use the disposable material to prevent potential transmission of disease and to disinfect the area before drilling.
- Once the piercing has been placed, clean and disinfect the area regularly, according to the instructions given to you, until it is completely healed.
How to tell if a piercing is infected
The nose is a route through which the air that reaches the lungs is filtered. Hence, it is customary that particles and microorganisms that do not enter the body are trapped in it, which is why it is not uncommon for your nose piercing to infect. Either way, an infected nose piercing will not take long to give alarm signals. You should be aware of the following signs of infection of your piercing:
- The area around the reddish piercing becomes purple, almost black.
- It feels hot and can burn.
- Not only is it inflamed but it also hurts.
- The perforation bleeds or even secretes pus.
In that case, you must act immediately. Do not let your piercing infection spread to the rest of the body because if it does, you could put your health at risk.
How to Cure a Piercing that Became Infected
Whether or not you are infected, your piercing requires certain care until its healing, so it is important that you know how to heal it. To do this, take the following recommendations into account.
- Wash your hands thoroughly before touching the piercing.
- Clean and disinfect at least twice daily until completely healed.
- Dry the area thoroughly before putting the piercing back on. Do this very carefully, avoiding rubbing it.
How to cure an infected piercing
You need to know what to cure your piercing so that it heals faster, preventing it from becoming infected.
With saline solution
Disinfect the piercing with saline solution at least once a day. Dilute 2 tablespoons of sea salt in a glass of warm water. Moisten a swab in this solution and pass it through the drill area. Leave it to dry for 20 minutes, before re-inserting the piercing, that you can disinfect in the same solution.
Use antibacterial soap
Use warm water and neutral antibacterial soap to clean and disinfect your piercing. Apply it with a cotton swab and very carefully, avoiding to irritate the area. Rinse and allow to dry thoroughly before putting the piercing back on.
Natural disinfectants to cure a piercing
Lastly, nature gives you many natural disinfectants that can be very useful for cleaning and disinfect your piercing. Below you will find more information on some of them.
Aloe Vera Gel: The aloe vera gel is wonderful in these cases, as it is not only very good as an antiseptic, but it is also healing and favors skin regeneration.
Bee’s Honey: Did you know that honey is an effective healing? That’s right. On the other hand, it gives you excellent antimicrobial properties, which will prevent your piercing from becoming infected.
Chamomile Infusion: You can use an infusion of chamomile. Many ensure that chamomile is the best natural healing and, as it is well known, the faster it heals the piercing, the less likely it is to get infected. Be sure to try it!
Colloidal Silver: It has been used for the past 2000 years and is still used by surgeons during before and after operations as a natural disinfectant. Since it does not harm useful cells and only kill bad cells it is best antiseptic.
