Does my piercing look infected...?

[eyores9]

Hello!
So a week ago I had my daith pierced. All been fine until the last day or two where I've been having more tightening pain when smiling etc, which I thought is odd.
Fast forward to today and I've got a radiating headache and really achey jaw, on the same side of my face as my piercing. It's full, not sharp, but constantly there. Does anybody know what this could be? It feels like it could be my top molar playing up, but I'm also wondering if it could be to do with my piercing?

Does it look okay to you?

Sorry, I forgot the pic!

Looks fine. Is it inflamed? Red? Swollen? Hot to touch? If not, it’s probably fine.

Doesn't look infected (looks very nice )

Sometimes things take a while to settle, your cartilage will be adjusting / trying to grow where it's been damaged etc. Perhaps you slept on it and the nerves are still sensitive?

Take some paracetamol for the pain and keep an eye on it. Any redness, discharge or raised temperature would indicate an infection that you should think about getting checked out.

@Fireplace12 thank you. It feels tender, but that's how I'd expect it to be a week after initial piercing. It has had a few crusty scabs some mornings, which again I was told was normal and part of the healing process so was to be expected. Nothing gunky or strange coming out of the piercing site 😟

@AltitudeCheck thank you very much! I really like it so hoping I can get away with not having to remove it! It feels tight if I smile but again I think thats to be expected at the moment. I'll keep a close eye on it! 🥰

Just keep bathing it in warm (boiled and cooled) salty water twice a day and don't touch it if you can help it

I had my conch done a few months ago and it took ages to heal and was by far my most painful piercing!!

Some just take a while to settle. My nose was like that. Hot salty water worked really well.

Piercing looks fine. I think it would be oozing pus if it was infected, as well as the signs Fireplace12 said.

Thank you all. I'll try the boiled water and salt solution too, at the moment I'm using a sterile saline spray and patting dry once used with clean tissues.

I found cotton buds the easiest thing to use, try and saturate the piercing

Or use a small glass (tumbler) and tilt your head sideways so you can submerge your ear and the piercing in the water

@SquirrelCrimbleCrumble that's a good idea thank you! My piercer said no to cotton wool pads or buds annoyingly as she said the little fibres can get entwined around the bar / in the in the 'wound' itself and cause problems, I've always used cotton buds though with my other piercings, and never had an issue - I feel like it cleans more thoroughly!

I must say this is definitely my most painful piercing, too! So more reason for me not to want to take it out.. I don't think I could sit there and have it re pierced again! 😅🤣

Looks fine. No obvious sign of infection.

I've had that tight achy feeling after ear cartilage piercings too. I think there is some generalised swelling in the area and any movement in the facial muscles pulls a bit

You could try kitchen roll instead then, but I didn't experience any issues when using cotton buds....! and I have numerous piercings

I haven't ever had issues with cotton buds either, I must say!
After how painful it was to have pierced I just want to do all I can to look after it thoroughly, I really don't want to have to retire it like I did my recent forward helix; which was super infected towards the end 😔😔

@eyores9

I haven't ever had issues with cotton buds either, I must say! After how painful it was to have pierced I just want to do all I can to look after it thoroughly, I really don't want to have to retire it like I did my recent forward helix; which was super infected towards the end 😔😔

I've been the same with my Conch, desperate to keep it going due to how sodding painful it's been! (and because I love it) Finally managed to get a shorter bar in it and it not be throbbing (after about 8 months) and that bar will stay in till the end of time

I've had my nose pierced twice now but I just cannot make it work. I blow my nose too often and it's too painful so I gave up on it

I do love how the conch looks! I'm glad it feels better for you now! I have a fairly long bar in my daith because I do swell up quite badly usually, but so far so good! I'm kind of dreading the down-sizing appointment I must say. It usually gets really sore after any kind of irritation, all my piercings are the same in that sense. My helix I've had 6 years and it still flares up!!