Sore ear piercing

[MadeWithCare]

I had my ears pierced a week ago. Not too painful really and pretty comfortable within 24 hours.

I've cleaned them religiously twice a day, as instructed and the right one now isn't even a little bit sore. The left seems to be getting worse, but it isn't swollen, red, hot or weeping.

I just need to give it more time?

Are you soaking them in sterile cooled boiled water with sea or rock salt added and leaving them the hell alone other than that as per the recommendations of a qualified professional piercer, or are you using some nasty disinfectant and repeatedly twisting them to disrupt the formation/healing of the fistula following a gun piercing?

Oh no, I consulted MN beforehand and had it done with a needle at a tattoo place. I am using the wound cleaning spray they recommended though.

That's a good start - I'd definitely go for a hot sterile saline mix, though, as although the spray cleans the outside, saline causes the bacteria that may have got inside the wound to die. Soak kitchen roll in the mixture, don't scald yourself, but use as warm water as possible. Don't turn the piercing at all, as that causes the healing to be disrupted.

(Source: ten piercings that healed perfectly and used to live with a professional piercer).

You could also be lying on it overnight, so the pressure on one side or catching it on your pillow/hair twisting round or rubbing it in your sleep could have irritated the piercing site. It's also worth checking if the lobe is swelling, as it might be that resulting in pressure on the wound.

I'd give it a day or so and if it's still causing trouble, pop back in to see the piercer - DON'T take the bar out, as that can lead to it starting to heal over and trap any infection inside. No creams or other lotions/potions, either. If the bar ends are squashing against the lobe, go back sooner.

Thank you, no there's definitely no swelling and it looks perfectly normal. It's just sore. Not dreadfully painful, just different to the other one.