Caring for newly pierced ears

[mitsi31]

My dd is 12 and took to get her ears pierced on sat as a belated birthday pressie
She sat fine and everything went ok and has been going well so far
Tonight she has told me someone bumped into her at school (ear was hit) now at the side of the ear it's slightly swollen and red but not sore
Is there anything I can do to reduce the swelling and will the piercing be ok

There's every chance that the piercing will be OK, though it may be a bit sore whilst the extra healing is going on.

All you can do is keep it very clean (swab with saline, don't twiddle the earring).

If it becomes hot or painful, then you'll need a trip to the GP as those are signs of infection.

Thanks
She says it feels ok and doesn't hurt etc so fingers crossed
I'll use extra cleaning stuff in the morning might take her along to where we got it done for a bit more advice and will defo keep an eye on it

Get some warm salt water (Google for quantities I can't remember off hand!)
If you can get a bowl or egg cup and fill with the warm saline get her to soak her ear for a bit in it (invert egg cup against ear)
If that doesn't work then soak cotton wool or a clean flannel
Should be soothing on it too. Don't twist or touch it as much as you can. If it gets any crusty bits then soak it off

Thanks I'll keep that in mind
So far seems ok no pus or crusts just you can tell it's been hit hopeing it's just cause its been bumped and not the start of an infection

Don't be talked into buying more of the (desperately overpriced) solution for cleaning newly pierced ears. If you don't want to make up your own saline, go to any chemist and get a bottle of sterile saline sold as contact lens cleaner. Same stuff, much cheaper.

Payed extra for this stuff as its new 3 week healing time
I've been checking her ears every time I clean them and all is well till now lol
Can't remember what I used on my ears when I had them done and that was years and years ago

Does it say exactly what's in the 3 weeks stuff? Because I've only ever seen it described as hypochlorite, which I took to mean the same as Milton fluid.

If it is, suspend use and switch to saline asap.

That's exactly what it says on the bottle
Keep checking on it still ok just looks like it's been knocked abit
So would saline be better than this cleaning stuff they gave me

It's your call.

I'm assuming it's a weak solution of sodium hypochlorite (ie chlorine bleach) and I wouldn't use that on any open wound. But it must have been passed as safe to sell for this purpose.

When I was pierced, decades ago, the advice was to use antiseptic, or surgical spirit to alcohol. And I don't think there was a noticeably higher rate of complications or slow healing.

Nearly everyone advises saline nowadays, because it is effective and much gentler.

Doesn't look as bad this morning still not sore and it's not warm had a touch when I was giving them a good clean which must be a good sign
I'm going to see the place where it was done for advice (took a few pics last night)
I'll get stuff in to make up the saline handy if I do decide to use it

We've been ok using the stuff they give just that knock to the area

Ive had my cartilage pierced and whenever they were bumped i used warm salty water and soaked them every few hours and kept them very clean