Help infected daith piercing with photo

[ilovetvandchocolates]

Help, do I need to see a doctor or carry on with treating with sea salt solution and tea tree oil?

I'm getting yellow fluid, some blood and thick sticking discharge which is hard to shift with cotton buds.

It's been like this for 2 weeks but at its worst now, I had it pierced 8 weeks ago.

Will it heal itself or do I need antibiotics?

Gross photo sorry!

Ask the pharmacist for advice?

Sprinkle some salt into a mug of boiling water. Allow it to cool slightly. Wash your hands then soak a piece of cotton wool in it. Hold against your piercing until it cools. Repeat until any crustiness is soft enough to wipe away. Do this twice a day. And don't fiddle with it in between!

Thank you

I found cotton buds really helpful for cleaning my piercings. Yes to the sea salt and boiled water, at least twice a day, don't fiddle with it at all. Contact your piercer for further advice, if you feel unwell contact GP/pharmacist.

I myself have numerous piercings, and swear by cleaning with hibiscrub, it's available from most chemist's, boots etc,

Thanks @Fundad16 I'll try hibiscrub. The top of the piercing looks like its slightly gaping, I'm just hoping it will heal ok.

I agree with what pp's said about cleaning with salt water or hibiscrub. I found that once the inflammation had gone on mine, I changed to a hypoallergenic piercing bar as it was the original bar causing irritation and swelling.

@INeedToGetHealthy did your piercer change your bar or you? Was wondering if I was allergic as before this happened it was really itchy.

My piercer changed the bar for me.

Mine went like this for a bit, think it’s called a keloid it’s when your body tries to grow skin over it. It eventually settled down and it’s fine now.

I would stop with the tea tree and just use sea salt and boiled water several times a day. If you can get your ear immersed in it even better
Don't touch it unless cleaning
Mine seemed infected and the red spread onto my face but that cleared it up. If it doesn't clear up go back to the piercer. You can get plastic jewellery. That may work until it is healed and they could clean it with the jewellery out

Crush an aspirin and mix it with a drop of water or vaseline. Paste it on.

Water-based will crumble off on its own. Vaseline-based will stay on longer but perhaps not as easily absorbed.

Thank you, I will stop with the tea tree and try the aspirin. It seems worse today. ☹️

Keep posted!

I emailed my piercer this morning with a photo, she thinks I need antibiotics so I made an appointment at the docs. I'm seeing a nurse at 12 today.
She also said that if it doesn't clear up with antibiotics (that's if I even get them prescribed) she'll replace the bar with a plastic one.
Will let you know what the nurse thinks first!

I've got antibiotics, I was told to add camomile (from a tea bag) to the salt water solution as well. Fingers crossed it clears up! Thanks everyone for your help, today's my only day off work and needed reassurance from you when unable to get to the GP.

I had real problems with my bilateral faith piercings and kept getting the keloid type scarring and pain. I had a different infection and ended up on a ten day course of penicillin which shifted it, and they are totally fine now. I think yours are past the stage of healing with cleaning - I’d go and get some antibiotics.
Also, I heard that whilst hibiscrub is ace (I am a nurse and fond of it!) that it can be counter productive to use it on piercings due to how it works with healing tissue. I’m not 100% on the accuracy of that but to be honest I’d visit your GP having seen your photo...

My apologies, just realised how old the thread is!

@WotcherHarry thank you. A lot has happened since last I posted!

Penicillin cleared it up or so I thought, I got a plastic retainer put in by my piercer.

Weeks later it flared up again. I needed 2 weeks of penicillin to clear up the infection and was told to change the plastic bar to titanium or remove it altogether. I got a new titanium bar put in and fingers crossed it's settled down.

It's also helped to use a travel neck pillow to sleep on as I kept sleeping on that ear and was waking up sore!

If the infection comes back I have to remove it.

Hello !
I have the same problem and the same piercing in the daith . I think i rejected it , and the piercier told me to change de bar.
I wanted to know what happened till your last post ?
Have a good day

@Yacout
Ok so 10 months in, still a few niggles!
A month ago it swelled up again, I took out the titanium bar, squeezed blood and clear fluid out of it.
I Bathed it with hot salt water and replaced the titanium bar with surgical steel.
I think it's finally settling with the surgical steel.

It no longer itches, the lumps are gradually going, I'm finding it's peeling off dry skin around the piercing and the lumps are shrinking.
I'm still using the travel pillow, and cleaning it daily. I think my body's telling me to take it out if I'm honest but I'm persevering!