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infected scaffolding piercing..? :/

I had my scaffold piercing done in blue banana about...2/3 weeks ago. i know its supposed to take 6/12 months to heal, but i thought the initial pain would have gone by now & it hasnt so im kind of worried :/ like, i cant even touch it without it hurting a ridiculous amount, and its really crusty still.
The woman who pierced it (needle not gun) gave me teatree oil clean it with to prevent infection, which i've heard since apparently you aren't supposed to use because it's too strong for healing skin, although its only 5% diluted in almond oil, but i think im allergic to it, so im just using saltwater-saturated cotton buds to clean it which they also told me to use, and using the teatree once a week or so.
I'm just worried its infected because its just still SO painful, and it just feels it hasnt gotten at all better since i had it done, its still crusty, and my ears a bit swollen still.
I was wondering if anyone else had this, & if its normal? :smile:

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Reply 1

Ilora-Danon

Sounds utterly normal. Expect that level of pain for a good few months to come. It does hurt to have a scaffold - which is why it's often a good idea to have the 2 piercings pierced on separate occasions, heal separately and then fit a barbell once they're healed. Otherwise you will experience a high level of pain and discomfort especially as the barbell will be considerably larger to allow for swelling.

Carry on salt soaking, I'd leave out the tea tree and just be patient for the next 6 months.

The main sign of infection is a yellow/green fluid being secreted from the piercing. Pain is normal, especially after only 2/3 weeks, so don't assume it's infected just yet. Infections are actually quite rare - people usually mistake the healing period for infection - it's just a case of education really; knowing what signs to look out for and knowing what is and isn't normal. All your symptoms sound normal for the initial healing period.

Reply 2

TheVeryHungryCaterpillar.

Ooh good

i was worried because they didnt really say how long it would hurt for.. she just said 'its the most painful piercing i've ever had' i dont mind it hurting, as long as thats what its supposed to be doing.
thanks :biggrin:

Reply 3

Ilora-Danon

You're welcome, my pleasure :smile:

Reply 4

mel0n

What Ilora said. But also, make sure you're not using too much salt. You only need a small pinch. :smile:

Reply 5

Pareesasa

or there's savlon antiseptic spray u can spray on once a day! can get it from boots, its really good i used it when i got my bellybutton pierced

Reply 6

TheVeryHungryCaterpillar.

i think i was told not to use savlon on a piercing.. apparently it makes your body try to get rid of it? i dont know this was when i was 12 lol :P
im just using saltwater solution and i just hope it gets less painful over the next month or so :smile:

Reply 7

Ilora-Danon

Yeah savlon won't necessarily help with healing. If anything, it'll hinder it.

Reply 8

TheVeryHungryCaterpillar.

Aha, to make this even more annoying, i woke up today with a red lump on my top piercing -.- anybody know how i can get rid of it? :/ i know theyre quite common with cartilage piercings.

Reply 9

Ilora-Danon

Again, granulomas are bastards. It'll go away in it's own in time. Salt soaks and patience....

Reply 10

iced_dragon_agility

put something cold on them? I had red lumps on both my cartilage piercings, went skiing with my uni and within a week they were gone and have never come back :s-smilie:

Reply 11

TheVeryHungryCaterpillar.

Its not painful which is good :smile:

i rung the studio and the piercer told me it was a keloid and to make a rocksalt paste and apply that to it, but ive run out of rocksalt and cant get anymore for a few days so would seasalt be ok? Its not table salt or anything aha xD
Thanks :smile:

Reply 12

whoflungdung

Thank goodness someone else is having some pain!!! I got mine done last Saturday & today im in agony it feels like someone has bitten my ear!lol well nearly.....been using salty water & tea tree oil but will now just use the water. I also thought it was infected but have no discharge from ear. just hope its not to long before it gets better.... cheers x :rolleyes:

Reply 13

livvy_c

this is far from the first time i've heard about piercings from blue banana becoming infected.

i'm not saying don't go there, but just make sure you ask plenty of questions about sterilisation etc. Just wanted to warn people that some BB stores don't seem that scrupulous, so be wary. I know they're cheaper than a lot of other piercers but if you have any doubts, it's worth it to pay the extra.

i'd say leave it alone as much as possible, except to apply salt water and germoline once per day (salt water in the morning, germoline overnight) and if it gets really bad, just take it out as that's the best way to avoid nasty scars i'm afraid

hope this helps

Reply 14

NatalieMT

Original post by TheVeryHungryCaterpillar.

Its not painful which is good :smile:

Keloids are extremely rare, you'd know if it was a keloid. They're not just a random occurrence usually people are prone to them due to genetic background. They are usually impossible to get rid of completely without surgical intervention. Blue Banana do have a very poor reputation so I wouldn't 100% believe everything they tell you.

It's more likely the bump is hypertrophic scarring, which is basically your body just trying to over heal the area, but without a photo no one here can confirm either way. They go away over time and with good aftercare. They are very common. Just carry on with your salt soaks and maybe add in a chamomile tea bag to the boiled water and use that to soak your piercing too, chamomile is gentle and known for it's soothing properties. Whatever you do don't be putting any sort of salt paste on the area, you will just make it dry and angry. Don't put any creams on it either, Savlon/Germolene is not good for your piercings, the cream just creates a barrier between your skin and the air. Air needs to get to your piercing, by putting cream on it you just prolong the healing.

If at any point it is making discoloured pus (normal lymph is clear or milky in colour), feels abnormally painful or very hot to the touch then go to your doctor as a combination of the above symptoms probably mean it is infected. Do not remove the piercing until any infection is completely cleared, removing an infected piercing is actually one of the worst things you could do.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 15

alankate25

I had mine done in December mine is sore I went in blue bannnana today an got to I got a kelorid on my piercing an to use sea salt, I've used tea tree oil an that just helps if ur ear is swallen go an see them again as they could tell u what to use hun good luck I know the piercing is a pain I wish I didn't have it done the crusty part I got told to clean twice a day as it do get a lot of crust until it's heald

Reply 16

hellbunni

I got my scaffold piercing a couple of weeks ago now. In the past two days, there's been some yellowish discharge from the lower of the two piercings and my ear at the same piercing is sore when it wasn't before. I am cleaning it with soapy water and then applying the cleansing solution given by my piercer. I am considering seeing if I can get surgical spirit to clean it as I am worried it's infected 😕 Any suggestions or tips would be appreciated. The last thing I want is to have to remove it 😣

Reply 17

AverageSaraid

Use Hydrogen Peroxide 3% 3 times a day to clean it. Not teatree. And avoid touching it, as that allows more bacteria to get to the piercing.

Reply 18

username2027337

I got mine done a week a go at Pierced up, my ear is twice the size,red and painful to the touch. However, there is no pus. Is this normal? Is it infected do you think? I mean, it is huge.