Infected Piercings - NHS

Symptoms of an infected piercing

What's normal for a new piercing

For the first few weeks a new piercing might:

  • be tender, itchy, and the surrounding area may look slightly red on white skin, or a little darker than usual on dark skin
  • produce a pale fluid that forms a crust

If you've had an ear or nose cartilage piercing, small lumps can sometimes form around the piercing.

The lumps, called granulomas, are trapped fluid. You can treat them by soaking a pad in warm water then holding the pad against them once a day.

Signs of an infection

Your piercing might be infected if:

  • the area around it is swollen, painful, hot, very red or dark (depending on your skin colour)
  • there's blood or pus coming out of it – pus can be white, green or yellow
  • you feel hot, cold or shivery, or generally unwell
Close-up photo of a person's ear lobe with a gold hoop earring. The ear lobe is red and swollen. Credit:

DR P. MARAZZI / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/525209/view

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