Cartilage piercings refer to a piercing in one of the cartilage-filled areas of the body, such as the nose and ears. These piercings are held on stiff parts of your ears or nose; hence, it may require between four to twelve months for them to heal completely. Many people assume their cartilage piercing is healed; however, it only heals from the skin inwards in many cases. These piercings can significantly impact your health; therefore, it is best to take good care of your piercing site to speed up the healing process.
Impact of Cartilage Piercings
Cartilage piercings can lead to severe skin conditions due to unhygienic practices, which can further delay the healing of the piercing site. Using dirty hands or tools on your piercing can potentially cause the following issues.
Infection
If your cartilage piercing gets infected, it will hurt a lot, followed by a thick, smelly discharge coming out of the piercing site. Moreover, you may notice that your piercing area feels hot to the touch with a bright red or pink appearance. It can further cause nausea, fever, and chills; hence, you should consider seeking help from a doctor if you experience these symptoms.
Keloid Scar
Your cartilage piercing can cause a keloid scar to develop around your piercing site. It appears as a raised scar with a bump around the piercing hole. In some cases, it can indicate a skin infection or an underlying skin condition. Therefore, if you notice a keloid scar developing around your new cartilage piercing, contact your skin care specialist as soon as possible.
How to Take Care of a Cartilage Piercing
Ensure that you get your cartilage piercing done by an experienced piercer who follows proper hygienic practices. In addition, you can observe if your piercer sanitizes the piercing equipment or not. Once you get a cartilage piercing, you need to take the following steps for its aftercare.
- Do not touch your cartilage piercing with dirty hands and avoid twisting or playing with your piercing
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before cleaning your cartilage piercing
- Clean your piercing with a salt and water solution at least once a day
- Use a clean cloth to soak up the water around your piercing after bathing
- Apply skin ointment as prescribed by your piercer or skincare specialist
The healing process of cartilage piercing can be expedited using the abovementioned aftercare tips. Once your piercing has healed completely, you can buy trendy piercing jewelry from Body Jewelry. They offer stylish rings, studs, and bars to embellish your cartilage piercing.
