Infected Eyebrow

Dave

The history first off. I first got my eyebrow pierced over a year ago now, and it was fine if a little recessed into my skin with no swelling or infection of any kind. But that doesnt really matter. I went ot edinburgh for the summer and due to work i had to take both my ear cartilidge (sp?) and my eyebrow piercing out and they both healed perfectly. So before I came back to Ireland I said I'd get my eyebrow redone, I got it done in the same part of my eyebrow as before, just a little forward in the skin as the person that pierced didn't think it would have been wise piercing the scar tissue also she said it was way too far back in my eyebrow. But ever since i've had problems with the piercing, it's till recessed into my eyebrow, not that you can't see it, but not as visible as some eyebrow peircings i've seen. I now have an infection, it's not sore or anything, there's just a small reddish lump beside the bottom hole of my piercing. Any quick remedies to sort this for good?

neuro-praxis

Sometimes an infection will mean the ring has to come out and you just have to leave it be. But you might as well try this:

1. wash hands with dettol and hot water
2. take out the ring carefully
3. take a cotton bud (the small sticks with tightly wrapped cotton on the ends) dipped in a solution of either your usual piercing cleanser or salt water
4. this will be painful: gently but firmly and thoroughly clean all of the poison out of the lump at the base. At the point where it stops drawing poison and starts drawin blood, stop immediately
5. wipe the area clean with a cotton ball (a soft lump of cotten wool) dampened with your piercing solution
6. wash hands again quickly
7. replace the ring

This should sort it out. Do not over-clean the area and don't be too rough, and certainly don't break the skin on the lump with the poison in it. Avoid taking the ring in and out and never ever touch it unless you're cleaning it.

If this has no effect after a couple of days, return to your piercer for advice.

Dave

Cheers, much apprectiated.

I'll post an account of what happens. So if people are ever in a similar situation they'll have something to reference.

I am MAN

Nothing more you can do than what was suggested above, keep salt water soaks daily..dont use too much salt as this can dry the piercing out if it becomes extreme you may have to remove it but give it time.

Your piercer wont tell you much more than you have been told here thats the general cleaning process for piercings.

screamager

dont think thats an infection, if it was it'd be painful. i had something like it on my eyebrow. it went away after i burst it with a needle. yours could be what i had or hypothropic scarring or a keloid. if i were you id go get it checked out by a piercer.

I am MAN

It as a form of infection but sometimes does need to be burst to release the 'puss' from it.

eth0_

I'd advise you to go see your piercer too. Don't whatever you do take the ring out when you're cleaning it, that will just irritate the area further.
I had one of those little tiny blister/keloid type things on the bottom hole of my navel when I stretched it to 6ga last year, salt soaks and downsizing for about a month sorted it out.

DigitalAngel

Leave the ring in, and don't rotate it.
Clean the crusties and goo off, but move the ring as little as possible.
Don't touch the thing unless you're cleaning it, and only then with scrubbed hands.

Don't take it out, as it will just p1ss the piercing off even more, and right now it just needs to be babied. Salt soaks twice a day will do it fine. Best bet is a shot glass, or one of those optrex bath thingies filled with warm saline, as it stops irritation and makes the mopup easier.

Don't put anything antibac near it though, as will kill the "good" bacteria.

neuro-praxis

I suggested taking the piercing out for this one big cleaning job because that's what was necessary for me to rid my eyebrow of one big infection.

I am not suggesting that he take the ring out every time he cleans it.

Chaos_Path

leave it in ; if its infected and weep and generally yucky, the jewellery acts as a drain.
Sea-Salt soak the hell out of it twice a day for a week, that should sort it out.

teddybear22482

My eyebrow is severly infected...this is my 2nd peircing, 1st eyebrow piercing... mine swells up like a balloon when i get up in the morning sometimes, hurts realllllllyyyyy bad, and i just dont know what to do. I have been doing everything i was told to do by my piercer, but nothing has worked. sea salt soaks arent working on the infection...they help a little with the pain though. This has been going on for 4 months...at first my peircing was fine then i got the jewelry changed, thats when the trouble started. someone please help!!! :mad:

Seraphina

started when you got your jewellery changed eh?
are you sensitive to the type of metal perhaps?

teddybear22482

yes I am allergic to some metals, but i havent ever had a problem with surgical steel. I have my tongue pierced and have never had a problem with it. I asked, Mike, my piercer, if that was going to be a problem...he said it shouldnt be if I had no problem with my tongue and that the piercing ring and the new jewelry were made of the same metal....surgical steel.

Shazbot

try putting the original bar in and see how that goes.

changing bars/rings during healing can prolong the process and can cause irritation.

teddybear22482

the original bar was a captive bead ring...i dont think i can put it in without hurting myself...i called my piercer,New York (or Mike), and he is going to see me tomarrow to put in a titanium bar or plastic retainer to see if its allergies to the steel.

eth0_

If it's been going on for 4 months with no change, why don't you just quit your losses and go see a doctor? A piercer can't give you antibiotics which is what you might need to get rid of this. yes, the doctor will most likely tell you to take the piercing out, but personally I value my health more than I value my piercings. You've been trying what your piercer has told you for months with no change, go see a doctor.

teddybear22482

well i think i should try changing the bar first. i have always thought it was the jewelry but new york said it wasnt ....now that he finally is listening to me, i want to give it a chance because i plan to get more piercings and need to know what kind of jewelry i can use so this dont happen again.

eth0_

Who is 'new york'?

teddybear22482

New York( or Mike if you prefer) is my piercer. At the local tattoo shop.

mitchman

i have had my eyebrow piercing (barbell) for about 4 months, i admit i do not clean it as much as i should, but i want to know if it is currently infected. it gets sore sometimes, when i move it a little white/yellow pus forms around the whole, it still crusts on the base. when it gets sore, it barely bothers me, and only when i move it. is this infection? if so, obviously a very mild case. i best go back to cleaning it by having sea salt soaks maybe every other day. any other suggestions would be great.
thx,
Mitch

Gingerspice99

Use to have similar problems with my nose piercing

Sore, Red, pus when I moved the ring - went back to the girl that did it for me and she gave me a bottle of tea tree oil - she advised me to put it on as often as possible with a q tip or cotton bud.

Three days and the soreness was gone, no pus and the redness was gone a few days later - I read up on tea tree oil and it has healing qualities

Tea tree oil has been recognized as a potent antiseptic in Australia anecdotally for much longer than there has been scientific evidence. However, recent studies support a role for tea tree oil in skin care and treatment of various ailments.

I would definitely recommend it

Will

sea salt soaks are the way to go in my opinion