The 'Is It Infected' Checklist!

So. All the freaking time you see people running around flailing screaming MAH ERRR IS INFECTEDDD. When, there’s actually a very, very slender chance that it actually is infected. Also, the majority of infections are picked up where the piercing was initially performed, through poor sterilisation methods and lacking in sanitation. Infections are incredibly rare in older piercings.

The ‘Is It Infected’ checklist.

Is it very hot to the touch?
Is the skin around the piercing dark red/purple?
Is there A LOT of swelling, more than expected?
Is there a dark yellow/brown/green/blood stained secretion?
Is there a foul odour?
Is it very painful to the touch?
Generally, a piercing needs 4/6 of these symptoms to be an infection, although if you seriously suspect you have one with only a couple of the more serious symptoms (the pus, smell and significant swelling for example), get your behind to a medical professional.
Let’s compare this to the ‘Is It Irritated?’ Checklist

Warm to touch
Slight redness around piercing site
Slight swelling
A light cream/white/light yellow substance being excreted, drying to a yellow crust?
Painful to touch?
See the difference here? Irritation is able to be treated with chamomile compresses, salt soaks and general babying. It’s annoying, but not serious and can be treated using various at-home remedies. It’s sometimes as simple as changing jewellery, or just not playing with it.

A piercing infection is very, very serious. If you suspect that you have a piercing infection, DO NOT REMOVE THE JEWELLERY, EVEN IF THE MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL ASKS YOU TO! Get to an ER/A&E/Doctor and tell them you have an infected piercing. They will prescribe you a broad-spectrum antibiotic. ALWAYS TAKE ALL OF THE PRESCRIBED PILLS. Just because you feel better, doesn’t mean you should stop taking the pill cycle early. An infection can reoccur if you finish a cycle early.

Infections cannot be treated with at-home remedies, unlike irritation. Infections can be life threatening, and should be treated medically!