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Piercing uckiness.

Circe

Circe

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
8,087
The human body is a miraculous (if disgusting) thing, is all I can say.

Heeeeeeeeeeey, so, remember how I got my ears pierced on my birthday? Well, as my darling husband pointed out about a minute after I got the piercings, my left ear looked more symmetrical then my right. So I reluctantly yanked the right-side piercings when I got home that night, figured I'd let them heal over, and just get them re-pierced (a decision that I appreciated, frankly, when I was trying to go to bed that night: friends thinking of following a similar procedure, take my advice and treat 'em like wisdom teeth: one side at a time).

So two weeks passed, and all was well, and all was well, and all would be well, when I went back to the piercing salon to get re-pierced: there was an iffy moment at first when a nice young hipster who insisted on talking about his fashion line/suspension show stood next in the queu as piercer, but I gave in to my inner old -lady and asked for that nice Ashley who'd done my initial piercing (when in doubt, go with the girl who says she spent her Friday night drinking tea and knitting rather than the dude with the bloodshot eyes, that's what I always say) and all was indeed well.

For a couple of days.

Then I developed an odd ... stripe ... leading up from the piercing. Like a little regimental marking. My best friend looked at it and said, "I've never seen anything ... like ... that." But it didn't hurt, so I figured, eh, it's probably just a bruise from the clamp, right?

Wrong.

Tonight I went to take out my original earrings, and, well ... let's just say it was sort of like John Norman had written it up. Gore!

As near as I can figure, the clamp gave me a blood blister ... which happily swelled for a couple of days and gave me military-ear ... and eventually let it all hang out, which resulted in it looking like I'd gotten ruby studs instead of diamond. Ick.

At this point, I've cleaned up the crime scene, and it doesn't hurt, and the black line is even fading, so I figure I'll leave it be and call it a day (night). Tomorrow I'll call the piercing place and ask if they recommend I yank it for a second time, or what. In the meantime: all I have to say is, beauty is pain. Also? Ick.
 
That sounds like a serious infection.
I would go to a doctor or PA like asap.
 
Dude, really? I was hoping that since it was clean red blood it was just ... you know, a little bit of weirdness (for context's sake, I'm on blood thinners, so I bleed/bruise like it's my job). If there was pus or anything I'd be at a doc's like a shot ... you really think it's A Thing I should be worried about? Argh. This has been a crap week for health (unrelatedly, I cracked my head on the medicine cabinet Sunday night, bled copiously, and spent the next day or so worried about concussion. Good times!).
 
Boy Circe, I gotta second the doctor idea... I know you don't want to go, but I really think you should...
 
third vote for the doctor visit. You can make it interesting and tell him your ear swelled up after you hit your head :Up_to_something:
 
Oh not wait! If we are making up stories, i have ideas! Burnings building! Saving old people and pupies! Maybe there could be an earthquake involved! Oh, and of course you wore a CAPE!
 
And when she entered that burning building, her cape got caught on a nail compromising her maneuverability and a gust of wind slammed her head into the wall KER-POW, and the ear swelled around the magic earring that gives her her power.
 
I would go to the doctor! I have 4 piercings on my right ear, 2 on my left. My cartilage on my right swelled up like a mofo, and lets not even talking about my left ear's THIRD piercing - one that I eventually had to take out (and nearly couldn't because it was so swollen). I was young, dumb and in college and didn't go to a doctor and eventually they got better, BUT .... they could've gotten worse. And think! Your head would look very lopsided if this ended up being serious (blood poisoning?? that's what the stripe thing first made me think of) and you had to amputate an ear or something. So just to be safe...
 
Matata -- yes, yes yes!!!

Super twin powers -- ACTIVATE!!!


(Seriously Circe, not to make light of your condition at all. You really should go to the doctor. Wear your cape, it will keep you warm in the waiting room.)
 
I had a line from a wound when I got a blood infection. It sounds similar to what you're describing. Please see the dr asap. Hope all is well.
 
I gotta go with the crowd here, pleaese please go to the doctor ASAP!
 
Yeah... Coming from someone who has had 12 body piercings (some in VERY sensitive areas), I would go see a doctor to make sure that it is not some weird infection. Take it out. You can always get re-re-pierced if you want.

ETA- I have had issues with ear piercings that were done with a piercing gun... It just rips the flesh instead of actually making a hole for the earring to fit into. I suggest going to a piercer and getting it done with a hollow needle. Much better for healing.
 
THAT LINE IS ABSOLUTELY AN INFECTION. No question about it. The reason it's fading is because it's being absorbed in your bloodstream. If you do not get rid of the infection, you might go septic, which can actually kill you. You might want to check and see if you have a mild fever, sometimes these come along with an infection.

You need a broad spectrum antibiotic, ASAP. :!:

Are you swabbing with iodine? Alcohol and hydrogen peroxide are not enough.

There is also a type of Staph infection called MRSA, that starts with swelling, redness, and lines on the skin. MRSA (google is your friend) is especially dangerous, it moves EXTREMELY quickly and can kill someone in perfect health in less than a week. The staph multiplies like crazy and lodges in the internal organs. It actually kills the tissue and surgeons have to remove the dead tissue. It is very prevalent in tropical or humid areas. It is antibiotic resistant, and hard to get rid of even in a hospital setting. One of my neighbors got it through a small scratch on his leg, while working in his yard. He now has a big "dimple" in his leg where the surgeons cut it out. There was a story in our local area about a high school athlete that almost died (within 3 days) from getting MRSA in a locker room. My daughter's school was closed and disinfected when one of the kids came down with a mild case of MRSA. Iodine won't work on MRSA, there is one product in US drugstores, call Staphaseptic that kills MRSA on the superficial skin level, but not internally. I use it on EVERY cut or scrape, instead of neosporin (which is useless on MRSA).

This is an article that shows that more people died from MRSA in 2007, than died from AIDS!
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20071016/more-us-deaths-from-mrsa-than-aids

So yes, get thee to a doctor! :errrr:
 
Circe|1299644587|2867963 said:
Dude, really? I was hoping that since it was clean red blood it was just ... you know, a little bit of weirdness (for context's sake, I'm on blood thinners, so I bleed/bruise like it's my job). If there was pus or anything I'd be at a doc's like a shot ... you really think it's A Thing I should be worried about? Argh. This has been a crap week for health (unrelatedly, I cracked my head on the medicine cabinet Sunday night, bled copiously, and spent the next day or so worried about concussion. Good times!).
Click to expand...

I am guessing that if you are on blood thinners you have a heart condition? I would be on the side of safety and go to a doctor to make sure it is not an infection.

Do you have to take antibiotics before a dental procedure? If so then you should defintitely see the doctor.
 
Woah, guys - I'm sorry! I didn't mean to freak y'all out! I was thinking this was just, you know. One of Those Gross Stories. So, going in reverse order, since that's how the comments are presented these days ....

SoCool, thanks - the blood-thinners are actually for something else (the heart's fine, no antibiotics). But the end result is that I really can bruise from gripping my own arm too hard, so I can totally see a metal clamp leaving me with an aggressive mark (for perspective, administering my own shots one night, I gave myself a hematoma the size of my fist that stayed black-purple for a week - by comparison, this just made me go "Ewwwwww!").

iLander - thank you so much for being so concerned (though, that'll teach me to image search without having the safety feature on). I may have given you the wrong idea with "black" - I mean black-and-blue, like a bruise. The angry purple tinge faded once the blood ran out (the bruise itself is still there, still fading), which makes me think it was a blood blister - it matches the description for that a lot more than for infection. And no MRSA symptoms, thank god - that is scary stuff! But I am using iodine and rubbing alchohol as well as the saline solution - for Russians, that's like washing your hands, almost.

Tuckins - thanks! I'm impressed by your expertise - 12 is a nice round number! After this, I think I'm stopping at 6. :cheeky: I actually went to, like, the fanciest place in the city for this - they used a needle, they autoclaved everything, right down to the gloves, the works. I'm going to call them as soon as they open and ask what their advice is. I have to admit, I'm still hoping this can just heal and be done with - I thought the experience was interesting the first time, but if I go back there every two weeks like clockwork, the bloom might be off the rose, you know?

Asscherisme, Somethingshiny, B.E.G. - I will! Thanks for your concern - I'm hoping this will turn out to be what I thought it was (come morning, no new symptoms or issues, it doesn't hurt, the bruise is still fading ... etc., etc.), but I'll make an appointment with a doc., just in case.

DeeJay, Matata - you guys crack me up! You went in a different direction than I thought, though: I was going to suggest that a nefarious piercer had swapped one stud for kryptonite, thus explaining how I could be so sufficiently weakened as to hit my head. And, btw, I really do have a cape. It may be velvet, but nevertheless.

So, bottom line: the ear hasn't taken a turn for the worse this morning. I'm going to call the piercing place, and if they, too, are deeply concerned (or if I at any point develop any symptom that makes me think infection, whatsoever), it's off to the doctor I go. I have an appointment Friday no matter what, so don't worry! Though if you want to share gross piercing stories of your own, misery does love company ....
 
I'm so glad that you're planning to go to the doctor - although if I were you, I might try to go to urgent care so that I could be seen sooner. In cases like these, it's definitely better to be safe rather than sorry!

Good luck! :)
 
Circe-My mother always told me that a red line meant blood poisoning! My daughter has pierced her bellybutton about 27 times. She has permanent holes both above and below it from the numerous times it was pierced. (When she was told it couldn't be pierced in one place because it was too damaged, she'd ask if it could be pierced in the other.) She's also had her ears pierced in three places. She's had a nose piercing and a Monroe piercing. Once she pierced her nose herself when she was young and I refused to let her have it done. It bled copiously. Every piercing she had was problematic. The belly-button piercings always got infected. Now she doesn't even have pierced ears. But she'll be at it again soon. She can't stop. She has to keep working on herself. All I can say is that I'm really glad you're getting to a doctor! You're one of my favorite posters, very wise. The opposite of my daughter in every way. I don't want to see you get an infection or blood poisoning or some piercing-related ailment! I hate piercings!!!

Hugs,
Deb
:read:

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend
 
Please please go to the doctor soon! You could get blood poisoning. You could also end up with bad scarring. Please please go.
 
Circe, can you call the dr and ask him/her or the nurse their thoughts? I'm glad you're going to go if it gets worse or if the piercers have concerns, but the piercers don't seem to be the best at what they're doing from your experiences with them....
 
Go to the doctor! Do it now to be safe before they have to amputate your earlobes and you can't wear your pretty studs! (okay, I have no idea if they'd do that, but still, it could happen, right?)
 
Honestly, I think it sounds like a bruise, but if you're at all concerned, if the area feels hot to touch, or if you have a raised temperature, nausea or anything at all odd, go to your Dr. Or just check that there's no kryptonite in the wound. That can be really tric :wacko: ky...
 
To quote the former governor of California, "It's not a TOO-mah."

Okay, so I called the doctor and went to the piercing place: the doc said it didn't sound like a big deal, but if I started running a fever or seeing any discharge, come in ASAP, and otherwise they'd see me Friday. The piercing place, where I saw the cool dude who hadn't pierced my ears (and who, it should be noted, was very kind and very professional - apparently my inner square made me v. catty last night, and I've been feeling guilty ever since), said that I definitely did not have an infection. He also noted that I had a ton more bruising on the back of my ear than I did the front.

His hypothesis was that since I'd only gone two weeks before repiercing, possibly it had irritated the cartilage right by the lobe and caused a little internal bleeding, which in turn caused both the external bleeding, and the bruising. So! Lesson learned for Circe, and for anybody thinking of repiercing who's reading: wait longer (especially if you have a tendency to bruise in the first place), and be prepared for weirdness. Thanks to everybody who responded - just to shout-out personally ....

Jen, that's exactly what it turned out to be! The bruise, not the kryptonite, though, frankly, this thread is reminding me of just how much I wanted some of that as a kid. Selfless savior of mankind, whatever - if there's somebody out there who could launch me into space, I want some kind of assurance he won't!

April, thanks, but what a horrifying notion! Not that I couldn't stand a little lobe lipo, as per previous threads, but being deprived of my beloved earring collection ... ack!

Novel, thank you - to be fair, the piercing place is v. cool and I don't hold any onus against them. I've never heard anything but good things about them - I think I'm just kind of a freak of nature/really lucky.

Dragonfly - I thank you for the concern, and I do feel much better after I talked to them and went to the piercing place. And, Friday I'm seeing the doc (by which time hopefully the bruising will be better, anyway).

AGBF - aw, thank you! I am v. flattered. Also, your daughter seems tremendously dedicated to this! I have to admit, after I got the first piercings done, I thought, "Whee, what an endorphin rush. And it looks nifty! I can see how people get addicted ...." But after this? I am sort of thinking I may be too old. I'm glad I got these piercings, but no way, Jose, am I ever getting anything more complicated!

Shitzulover, thanks - I thought about urgent care and called a couple to see what their wait times might be. After that, this seemed like an easier option, and I'm glad I went with it. But I really, really appreciate the concern.

So, in short ... thanks, guys. When I posted last night, I really did just think it was an amusing anecdote. Thanks for taking my health more seriously than I did ... do we have a "genuinely appreciative" smiley?
 
Signs of infection will be:
-Redness at the piercing site.
-Heat at the piercing site
-Green or yellow pus discharge, clear little crusties are normal.
-Pain in said area. Itching is normal, and a sign of healing.

Also, I know you didn't ask for it, but a much better way (IMHO) to care for you new piercings is to do a sea salt soak twice a day until they are healed. You can do this be using 8 ounces very warm water (preferably bottled or filtered), and 1/4 teaspoon non-iodized, finely ground sea salt. Just make sure there are no other additives. Dip your ear into the water, or hold a cup to the side of your head to form a vacuum, and hold it there for 15 minutes or until the water goes cold. I find a new plastic solo cup is easiest, since it's a little flexible. Then, rinse with clean water and dry thoroughly. The heat encourages good circulation, and the saltwater helps to draw out any nasties that may be in there in a nice, natural way (diffusion!!). I've found that alcohol, iodine, peroxide, etc... are too harsh. They can kill some of the new cells that are trying to grow, along with all the bad stuff. Also, don't use neosporin or any ointments/creams, they and peroxide, etc are not for puncture wounds, which is exactly what your new piercings are. Plus, neosporin can trap gunk and dirt and draw it in. Finally, be careful when applying hairspray/perfume/cosmetics, make sure you cover your new holes to avoid getting anything in them.

Love, Manderz (The girl who currently has 14 piercings, and has had more than double that)
 
Doctors vote right here! I would be less concerned if it was clear pus but the blood is no good.
 
manderz|1299708158|2868409 said:
Signs of infection will be:
-Redness at the piercing site.
-Heat at the piercing site
-Green or yellow pus discharge, clear little crusties are normal.
-Pain in said area. Itching is normal, and a sign of healing.

Also, I know you didn't ask for it, but a much better way (IMHO) to care for you new piercings is to do a sea salt soak twice a day until they are healed. You can do this be using 8 ounces very warm water (preferably bottled or filtered), and 1/4 teaspoon non-iodized, finely ground sea salt. Just make sure there are no other additives. Dip your ear into the water, or hold a cup to the side of your head to form a vacuum, and hold it there for 15 minutes or until the water goes cold. I find a new plastic solo cup is easiest, since it's a little flexible. Then, rinse with clean water and dry thoroughly. The heat encourages good circulation, and the saltwater helps to draw out any nasties that may be in there in a nice, natural way (diffusion!!). I've found that alcohol, iodine, peroxide, etc... are too harsh. They can kill some of the new cells that are trying to grow, along with all the bad stuff. Also, don't use neosporin or any ointments/creams, they and peroxide, etc are not for puncture wounds, which is exactly what your new piercings are. Plus, neosporin can trap gunk and dirt and draw it in. Finally, be careful when applying hairspray/perfume/cosmetics, make sure you cover your new holes to avoid getting anything in them.

Love, Manderz (The girl who currently has 14 piercings, and has had more than double that)
Click to expand...

I might not have asked outright, but it's still really good advice! Thanks, Manderz. I've been using the little saline wipes for 5-10 minutes at a time, but that sounds a lot more ... thorough, somehow.
 
Circe...I'm happy to hear that you are not in imminent danger of becoming a half-lobe. Would not sit well at Hogwart's. ;))
 
I betcha it was some weirdness related to blood thinners. A friend of mine is on them and she will bleed like a stuck pig from the smallest nicks. A piercing with a clamp, not so small! Glad it wasn't gooey. Gooey piercings are No Fun At All.

Also, sometimes it seems like getting an area re-pierced, even after years, can be strange. I pierced my nose when I was l ike 17, let it close up within a few months, and had it repierced it at 30ish. First time? Easy, no blood, minimal pain. Second time, straight through the very, very minimal scar? Instant blood geyser, no blood thinners or waiting required. (Ew, :knockout: I know, sorry!) The piercer shrugged and said piercing through old piercings can be... interesting. Messy for sure.

I hope your ear heals nicely! What a PITA so far though, huh?
 
I'm glad you looked into it and happy that it turned out to be nothing serious!!
 
LGK|1299719858|2868541 said:
I betcha it was some weirdness related to blood thinners. A friend of mine is on them and she will bleed like a stuck pig from the smallest nicks. A piercing with a clamp, not so small! Glad it wasn't gooey. Gooey piercings are No Fun At All.

Also, sometimes it seems like getting an area re-pierced, even after years, can be strange. I pierced my nose when I was l ike 17, let it close up within a few months, and had it repierced it at 30ish. First time? Easy, no blood, minimal pain. Second time, straight through the very, very minimal scar? Instant blood geyser, no blood thinners or waiting required. (Ew, :knockout: I know, sorry!) The piercer shrugged and said piercing through old piercings can be... interesting. Messy for sure.

I hope your ear heals nicely! What a PITA so far though, huh?
Click to expand...

Thanks, AutumNovember, Matata, LGK, SomethingShiny!

LGK, I'm starting to think of scar tissue as the knot in the grain of wood: sure, it might be tougher than the surrounding material, but try to go through it and you'll just shred that supportive tissue. I am vaguely curious about how that affects tattooing scarred flesh, but I think this little experience is making me lean towards discretion being the better part of valor ....
 
Glad to hear that there is no immediate danger!
 
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