I got my eyebrow pierced on the 28th of May, followed all the instructions to take care of it like clean it everyday and dont change the barbell til 5 weeks after if it is looking ok. Changed the barbell in mid June to a spike and I had to out a retainer in for work cuz they dont understand cool things like piercings :rolleyes:. Now it is all red and swollen and draining and sore. What would you put on it or take to stop the infection and stuff like that? Should I take it out let it close up and redo it? Thanks in advanced!
Love-N-Shit
Kristalyn

I got my eyebrow pierced on the 28th of May, followed all the instructions to take care of it like clean it everyday and dont change the barbell til 5 weeks after if it is looking ok. Changed the barbell in mid June to a spike and I had to out a retainer in for work cuz they dont understand cool things like piercings :rolleyes:. Now it is all red and swollen and draining and sore. What would you put on it or take to stop the infection and stuff like that? Should I take it out let it close up and redo it? Thanks in advanced!
Love-N-Shit
Kristalyn
I think (not 100% sure) that the eyebrow rejection rate is super high, and almost always rejects it at some point. So you're probably going to have to get it repierced.

I haven't got much but I did a quick google search on piercings and the thing that seems to fit you the best is:

"If you think you have an infection, DON'T try to take care of it by yourself. Make an appointment to see your health care provider."

So the best thing to do would be to go to a doctor. Professionals can help the most and know what to do in these kind of situations. Better safe than sorry.

After that is done, if you need to get it repierced or something, the site had these tips to help keep the area clean and prevent infection.

Follow these steps to prevent infection

1. Wash your hands first with soap and water before touching or cleaning the pierced area. (Don't let anyone else touch the pierced area until it is healed.)
2. Remove any crusty skin from the site and from the jewelry with warm water.
3. Gently wash the area around the piercing with antibacterial soap (liquid soap works the best).
4. Gently rinse off all of the soap and crusty discharge.
5. Gently dry the area with a paper towel or plain white napkin. (Bacteria can stay in cloth towels.)
6. Do steps 1-5 twice a day until the skin heals. (Over-washing or over-scrubbing can irritate the area.)
7. Do NOT use antibacterial ointments because they don't allow air to get to the area and they trap bacteria.

Hope that helps you but the best thing to do right now is to get a doctor to check it out.

3. Gently wash the area around the piercing with antibacterial soap (liquid soap works the best).


id advise not to use soap, as its more likely to cause irritation. bath the area in salt water, and dab dry. do that twice a day, and make sure to remove all dried blood/infection.

by the sounds of it though, you did take care of your piercing and washed it regulary (if not, shame on you), so id advice you to remove it and see if it clears up, or if you want to keep it, see a doctor. they'll probably advise you to remove it anyway.

No Way! Mine did the exact same thing today!! Nothing seemed to be wrong then I was picking at it and my fingers felt a little wet. I realized something popped. I went in the bathroom and sqeezed my eyebrow and water and puss and blood oozed out. I had mine pierced in March and I don't want to take it out! I'm just going to clean it 3x a day as my sister instructed me to do (she used to work at a piercing place). Mine was done at a very good place too and no problems with my other piercings! Well, my navel did this before and I just left it alone cleaned it a lot, and it is wonderful now. So, don't fret yet.. just clean, clean, clean!! That is what I plan on doing since I don't have the money to get it repierced at the moment.. just got another piercing last week ;)

<_< you probably should've waited a little while longer to take it out but anyways, it may not be infected.
If you start to see yellowish, brownish, greenish whatever pus then it is infected.

Make sure to do sea salt soaks those help wonders.
If it really hurts I like to take a clean towel, soak it with warm/hot water and put it on the piercing.
Clean it with a gentle soap also.

Clean clean clean is probably the best approach to your situation at the moment, but do remember to be gentle and not to irritate the skin too much. Be prepared that it may be rejecting. The same thing happend to me about a month after I had my eyebrow peirced, and about three weeks later, it had rejected. I hope everything works out for you!

Sheesh lol. I have had people tell me, use soap, alcohol, peroxide, sea salt, and bactine since I've gotten my piercing. I have been using bactine on it 3x a day, alcohol at nite n peroxide in the morning. Myabe I'm cleaning it to much *wonders* . I was looking at the part close to my eye today and it has a line scab.. I think the retainer tore it a little, cuz the retainer is huge at the bottom and hurts like no tomarrow to put it in! Anyways thanks for the tips, and angel82... dont pick at it! lol :p

Sheesh lol. I have had people tell me, use soap, alcohol, peroxide, sea salt, and bactine since I've gotten my piercing. I have been using bactine on it 3x a day, alcohol at nite n peroxide in the morning. Myabe I'm cleaning it to much *wonders* . I was looking at the part close to my eye today and it has a line scab.. I think the retainer tore it a little, cuz the retainer is huge at the bottom and hurts like no tomarrow to put it in! Anyways thanks for the tips, and angel82... dont pick at it! lol :p
All that stuff is going to dry it out and make it hurt worse.

Sheesh lol. I have had people tell me, use soap, alcohol, peroxide, sea salt, and bactine since I've gotten my piercing. I have been using bactine on it 3x a day, alcohol at nite n peroxide in the morning. Myabe I'm cleaning it to much *wonders* . I was looking at the part close to my eye today and it has a line scab.. I think the retainer tore it a little, cuz the retainer is huge at the bottom and hurts like no tomarrow to put it in! Anyways thanks for the tips, and angel82... dont pick at it! lol :p

Woaaahh too much of the cleaning.
Also---

No more alcohol!
Not good if you want it to heal. Not good at all.

I think 3 times a day is a bit too much try 2.
And do sea salt soaks they're great.

I had mine for 6 months, and it rejected about 2 months ago. So I looked up some stuff about it, and read that the sooner you take it out, the less scarring there will be. And I also read that if you get it pierced again, in the same place, it will be less likely to reject again because the scar tissue might hold it in place. Also, when I got it pierced, they told me that Listerine works really good for cleaning it. (regular, not mint or flavored)

Okay. First, take a deep breath. It will be okay. Now read on.

Rinsing should NOT be done with alcohol (including Listerine, which is about 40 proof). It is overly drying, may irritate the tissue, and worst of all, can destroy newly formed healed tissue that would normally protect you from infection. Hydrogen peroxide is out for the same reasons. Antibiotic ointments (like Neosporin) are definitely out, too. Just read the label; it clearly says DO NOT USE ON PUNCTURE WOUNDS.

A sea salt water rinse is an absolutely helpful thing. I definitely recommend it. The solution should be mild, however. About 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt (noniodized salt) to one cup of water should be about right. Any stronger and the salt could irritate or burn the skin, and who wants that? Sea salt soaks should be done once or twice a day for three to five minutes to help speed up the healing process and make the piercing less uncomfortable. However, it is not a subsitute for proper disinfection of the area and is a supplement to, and not a replacement for, a disinfecting solution.

For actual disinfection, I'd suggest Biotene (http://www.laclede.com/). It's actually a product used to treat dry mouth but is very useful in healing piercings. This is an entirely different product from Bactine (http://www.bactine.com/index.cfm), which you said you've been using. Another option is to use Provon (http://staywell.gojo.com/products/product.asp?productid=75), an antimicrobial soap, with water (it is perfectly okay to use an antimicrobial soap like Provon, which is specially designed to be gentle and non-drying). Either way, you should only clean the piercing once or twice a day and NO MORE. Remember, the goal is for the thing to HEAL, and it can't do that if you won't leave it alone.

Hope this helps.

Rinsing should NOT be done with alcohol (including Listerine, which is about 40 proof). It is overly drying, may irritate the tissue, and worst of all, can destroy newly formed healed tissue that would normally protect you from infection.
The guy who pierced me told me to use Listerine. I didn't have any problems with it, but thanks for the info. Maybe if I clean it a different way, it will last longer next time.

When i got my tongue pierced they told me thay i can use listerine. You just have to dilute it with water. I had a water bottle I carried around with me. But now for other piercings I was always told Bactine.

Do you know where I can get the sea salt and other things? I cant seem to find them anywhere:(

I found Bactine at a grocery store. I've never used the other stuff. I would probably call like Walgreens or your pharmacy.

Sea Salt is usually at the supermarket, I got my belly done about two weeks ago but i haven't had any trouble except i think it is crooked.... lol anyway..

OK, Kristalyn, there IS a doctor in the house. You've already received a lot of good advice from people, but I'm a little worried that the redness swelling and pain might be a sign of a bacterial infection, especially if the drainiage is pus. Piercings will often cause inflammation in the area, which any kind of wound will do. (A little redness, swelling and pain wiith maybe some clear drainage.) With infection the redness starts to spread, the pain gets worse and the drainage changes into a yellow or yellow-green goo. I think most of the prvious advice you've received has been for inflammation. Do oyu think that's all there is? If you're unsure, you should have a doc look at it to see if there's an infection that might clear up easily and quickly with some antibiotics. You really don't want an infection spreading so close to your eye.

<3 rich

When i got my tongue pierced they told me thay i can use listerine. You just have to dilute it with water. I had a water bottle I carried around with me. But now for other piercings I was always told Bactine.

same when i got my lip done and my bf got his toung done they made us rinse our mouths out wqith listerine after she peirced us (with water) then we got told to use it afterwards! now my lip is all good!