>>17168353
>hurts like crazy
>red and inflamed
Infected

>>17168353
Doesn't look infected but it's definitely on it's way. It's obviously swollen.

>>17168359
So a follow up question: what do I do to make it not infected?

>>17168363
You need to see a doctor. The redness and pain is your body already combating the infection and it usually won't win easily without some assistance. You need medication and that doesn't come over the counter.

TCP my friend.

>>17168378
Antibiotics for a piercing? Feel like a decent doctor would only prescribe those of this got really bad :/

>>17168397
>Antibiotics for a piercing?
Antibiotics for an infection. If you went to see a doctor it's not as though they would tell you to fuck off

>>17168359
>>17168361
It's not infected.

OP you got part of your cartilage pierced, redness and swelling is normal. Your body is trying to figure out what the hell you just put into it and is healing the hole you punched.
Get some of those small cotton pads they use for makeup, mix uniodized salt and water to make saline, and soak the pads and hold them over the piercing for about 30 seconds to a minute. This helps draw nasty shit out.

Try not to move the piercing too much, you're just gunna irritate the scar tissue your ear is building.

Did you piercing not explain any of this to you? Are you one of those fucking idiots that goes to Claires and gets it done with a gun?

>>17168353
looks like aids to me
sorry about your luck, op

>>17168353
Most cartilage piercings eventually become infected and grow a gross as fuck bump out of them. You were a fool

Your body is telling you the area is irritated and to please take it out. I though it was obvious.

The things people go through for appearance :(

Also question: ear lobe. Is that cartilage or just skin? And, over time is it normal for earlobe piercing holes to close up? Mine have closed up totally.

>>17168353
how long have you had the piercing?
what kind of jewelry do you have in your ear?

the inside of it looks like it might have some puss, which normally doesn't happen when a piercing is just healing.

Have you been cleaning it with salt water rinses? If you've been using anything else, stop it. You don't need antibiotics, but keep it clean and hold a glass of sea salt water to your ear a few times a day.

If it's still inflamed and painful in another week, go get it taken out.

A cartilage piercing is a pain in the ass, if you sleep on your ear at all it's going to irritate it. If anything presses on it, it's going to hurt.

>>17169159
ear lobs are just skin, cartilage is going to be the other parts since it's hard. With earlobe piercings they'll close up pretty easily no matter how long you have the piercing. I was pierced for 10 years and took it out and after a few weeks the holes closed up (not completely but it was growing a new layer of skin).

>>17169187
Edit: if the piercing is still super painful, take it out.
It's going to take weeks before a cartilage piercing starts feeling better, and even then it can take months for it to create enough scar tissue to not be painful. EVEN THEN, sleeping on your healed ear piercing can irritate it.

>>17169191
>>17169187

Wow other anon that sounds like a lot of pain and trouble.