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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Yes, usually. A doctor can assess a sore piercing on camera and treat an infection; an abscess or an earring stuck in the ear needs care in person.
- Normal or infected: tenderness, itching, slight redness and pale crusting are normal in the first weeks; swelling, heat, pus and worsening pain are not.
- Earlobe or cartilage: earlobes heal in about 6 to 8 weeks and rarely have serious infections, cartilage takes months; piercings through the cartilage of the upper ear get infected more often and more seriously.
- Do not: take the earring out unless a doctor tells you to, pick at crusts, or squeeze the piercing.
- Emergency: call 112 for a red, swollen ear with a high temperature and confusion, fast breathing or feeling very unwell, or for swelling of the lips, face or throat.
Do not book a video appointment if you feel very unwell with a high temperature, confusion, fast breathing or pale, blotchy skin, or if your lips, face or throat swell or you find it hard to breathe: call 112 or go to an emergency department. A hot, swollen, very painful upper ear, a growing lump full of pus, or an earring or clasp stuck in the ear needs in-person care: get medical advice the same day.
Can an online doctor treat an infected ear piercing?
Yes, usually. A piercing is easy to see on camera, and the doctor can tell normal healing, an infection, an allergy to the metal and a lump called a granuloma apart, then treat the cause, with cleaning advice and antibiotic cream or tablets when they are needed. An infection in a cartilage piercing is treated promptly, because early antibiotics give the best chance of full recovery. A collection of pus that needs draining, an ear that is changing shape, and an earring or clasp stuck in the ear need in-person care.
How an online consultation helps with an infected ear piercing
- Infected, or just healing?: Normal healing, infection, nickel allergy and granulomas look different on camera.
- Cartilage taken seriously: An infected upper-ear piercing gets prompt treatment, because the cartilage can be damaged.
- The right treatment: Cleaning and a warm compress for mild cases, and antibiotic cream or tablets when they are needed.
- Keeping the piercing: When the earring can stay in, which metals to choose, and how to care for it as it heals.
What the doctor checks in an online infected piercing consultation
The doctor checks the warning signs first, then looks at the piercing. The doctor asks about:
- Warning signs: a high temperature, feeling hot, cold or shivery, redness spreading across the ear or onto the face, or swelling of the lips, face or throat.
- The piercing: where it is, how old it is, who did it and how, and the metal of the earring.
- What you see: redness, swelling, heat, pus and its colour, bleeding, a lump, or an earring that will not move.
- What you have done: cleaning, creams, and whether the earring has been taken out.
- Your health: diabetes, heart problems, a weakened immune system, steroids or blood thinners, allergies to antibiotics, and pregnancy.
Before the call, take clear photos of the front and back of the ear in daylight, and have the earring in place.
How do you know if an ear piercing is infected?
A new piercing is an open wound, and some soreness is part of healing. The difference is in how it changes:
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| Normal healing | Infection | |
|---|---|---|
| Pain | Tender, settling over days | Getting worse, throbbing, or very painful |
| Skin | Slight redness, or a little darker on brown or black skin | Swollen, hot, very red or dark skin |
| Fluid | Pale fluid that dries into a crust | Blood, or white, yellow or green pus |
| Itching | Common | Can occur, with other signs |
| How you feel | Well | Sometimes hot, cold, shivery or generally unwell |
What does an infected ear piercing look like?
Usually red or darker than the skin around it, swollen and shiny, warm to the touch, and tender, with pus or crusting around the earring. On the upper ear, an infection can make the whole rim red, swollen and very sore. Photos in daylight, from the front and the back of the ear, show a doctor most of what they need.
How common are problems with ear piercings?
Common, but mostly minor. In one study, up to 35% of people with pierced ears had at least one complication: of those, 77% had a minor infection, 43% an allergic reaction, and 2.5% each a keloid scar or a torn earlobe. Most infections clear within a few days with good care.
Earlobe or cartilage piercing: why it matters
Earlobes are soft and fatty with a good blood supply, so they heal quickly and are less likely to get infected. The upper ear is cartilage, which is stiff and has a poor blood supply, so piercings there heal more slowly, get infected more often, and the infections are more often serious.
Perichondritis: an infected cartilage piercing
Perichondritis is an infection of the skin and tissue covering the cartilage of the outer ear. Cartilage piercing is probably the main reason people get it now; ear injuries, surgery, burns and contact sports can also cause it. The usual germ is a bacterium called Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
- What it looks like: a painful, swollen, red upper ear, often around the piercing, sometimes with a high temperature or fluid draining.
- Why it matters: it can spread into the cartilage itself, and part of the ear can be damaged and need surgery and later reconstruction.
- Treatment: antibiotics, by mouth or through a drip, and draining any collection of pus.
- Outlook: a full recovery is expected when antibiotics start early.
Pain and redness over the stiff part of the outer ear after a piercing or any ear injury need a doctor promptly. Choosing an earlobe piercing rather than a cartilage piercing is the best way to avoid perichondritis.
Infection, allergy or a lump?
Not every sore piercing is infected. These are the common look-alikes:
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| Problem | What points to it | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Infection | Swelling, heat, pus and worsening pain | Cleaning, a warm compress, and antibiotic cream or tablets |
| Nickel allergy | Itchy, red, sometimes weeping skin around the earring | Changing to hypoallergenic jewellery, and a steroid cream |
| Granuloma | A small bump of trapped fluid, often on the back of a cartilage piercing | A warm, wet pad held against it once a day |
| Keloid scar | A firm, raised scar that grows beyond the piercing, sometimes years later | Treatment by a specialist |
| Embedded earring | An earring or clasp that will not move, or has sunk into the skin | Removal in person |
Nickel allergy is the most common problem that is not an infection. Keloids are more likely after an infection, with slow healing, or if you or your family have had keloids before. The itchy ears and contact dermatitis pages cover allergies in more detail.
How do you treat an infected ear piercing?
A mild infection of an earlobe piercing often settles with good care, but a cartilage piercing, pus, spreading redness or feeling unwell needs a doctor:
- Wash your hands before touching the piercing.
- Clean it twice a day, using warm salty water or sterile saline to soften any crusts.
- Gently turn the earring while you clean, but do not twist it when it is dry.
- Dry it with a clean paper towel rather than a cloth towel, and avoid cotton wool.
- Hold a warm compress against it to ease the soreness.
- Leave the earring in unless a doctor tells you to take it out.
Should I take my earring out if it is infected?
No, not unless a doctor tells you to. Leave the jewellery in while the infection is treated. Taking it out before the piercing has healed is one of the ways infections start, and an infection can make a piercing close up.
Is it bad to squeeze pus out of a piercing?
Yes. Do not squeeze it or pick at the crusts: clean it gently and let a doctor look at it. Pus is a sign of infection, and a growing lump of pus may need draining in person.
How long does an infected ear piercing take to heal?
With good care, most infections clear within a few days. See a doctor if it is not improving, or straight away for a cartilage piercing, a high temperature or spreading redness.
Which infected piercing treatment might the doctor recommend?
Treatment depends on where the piercing is, how severe the infection is, and what else could be going on. This is the framework the doctors use:
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| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| A new piercing, tender with slight redness and pale crusting | Cleaning twice a day; this is normal healing | Yes | If redness, swelling or pain gets worse |
| An earlobe piercing that is red, swollen and oozing, and you feel well | Cleaning, a warm compress, and an antibiotic cream | Yes | If it is not improving after a few days, or spreading |
| A cartilage piercing that is red, hot, swollen and painful | Antibiotic tablets, started promptly | Yes, to assess | For a high temperature, a collection of pus, or an ear changing shape |
| Itchy, red skin around a healed piercing | Hypoallergenic jewellery and a steroid cream | Yes | For patch testing if it keeps coming back |
| A small bump on the back of a cartilage piercing | A warm compress once a day | Yes | If it keeps growing, or a keloid forms |
| An earring or clasp stuck in the ear | Removal | Only to assess | Urgently: get medical advice the same day |
| A high temperature, shivering or feeling very unwell | Urgent assessment | Only to assess | Urgently, in person; call 112 for confusion or fast breathing |
Not sure whether your piercing is infected? A doctor can look at it on camera in one consultation.
See available times →Treatment options for an infected ear piercing
What you can do yourself
- Clean the piercing twice a day with warm salty water or sterile saline, and dry it with a clean paper towel.
- Use a warm compress for comfort.
- Leave the earring in, and avoid touching it except to clean it.
- Do not pick at crusts, squeeze it, or use cotton wool.
- Keep it out of pools, hot tubs, lakes and the sea until it has healed.
- If nickel is the problem, switch to surgical stainless steel, titanium, niobium or gold.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. For a mild infection, the doctor may prescribe an antibiotic cream or ointment. For a more severe infection, or any infected cartilage piercing, the doctor may prescribe antibiotic tablets, chosen to cover the germs that infect cartilage. For an allergy to the metal, the doctor may prescribe a steroid cream. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
What does not help
Taking the earring out before a doctor says so. Squeezing pus or picking at crusts. Twisting a dry earring. Waiting to see whether a hot, swollen cartilage piercing settles by itself.
Special situations
Diabetes, heart problems or a weakened immune system
These raise the risk of infection, so see a doctor early. If you take steroids or blood thinners, ask a doctor before a new piercing.
Getting a new piercing safely
- Choose a qualified, experienced, licensed piercer who uses single-use, sterile equipment, and never pierce your own ears.
- Avoid piercing guns, which cannot be fully sterilised.
- Choose hypoallergenic metal for the first jewellery, and leave it in day and night until the piercing has healed, which can take up to 6 weeks, and longer for cartilage.
- Clean it twice a day, and keep it out of pools, hot tubs, lakes and the sea while it heals.
Infected piercing while travelling in Europe
Swimming in pools, lakes or the sea before a new piercing has healed can start an infection. Pack sterile saline, keep the piercing dry, and see a doctor promptly if a cartilage piercing becomes red, hot and painful.
Children
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
When an infected ear piercing is treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: sore or oozing piercings, infections of the earlobe and early infections of cartilage piercings, nickel allergy, granulomas, and advice on care and jewellery.
In-person care: a collection of pus that needs draining, an ear changing shape, an earring or clasp stuck in the ear, infection with a high temperature or feeling very unwell, keloid scars, and any emergency sign.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- a red, swollen ear with a high temperature and confusion, fast breathing, or pale, blotchy skin
- swelling of the lips, face, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing
- feeling very unwell and getting worse quickly
Get medical advice the same day for:
- a hot, swollen, painful upper ear after a cartilage piercing
- pus with a high temperature, or feeling hot, cold or shivery
- redness spreading across the ear or onto the face
- a lump around the piercing that is getting bigger and more painful
- an earring or clasp stuck in the ear
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CEST. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about your piercing: show it on camera in good light, front and back, and say how old it is, where it is, and what you have used on it.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Not sure it’s an infected piercing? Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Earache can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about infected ear piercings
How do I know if my ear piercing is infected?
Swelling, heat, very red or dark skin, worsening pain, and blood or white, yellow or green pus point to an infection, especially if you feel hot, cold or shivery. Slight redness, tenderness, itching and pale crusting are normal in the first weeks.
What does an infected ear piercing look like?
Usually red or darker than the skin around it, swollen and warm, with pus or crusting around the earring. An infected cartilage piercing can make the whole upper rim of the ear red, swollen and very sore.
How do I treat an infected ear piercing?
Clean it twice a day with warm salty water or sterile saline, dry it with a clean paper towel, use a warm compress, and leave the earring in. See a doctor if it is not improving, or straight away for a cartilage piercing, spreading redness or a high temperature.
Should I take my earring out if it is infected?
No, not unless a doctor tells you to. Leave the jewellery in while the infection is treated. Taking earrings out before a piercing has healed is one of the ways infections start.
Is it bad to squeeze pus out of a piercing?
Yes. Do not squeeze it or pick at the crusts. Clean it gently and get a doctor to look at it, because pus means infection and a growing lump of pus may need draining.
What can I do at home for an infected ear piercing?
Wash your hands, then clean around the infected ear piercing twice a day with warm salt water and pat it dry with a clean paper towel; keep the earring in unless a doctor tells you to remove it, so the hole does not close over the infection; do not pick at crusts, squeeze or twist it; and take paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain. If the redness spreads, the swelling grows or you feel unwell, see a doctor rather than waiting.
How can I prevent an ear piercing getting infected?
Choose a piercer who uses sterile, single-use needles and new jewellery, and avoid piercing guns for cartilage; clean the new piercing twice a day with salt water for the first weeks, washing your hands first; do not touch, twist or remove the earring while it heals; keep hair products, make-up and phones off it; avoid swimming for the first few weeks; and choose hypoallergenic jewellery such as titanium to prevent the nickel allergy that is often mistaken for an infected ear piercing.
How long does an infected ear piercing take to heal?
With good care, most infected ear piercings clear within a few days of starting treatment. An infected cartilage piercing can take longer, needs antibiotics started early, and should be reviewed if it is not improving after 2 or 3 days, because the cartilage has a poor blood supply and infection there can damage the shape of the ear.
Why is an infected cartilage piercing more serious?
Cartilage has a poor blood supply, so it heals slowly and infections are more often serious. An infection called perichondritis can spread into the cartilage and damage the shape of the ear, which is why it needs prompt treatment.
What is perichondritis?
An infection of the skin and tissue covering the cartilage of the outer ear, often after a cartilage piercing. It causes a painful, swollen, red ear and is treated with antibiotics; a full recovery is expected when they start early.
Is my piercing infected or is it an allergy?
An allergy, usually to nickel, causes itchy, red, sometimes weeping skin around the earring. Infection causes swelling, heat, pus and worsening pain. Hypoallergenic metals such as titanium, niobium, surgical stainless steel or gold help an allergy.
What is the bump on my ear piercing?
Often a granuloma, a small bump of trapped fluid on a cartilage piercing, which a warm, wet pad held against it once a day can help. A firm scar growing beyond the piercing may be a keloid, which needs a specialist.
When should I see a doctor about an infected ear piercing?
If it is not improving with cleaning, if a cartilage piercing is red, hot and painful, if redness spreads, if you have a high temperature, or if an earring is stuck in the ear.
Can an online doctor treat an infected ear piercing?
Yes, usually. A doctor can look at an infected ear piercing on camera and prescribe antibiotic cream or tablets when needed. A collection of pus, an ear changing shape or a stuck earring needs care in person.
- Infected piercings, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 18 April 2023.
- Infected ear piercing, Cleveland Clinic (US), reviewed 5 April 2023.
- Perichondritis, MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, reviewed 10 November 2024.
- Body piercing, DermNet, New Zealand Dermatological Society, updated July 2024.
- Ear eczema, National Eczema Society (UK), accessed 15 October 2026.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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