Infections are gross?

[anarasmie]

I put in my 0g and they were a little soar but I figured it was normal because it wasn't extreme pain. Well i've been doing SSS and I noticed puss so I kept doing them and rubbing with vitamin e oil. And it got better. I left my plugs in for like 3 days and there was some puss and the tinniest amount of blood. It doesn't hurt though. Any advice on what I should do or try? Please and thank you all!!

[corazon_de_oro]

It doesn't sound like an infection at all, and it's probably just lymph instead of pus. Keep up the sea salt soaks and don't do any oil massages until they're fully healed; the rubbing can really irritate your ears if they're already sore.

[anarasmie]

What is lymph? Alright thanks so much!

[twosharks]

Lymph is a clear, yellowish fluid that leaks out of your skin when it's damaged. It's your basic filler juice. Blood is in vessels, but lymph is sort of just all around your body. Usually with deep wounds, you don't notice it because blood is in the way. With piercings, lymph is the daily crust that builds up long after you stop seeing blood from the piercing. It helps keep healing wounds clean.

Pus, on the other hand, is dead white blood cells and other gross stuff created from fighting infection. Pus is not clear, it's usually opaque yellow or greenish, and may have an odd smell. It makes a sandy crust rather than a crystalline crust like lymph fluid. Redness, pain, and heat in addition to pus are all signs of oncoming or occurring infection.

Any crust isn't ideal when stretching, but lymph crust is less alarming. Blood is not, it's always something you should pay attention to. That means there was a tear, not a microtear that only creates lymph. This doesn't mean you have an infection, but tears are good spots for infection to set in. So treat it like a new piercing, and consider downsizing for awhile to let it heal. At the least leave off the massages till they're stronger.

[anarasmie]

If it is infected is there any thing I can do other than SSS?

[corazon_de_oro]

If it's really infected it would be bright red, very swollen, hot to the touch, constantly painful, and oozing a dark or bright-colored pus. And if that's the case, all you can really do is SSS and go to the doctor for some antibiotics.

[anarasmie]

It's only swollen when I take out my plugs for SSS. The swelling goes down within an hour and it's not soar. Just an off white fluid comes out sometimes. I read on this forum that neosporin is good for torn ears. Could I try this? Or should I stay away from it? Also is there a site I can order a 1g from that won't cost a ton?

And thank you Soo so much for the advice!! (:

[corazon_de_oro]

Leave your plugs in when you soak for now; putting them in and taking them out can cause irritation. I wouldn't recommend Neosporin because it can clog pores/be too greasy and you don't have an infection anyway. I have two pairs of 1G plugs; one pair is acrylic and from bodyjewelleryshop.com and the other is glass from glasswearstudios.com. Glasswear Studios is pretty expensive but it's very good quality. I'm not sure where you could find steel or titanium in 1G.