Okay so my cartilage piercing is infected.

i know this because it has puss coming out and it's really swollen and hurts really bad. Anyway, i decided that i'm going to go back to the place I got it pierced at. However, I won't be able to go until Tuesday or Wednesday. I know that's not a long amount of time, just a couple days. But i'm really worried about it, and I just want to make sure that as long as I keep cleaning it and stuff, It can't possibly get a lot worse in the few days I have to wait before I have the ability to get back up there right?

Answer:
dont use rubbing alcohol or neosporin! those are not meant for puncture wounds! it could make it worse. do a salt soak 2-3x a day (using warm 8oz of water and 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt<--MAKE SURE ITS NOT IODIZED!!! table salt doesnt work!) i use a soaked cottonball and put it on the piercing for 5 minutes. AND DONT TOUCH IT.

this is exactly from my piercing guide from my piercer:

“what not to do: do NOT use any of the following products to clean your piercing with:

-hydrogen peroxide: this will break down reforming tissue, causing the piercing to stay open and raw for a longer period of time. this will also make your piercing more susceptible to infection, and prolong healing time

-bactine: this is NOT meant for use on puncture wounds (which a piercing is). bactine is only meant to be used for small cuts and minor burns

-neosporin or any triple antibiotic ointment: these are not for use on puncture wounds

-rubbing alcohol: this is not an effective disinfectant and will only dry out your skin”

Answer:
It probably won't get a LOT worse, unless you're cleaning it with the wrong stuff.

Just stick with warm sea salt water a few times daily and antibacterial soap ONCE IN A WHILE. Not too much or it will dry it out.

And make sure you aren't using any kind of scented soap, antibiotic cream, rubbing alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide.

And the most important thing you can do is to leave the jewelry in. If you take it out, there will no longer be a way for the infectious stuff to come out (through the jewelry.) If you take it out and it closes up, the infection will be trapped inside your ear and that will probably cause realy serious medical problems.

Answer:
That happened to me several times, I finally took it out a couple years after I got it pierced. But I was always able to get rid of the infection by putting triple antibiotic ointment on it (it's also called bacitracin) I know it will hurt a tiny when you put it on, but get it all around the earring and twist it a little to get it in further into the piercing. Keep reapplying until the infection is gone (about 2 days). And try to keep your hair out of the way till it's gone. Hope it helps!
Answer:
What I would do is clean it properly (2-3 times a day) and leave it in for another day, and if it either gets worse or stays the same, then you might want to take it out, and get it re-pierced. Or, you can just leave it in for the couple days until you go back to the piercer, and see what they say - and if it gets much worse before then, take it out.
Answer:
Douse a Q-tip in rubbing alcohol and scrub the infected place each two hours or so and it should go away on it's own. My ears used to get badly infected like that all the time!

But if you keep scrubbing it with rubbing alcohol, it shouldn't get any worse.

P.S. contrary to popular belief, rubbing alcohol works really well because it dries out the infection inside your ear and allows the place to heal itself.

Answer:
try to put some neospiron on it cuz everytime mine gets red and itchy i put it on there and it works
Answer:
Firstly, i just thought i'd tell you that some of these answers are really bad :/ for your own health, I'll tell you that you should NEVER use alcohol to clean a piercing, nor hydrogen peroxide, besides drying out the piercing, it kills off good bacteria, and slows the healing down!! If you don't believe this, please ring a pro and find out for your self. Clean your ear using sea salt soaks. Im sure it wont get a lot worse, it may stay the same, or even improve it you do sea salt soaks three times a day. Baby the piercing, be careful of it. do not take it out though, that would only trap the infection, causing more problems. Try not to play with it, and like i said, ignore the other answers. Hope it goes ok for you, good luck!