I took an old, existing ear lobe piercing and gauged it (8 gauge). It's infected. Suggestions on cleaning?

The gauging is a DIY job. It was previously infected and I had thought that the infection had gone, but apparently, my assumptions are wrong. I was told from a friend in a nursing profession to clean the earring and piercing in an alcohol and peroxide solution, but now I'm getting mixed advice. Can someone set me straight, please?

Alcohol and peroxide are two of the worst things you can put on a piercing. They dry out piercings, causing scar tissue to form. They also aren't very good at killing bacteria.

Did you stretch from 18ga to 8 ga right away? If so, you tore your ear and pissed it off a lot. Sea salt soaks 2-3 times per day will help, also downsize the jewerly immediately. (go back to about a 14 ga)

Are you wearing acrylic in the piercing? Or anything other than surgical steel or titanium? Get new jewerly immediately, surrgical steel or titanium only. Sea salt soaks 2-3 times per day will help it calm down.

If you're putting any kind of oil on it (like vit. E or emu oil) stop until the problem is resolved and your ears have healed.

If you have green pus (not white or whitish-yellow, actual green discharge) go to your doctor for antibiotics.

Visit your local peircer, who can take a look at your ear. They will be better able to determine the problem after seeing it.

For the record, neosporin is not intended for puncture wounds, it says so right on the package. You think someone claiming to be a nurse (like one of the people who answered) would be able to read basic instructions. Do not put neosporin on any piercings.

do what ur friend said
and wait awhile before going back again. like a week after all symptoms r gone

#1, take the piercing out!
#2, alcohol is a drying agent, which will cause it to dry out and bleed. you want to put neosporin on it .
#3, after the ear has healed, get it done by a pro! not DIY.

From an RN standpoint I agree that you should clean it with the 50/50 solution . But I also have an african remedy in conjunction to that. It works. I use it when my ear gets infected and i've showed it to friends as well. They all love me for it! Ready... Take a piece of corn straw from a corn straw broom, burn the edges down so that it looks like a regular earring post and insert in into ur pierced ear hole just like an earring. Cleanse with the 50/50 solution 2x's/day with the corn straw in your ear and make sure u are turning the straw. You should see great results in 1 week. Write me back and let me know if u took my advice.

I had the same problem and I am a nurse....repierced my top hole on one ear that always had trouble hurting and not healing....
well i thoroughly cleaned my earring (get something gold or surgical steel posts....helps tremendously!!!) with alcohol and my ear as well....
My ear was swollen and throbbing...for a day or two, but I kept cleaning it. One day I put neosporin ointment on it...(triple antibiotic) and it seemed to help the best.
I think one day I left the earring out too so it could simply rest. Since then, it has been clear and pain free and normal. I think find a post or something you want to wear and keep it cleaned like 6 times a day. Coat front and back with the ointment and it should get better.

I agree with nymphetamine19. Don't use the alcohol and peroxide solution. I did that with a very stubborn cartilage piercing and required surgery to remove all of the infection and scar tissue. I'm not saying the peroxide caused that, but it certainly didn't clear up my problem.