AboutBrian Skellie Expertise I can answer questions in regards to and not limited to: jewelry safety, specifically material, shape, proportion, and related issues; aseptic technique and sterilization as it applies to piercing safety; ethical issues of technique and bedside manner; the aftercare and recovery process for piercings.
Experience
Past/Present clients
Tens of thousands of one on one client experiences. http://www.piercing.org/ Body jewelry design and safety expert: Member ASTM committee F04(www.astm.org)
Member AAMI (www.aami.org)
Research advisor and educator for the APP for over a decade(www.safepiercing.org) teaching advanced studio setup, sterilization and equipment management, freehand piercing, aseptic/sterile technique and much more.
Distributor for SciCan StatIM sterilization and cleaning products. http://www.piercing.org/statim/
Expert: Brian Skellie Date: 5/1/2008 Subject: cartilage piercing bleeding
Question Last night when I cleaned my earrings I took the left cartilage one out cause lately when I turned it it'd sound kinda crusty so I took it out thinking it could be dried soap.
I rubbed the back of my ear softy and didn't feel anything crusty. But there was a little dried blood on the backing of the earring. My ear then started to bleed. I waited to the bleeding to stop then put the earring back in.
When I cleaned my earrings again this morning it was hard to turn the earring and when I got it to turn loosely it stated to bleed again. I've had it pierced since the start of February and have had nothing wrong with it till now. Is the bleeding normal?
Also is the bump behind the ear, where the post goes through, normal or is that just cause I was stupid and got my cartilage piercings done with a gun?
Thanks for the help and with reading this long question.
Answer Volpe,
It is not usually safe to remove piercings that are still healing. Clean them with the jewelry in place in the future. The scabs that form should be cared for gently http://piercing.org/pexy/recovery/recovery.html describes how and why. Cartilage takes longer to heal than regular earlobes, and gun piercing and gun jewelry makes it even harder.
Consider an upgrade to an 18g titanium barbell with anodized color to make healing easier. http://piercing.org/shop/ has examples. You can add a bezel set gemstone if you like for decoration.
