I got a scaffold piercing done a couple of days ago and my whole ear is red, swollen, throbbing and sore as hell. I'm wondering if this is normal at this stage. It also feels as though it's burning and whenever I cough (which is often because I've got a cold) it hurts. Anything I can do to soothe it? I've been cleaning it fairly often with a cotton bud dipped in Savlon liquid disinfectant but it just won't calm down!
I had the same problem with my first scaffolding piercing, but that's 'cos it was slightly infected. My body doesn't take well to savlon so maybe it's a good idea to switch to salt water washes 2-3 times a day and if it doesn't calm down after a week MAX, then go see your piercer. Ps, the really painful throbbing and swollen redness is normal for about 2-3 days with scaffolding piercings anyway. Hope this helps. Good luck! :)
You should get a cup of warm salt water and soak your ear in it. It will feel great and soothe it, as well as clean the area. It's likely to be sore for a week or two afterwords, that's very normal. After a month it should be looking better and by 2-4 months it should be healed well. Don't expect any piercing to be completely healed before 8-12 months, it takes time - especially if you aren't giving it enough time. Clean it with the salt water and try not to sleep on that side. I bet it looks great though :P Good luck.
