Infected Nose Piercing, Pictures, Causes, Symptoms, Abscess, How To Heal, Treat, Remedies

It is easy to get an infected nose piercing. The infection can happen to either a newly pierced nose or one that has been there.  Infection will always be associated with a bump. But this doesn’t necessarily mean all bumps are signs and symptoms of infection. In this post, we will uncover the possible causes of infected nose piercing, signs, pictures and how to heal, clean and treat infection on a nose piercing.

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• Infected Nose Piercing bump

A nose piercing bump is that swelling that develops a couple of days or weeks after you’ve had a nose piercing.  A bump is in most cases a sign of infection on a nose piercing. But not all the bumps are symptoms of infections.

Nose piercing could appear anywhere including inside your nose. There are a number of reasons for an infected nose piercing bump. They include:

• Trauma or injury
• Allergic reaction
• Poor hygiene
• Poor quality jewelry
• Wrong piercing technique

Bumps on nose after piercing are normal. The bumps should disappear after a couple of days or weeks. But if the bump doesn’t resolve after weeks, it definitely indicates an infection. An infected nose piercing bump will resemble a pimple with pus inside. It forms a pustule that appears under the skin surface.

If it changes color to pink and becomes tender, you should have it checked by your healthcare provider. It could be a symptom of infection.

Infected nose piercing picture

Pictures inserted in this post are to give you a vivid description on how infected nose piercing looks like. Look at the picture inserted below to help you understand your symptoms.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Infected Nose Piercing?

There are several signs and symptoms to tell you that your piercing has been infection. Like earlier said, the infection may also occur on the site of old piercing. That understood, you need to look for the signs of infection.

Here are the signs and symptoms to look for. They include:

1. A discharge from the area

This is one of the common signs of infection on nose piercing. The discharge usually appears as yellowish or greenish emitting a foul odor. It is a symptom of bacterial infection. You may notice the discharge around the jewelry. A white discharge is an indication of minor bacterial infection. If you have a clear discharge, it’s likely that it’s lymph and the area is healing.

2. Burning sensation

Apart from discharge, you may also experience a burning feeling. This is a clear indication that the piercing is problem and needs to be attended to. A burning sensation is a sign of allergic reaction usually it may be accompanied with a yellowish discharge.

3. Swelling, tenderness and redness

Your piercing might be infected if the area swells, feel tender and turns red. All these are signs of infection. Although redness, swelling and tenderness are usually present as soon as you’ve had the piercing. If the piercing remains swollen, red and tender after it has been done, then the site is infected. You may relieve these signs by applying a cold compress and taking of anti- inflammatory medication found over- the- counter.

4. Pain

An infected piercing is likely to cause a throbbing pain on the site. You may feel the place to be warm and painful. You can ease the pain with OTC pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen.

5. Are bumps an indication of infection

We mentioned earlier in the post, bump may or may not necessarily mean the site is infected. A bump is just a swelling that develops after a nose is pierced. However, if it resembles a pimple and pus inside it could mean the area is infected and requires treatment.

The bump could only be problematic if you notice an abscess with pus. This could result from poor drainage. Usually an abscess has foreign materials including bacterial infection.

6. Bleeding

Though not a common sign, an infected nose piercing can cause the site to bleed.  A new piercing should not bleed for a long period of time. If the bleeding continues, it could mean either there’s an infection or the risk of infection of high.

7. Fever and chills

Are fever and chills signs of infections. If the symptoms discussed above are associated with fever, nausea and chills, then it is most likely the nose piercing is infected. Fever and chills are sign of bacterial infections. You may need to visit tour healthcare provider for treatment.

8. Delayed Healing process

Healing is crucial for any kind of body piercing. You would want the healing to occur fast probably days or weeks after piercing. But what if the healing takes quite long? It will definitely bother you. Although healing varies from person to person depending on a various factors, if  a nose piercing takes months to heal, it could mean the site is infected.

Infected Nose Piercing Bumps Possible Causes:

Infected nose piercing can be caused by a number of possible causes. But the following are the possible causes:

1. Bacterial infection

This is the most common cause of an infected nose piercing. According to the American Family Physician, infection is primarily caused by the staphylococcus bacteria that common inhabit the nasal cavity.

2. Allergic reaction

The other possible cause of nose piercing infection is allergic reaction. In fact, the symptoms of an infected nose piercing can be associated with allergic reaction to the metal inserted in the nose or stud. Doctors from Mayo clinic describe the symptoms of allergic reaction to body piercing jewelry specifically nickel.

Symptoms such as red itchy rash, bumps and fluids that drain from the pierced site are one way to tell the piercing is infected. You can treat with natural home remedies o clear the symptoms and infection in a few days.

If you still redness, itchy nose and fluids draining from the piercing site, make an appointment with your doctor. It is also wise to see your doctor before trying natural remedies. It is important to assess the severity of the infection.

3. Poor personal hygiene

Infection on nose piercing can also happen when you touch the nose with dirty hands. Failure to clean it the nose piercing can also lead to infection. Make sure you keep the area clean until complete healing happens. You can use natural home remedies such as apple cider vinegar to clean and treat an infected nose piercing.

4. Physical injury or Trauma

Physical injuries or trauma can also lead to infection on the nose piercing. In fact, if you injure the piecing before healing completely happens, you expose the wound to risk of bacterial infections. Take precautionary measures as soon as you’ve had your nose piercing done. You may opt out of contact sporting activities to minimize injuries.

How to Heal, Clean an Infected Nose Piercing

Having a nose piercing is stylish and cool. But once it is infected it becomes a really bother and discomforting. We have detailed ways in which you can clean an infected piercing. Follow these procedures below and your problem will be gone once and for all.

Here’s how to clean:

a)     Wash and keep your hands clean

This is basic but very crucial procedure you need to take seriously. Cleaning your hands is the first step. This reduces the risk of spreading bacteria from your hands to the already infected nose. The hands can be cleaned using antiseptic solution and rinsed thoroughly with lukewarm water. Do not allow any other person to touch the nose piercing unless their hands are thoroughly cleaned too.

b)     Make an antiseptic / salt solution

This solution is to help clean the infected site by destroying bacteria causing the infection. Here’s how to make a salt solution:

• Dissolve half teaspoon of sea salt in a cup of warm water
• Stir the salt to completely dissolve the salt

c)      Dab the infected nose piercing site using a clean cotton swab

Use a clean cotton swab to apply the salt solution on the infected area.

d)     Remove and clean all the crusting

Make sure the crust that gathers around the nose ring or jewelry are removed. Clean both on the inside and outer surface of the nose. While removing the crust, be gentle to reduce injury that can cause bleeding.

e)     Dry the area

Once you done all the above procedures, all you have to do now is to dry the area. A clean paper towel is preferred to a bath towel.

How to Get Rid Of Infected Nose Piercing With Home Remedies

Do you know you can get rid of infection on nose with simple but effective home remedies? Below here are some of the home remedies to cure infection on nose piercing.

1 Salt water rinse

One of the effective ways to cure an infected nose piercing is to rinse the site with sea salt water. This helps to kill bacteria in and around the wound speeding healing. According to British Journal of plastic surgery, saline water helps to promote healing fast. It also removes pus and discharge from the infected wounds.

Using saline water should be the first basic step in caring for any infected wound. Rinse the nose piercing at least twice daily to help stop bacterial infection in your nose.

Here’s how to use sea salt water for treating infection on nose piercing

• Add ½ teaspoon of sea salt in a cup of warm water
• Stir until the salt is completely dissolved
• Soak a cotton swab in the solution
• Compress the cotton wool on the affected skin. Hold for about 5 minutes
• Rinse the piercing with warm water and pat dry with a clean towel.

2. Tea Tree Oil

The other effective home remedy to cure infection on nose piercing is using tea tree oil. It has strong antibacterial properties that can help cure skin infection faster preventing further infection. The oil has anti-inflammatory properties that can help relieve pain, itchiness and redness around the wound.

Here’s how to use tea tree oil to get rid of an infected nose piercing

• Immerse a cotton wool in tea tree oil
• Gently dab the oil on the infected skin around the nose ring
• For best results, do this 2 – 3 times a day

If your skin is sensitive to the oil, you can mix it with a little coconut oil.

3. Apple cider vinegar

ACV is another natural home remedy to get rid of infection on nose ring. It has antiseptic properties to help cure infection. It has antibacterial properties that promote healing.

Here’s how to use apple cider vinegar to cure nose piercing infections.

• Add 2 – 3 drops of apple cider vinegar in ½ cup of warm water
• Dip a cotton ball in the solution
• Apply the solution on the affected area of the skin
• Rinse with warm water
• Do this 2 – 3 times for best results

4. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera gel helps to reduce inflammation, redness, itching from an infected wound on nose ring. It helps to cure wound quicker. It has natural antioxidants and antibacterial properties helping in reducing bacterial inflammation. It also boosts the skin to produce collagens that helps in healing wound without a scar.

Here’s how to use aloe Vera on an infected nose ring

• Extract gel from fresh aloe Vera plant
• Apply a little of the gel with a clean cotton swab on the affected area
• Allow it to dry
• For best results, use this remedy 2 – 3 times a day to make the wound heal quickly

Sources and references:

• https://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/infected-nose-piercing-or-nose-ring/
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/piercings/art-20047317
• https://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/1115/p2029.html
• https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20040224/cartilage-piercing-riskier-than-earlobes – 1
• https://teens.webmd.com/teen-girls-body-ear-piercing – 1
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/body-piercing/ – Symptoms