Infected lip ring

by Leah
(Omaha , Nebraska)

I got my lip pierced like one week ago on monday september 12 , 2011 , in Omaha Nebraska by a professional , at Benson in North Omaha called nuclear ink, a guy did my piercing he was safe he cleaned the needle and cleaned the clamps to hold it in place he used gloves and everything its just I have no idea if its infected it doesnt hurt but in the picture if you see there’s a red ring around my lip and is it like a infected blister? or does it get like that? If you see its swollen. Ive been using soap, anti mouth wash , hydrogen peroxide and salt water if you know if it's infected please tell me. If i touch it it doesn’t hurt but if I twist the ring it does I have gotten my belly button done which then got infected and rejected itself. I always clean and am careful with my lip ring. After I eat I clean it and I brush my teeth maybe 3 - 4 times a day. I had gotten my ears pierced and they got perfect so just let me know if it is infected and suggest me some new things to try to use!

Infected or Allergic Response To Lip Ring

Hi Leah, thanks for getting in touch. Looking at your picture this is either an infection or a skin reaction to the lip ring. I note the previous belly ring was a problem too so it could be a skin reaction. I’m not sure what metal this is, it looks like gold although sometimes this is gold plated with nickel underneath. A lot of people have nickel allergy and this may be the case with you, so by changing the metal it might help.

The most common infections are Staphylococcus or Streptococcus and these usually respond to Flucloxacillin, Benzylpenicillin or Clindamycin. You have tried all the usual things that you can try without seeking medical attention.

Sometimes this sort of problem won’t settle unless you remove the ring, although this will result in the hole sealing over. Good luck!




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