Is my cartilage piercing infected?

My cartilage piercing got infected, advice please!?

• I got both my cartilage pierced the first week of december. Everythin was good but when I was about to changed my piercing from my right ear I noticed a skin colored bump in front next to my piercing . I took it out and last night my mom started cleaning it with peroxide and it started bleeding and pus came out. When I woke up this morning it looked better and the bump kind of went away . My mom said to wait a week to put my piercing back in I'm scared its going to close tho and that the same thing will happen again . My left cartilage piercing is fine tho. But what should I do? Advice please?

• Answer:

  Put the earring back in, and leave it in. Your cartilage isn't healed enough yet for you to take the earrings out. Cartilage takes longer than this to heal. What happens is that it looks healed on the outside, but it's still not healed on the inside. It takes about six months or longer for it to actually heal. For now, put the earring back in, if you can. Then start washing the piercings - both of them - with antibacterial soap once or twice per day for the entire healing period - so at least six months. You should also do a sea salt water bath for them, once per day for now. You'd put 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt in a cup of warm water, and soak the piercing. The sea salt can draw out any infection. Do not use peroxide, alcohol, or anything like that again. If the issue gets worse or does not go away, keep the earring in, and go see a reputable piercer and/or your doctor.