Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 30, 2024, 01:29:59 am

Login with username, password and session length


Members
  • Total Members: 37614
  • Latest: bondann
Stats
  • Total Posts: 772965
  • Total Topics: 66312
  • Online Today: 178
  • Online Ever: 5484
  • (June 18, 2021, 11:15:29 pm)
Users Online
Users: 0
Guests: 136
Total: 136

Welcome


Welcome to the POZ Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and others concerned about HIV/AIDS.  Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning:  Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

  • The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own physician.

  • All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

  • Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators of these forums. Click here for “Do I Have HIV?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ community forums.

  • We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are true and correct to their knowledge.

  • Product advertisement—including links; banners; editorial content; and clinical trial, study or survey participation—is strictly prohibited by forums members unless permission has been secured from POZ.

To change forums navigation language settings, click here (members only), Register now

Para cambiar sus preferencias de los foros en español, haz clic aquí (sólo miembros), Regístrate ahora

Finished Reading This? You can collapse this or any other box on this page by clicking the symbol in each box.

Author Topic: Healing body piercings  (Read 3405 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline osric

  • Member
  • Posts: 57
Healing body piercings
« on: June 19, 2012, 01:25:46 pm »
[Please move this to Off-topic if it doesn't belong here.]

I have a bunch of body piercings. All of them were several years old and well-healed before I contracted HIV.

But over the last couple of months, they've been acting up. This usually happens if they get hit or caught on something and they're pretty easy to settle down with some basic care. But I haven't really had anything happen to them.

I've noticed too that the lymph nodes in my neck are swollen; that's typically a sign that I'm getting a cold. But I feel fine.

I had a couple of ear lobe orbitals (two ear lobe piercings with one ring through both holes) that I took out last month because they actually hurt to sleep on and were bleeding now and then. These are pretty basic ear piercings that I've had for over two years.

Then one of my nipples got caught on a bath towel and now it won't heal. The bath towel incident has happened many times in past and just a few days of basic care has cleared up any problem. But not this time. The damn nipple is swollen, bleeding, and all-around pretty nasty; the worst I've ever seen. I've been doing the standard piercing care that's used to clear up minor infections and irritations, but it's just not doing the trick.

Is there any anecdotal evidence that people with HIV and piercings don't mix? Any experiences here that folks are willing to share?

Offline tednlou2

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,730
Re: Healing body piercings
« Reply #1 on: June 19, 2012, 03:34:48 pm »
I have my nips pierced and they will get a tad infected every once in a while.  Even when not infected, they often need cleaning or they will get that crusty stuff on them.  I use Hibiclens.  It is like ten bucks for 8oz, but lasts for a while.  Not to get too personal here, but I've noticed I usually will have issues when my partner sucks or bites on them.  But, 95% of the time, I have zero issues.    I think a lot of bacteria just finds its way in.  I remember I tried to put ear rings back in after years of not wearing them.  This God awful smell erupted as they were poked back open.

Offline Joe K

  • Standard
  • Member
  • Posts: 5,821
  • 31 Years Poz
Re: Healing body piercings
« Reply #2 on: June 19, 2012, 03:52:17 pm »
Sorry to hear about your infection and to be honest, I'm a bit confused.  I've had pierced nipples and my left ear for decades and I've never had any infections.  I don't understand how your piercings have not healed and I'd talk with your doctor about it.  The only care I do for my piercings is to rotate the rings regularly and soap them well in the shower.

It is not normal for your piercing holes to become infected, even after rough play, so something else is going on.

Joe

Offline smithsgirl88

  • Member
  • Posts: 6
Re: Healing body piercings
« Reply #3 on: June 20, 2012, 04:15:29 am »
I find my piercings start getting tender, crusty, pussie etc... when my immune system takes a hit. Lack of sleep or coming down with a cold usually is usually the reason. Plenty of vitamin c (I usually drink plenty of pure orange juice), a zinc supplement and water. I've heard Euchinacea (sp?) Is supposed to be brilliant for the immune system but I find it too expensive. X

Offline LiveWithIt

  • Member
  • Posts: 535
Re: Healing body piercings
« Reply #4 on: July 01, 2012, 02:10:54 am »
I have 8 body piercings, 2 are my earlobes that are stretched to 00g.   I've only had a few problems with them.  I had a problems with a labret soon after it was done.  I decided to take it out.  I had both nipples done and decided to get each one done again after they were well healed to form a cross. Those were done behind the first ones.  The first ones, the horizontal ones started rejecting so I took them out.  Then one of the vertical ones got an infection.  It was so bad that I had to go to the ER.  I thought it was from a F buddy licking them about a month after I got them, but they can tell by the test they did that it was not the kind of bacteria that you get from another person licking them.   The antibiotics cleared the infection.  So now on my nipples I only have one vertical one left, and yes it often still forms crusties.  No problems with my tongue piercing, earlobes, septum, or 3 genital piercings.
« Last Edit: July 01, 2012, 02:14:44 am by LiveWithIt »
Pray God you can cope
I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.

Offline osric

  • Member
  • Posts: 57
Re: Healing body piercings
« Reply #5 on: July 01, 2012, 12:55:38 pm »
Mine get irritated even with moderate play. But I'm used to that. This was MUCH worse.

I went to a doctor to get it checked out, it was all swollen and discharging and crusty. He gave me neosporin ointment. He wanted to take it out to flush it, but I said no to that. All piercing wisdom says that's a bad idea and can lead to an abscess. The doc told me if the infection spread that I should go to the ER and have them deal with it there. :/

So I went home, felt I wasted a doctor visit, and resumed my sea salt soaks. I started putting a band-aid over it during the day, just to keep it from rubbing up against my shirt. After four days of 3x/day sea salt soaks, the swelling and pain were gone and everything was back to pretty much normal.

So it looks like I was just a bit anxious over the infection. Lesson learned.

Thanks everyone!

 


Terms of Membership for these forums
 

© 2024 Smart + Strong. All Rights Reserved.   terms of use and your privacy
Smart + Strong® is a registered trademark of CDM Publishing, LLC.