Help, nipple may be infected

[gizmo001i]

Hi,
* I am a newbie here and am hoping to get some advice on my nipple piercing. I had it done about 5 weeks ago by a proffesional and i know that everything was sterile. However just over a week ago, I had to go away to a place where i was not able to wash my nipple as much as i would like. Now I find that if i squeeze my nipple I get a small amount of white stuff come out from the wholes of the piercing and it feels fairly sore when it is squeezed. the nipple is slightly swollen, but no more than it has been from the start. I am carrying out salt water washes and keeping it clean. Also I am bathing it in TCP antiseptic solution which contains halogenated glycerol and Phenol. It also contains glycerol concentrated phosphoric acid. Am I doing wrong by using the anticeptic liquid. i also understand that the nipple can produce a white discharge, so I am unsure if it is infected, as i say it is not thick as such, but a slighlt sticky fluid which only comes out when I squeeze and my nipple can now and again feel sore. I know i may sound very new to this and i am, i just want to keep the piercing and make sure that everything is ok.
Many thanks for any help
Gizmo.


[edited to change discription slightly, please keep all discriptions appropriate for all ages. *thank you]

[SheepKaboom]

I'll let the experts comment on the cleaning solution, but what I can say is that the piercing's not infected. *If it were infected, you'd know! *It'd be really hot, painful to any touch, and discharging dark-colored fluids. *White and yellow stuff (called lymph, or if it's discharging, then the piercing is "lyphing.") is what a piercing does as it heals. *Nipples are delicate places to heal, and take longer than most piercings. *It'll be officially "healing" until a year past the day you got it pierced (that seems to be the official PP recommended let-it-heal time.) That means don't go in a pool or tub with it unless you're wearing Tegaderm, don't get anyone else's fluids in it, and avoid changing jewelry unless absolutely necessary. *Always wash your hand before touching your piercing for that year, and don't let anyone else touch it yet! *It'd suck to go through six months of perfect care, only to lose it after a bad infection from a hot tub.

It might lymph for a long time as well: up to six months or more (though this changes from person to person. *It's been two and a half months since mine and I'm hardly lymphing at all anymore.) *It'll be sore for a while yet, especially if you pinch it (which is a bad idea, by the way. *Your piecing is trying to heal, and if it hurts when you poke at it, then, well, don't poke at it!)

As for swelling, it's likely not swelling at all, but rather growing. *From what I understand, nipples have a pretty regular tendency to grow when pierced (my pierced nipple is, and will remain, about 50% larger than my unpierced one.) *This isn't a problem unless your nipple outgrows its jewelry (if you've a barbell, for example, it might start "swallowing" one or both balls), in which case the jewelry would need to be changed for a longer piece. *The only other problem I can think of is the aesthetic distaste of having one nipple larger than the other... but that solution is easy. *Just get the other one pierced. * :wink:

[solnyez]

First - don't use that antiseptic solution. Phenol can burn the skin and isn't very good for you.

Just use sea salt (without iodine!) and warm water. Soak it for 10-15 minutes. Yes it will lymph for a while yet, and that's normal. So is tenderness and soreness for a while. Also, do hot compresses to help it.

[gizmo001i]

Hiya,
* * *Just wanted to say many many thanks to both of you, I guess you know what it is like when you see a white discharge and you don't know what it is lol. I have taken all your comments on board and will stop using the antiseptic liquid and only use the salt washes. I will also stop squeezing it as well. But once again many thanks for your help guys.